The winding ascent passes through temperate rainforest, sub-alpine flora and glacial rock formations before opening up to some of the most spectacular views any city can lay claim to. On a clear day, the summit offers a breathtaking panorama of Hobart and its waterways, Bruny Island and beyond.

From here you can also set off on any number of well-marked bushwalks – there are over 40 trails to suit all levels of fitness and covering off a variety of landscapes, from fern gullies to eucalypt forests to rocky outcrops.

Before colonisation, the freshwater that flowed down from the mountain was an important source of drinking water for the mouheneener Tasmanian Aboriginal people. It then became Hobart’s main source of freshwater up until the 1860s and the settlement sprung on along its banks.

Follow the rivulet upstream from the centre of town (it disappears underground around Molle Street into a fascinating network of tunnels – but that’s another story) to the foot of kunanyi/Mt Wellington and back (2.7 kilometres one way).

And the 25-minute journey is all part of the experience: David Walsh created Mona to be approached by water à la an island-top temple in Ancient Greece.

Station yourself at the back of the boat – the sheep and tigers, depending on which ferry you’ve scored, are the best seats in the house – to watch the Hobart waterfront slip from view as the cool Tassie air whips at your face. Inhale it in big gulps before spending the rest of the day absorbed underground at the subterranean gallery.

Their iconic yellow boats are purpose-built for eco-cruising the rugged coast of southern Tasmania.

Opt for a full-day tour departing Hobart to join the three-hour Tasman Island or Bruny Island wilderness cruise; the former will have you skirting the spectacular coastline between Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck and beneath the highest vertical sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere at Cape Pillar; the latter takes in caves, sea stacks and the point where the Tasman Sea meets the mighty Southern Ocean, before a sightseeing tour of Bruny Island.

Make your way to the village of Dunalley, a 50-minute drive south-east of Hobart, to begin the Bangor Adventure or the Nohoiner Adventure. This exploration of the Bangor private estate on the Forestier Peninsula will see you traverse a wild and rarely accessed coastline by e-bike, exploring the site of the first contact between Tasmanian Aboriginal people and European maritime explorers.

Nohoiner Adventure, in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal healer and culture guide Sheldon Thomas, offers a further Indigenous insight through traditional ceremonies and knowledge-sharing interpretation of Country, bush foods and medicine.

This is an elevated walkway up to 50 metres above the forest floor, with views to the confluence of the Huon and Picton rivers and beyond to the peaks of the World Heritage Area.

And soon, it will introduce hang gliding into the mix. Tahune Adventures also partners with King River Rafting for a four-hour rafting or kayaking experience, Twin Rivers Adventure, along bubbling rapids and tranquil stretches of water.

Head west of Hobart 30 minutes to New Norfolk and make your first stop https://www.facebook.com/pg/DerwentvalleySUP/about/?ref=page_internal, where you can learn to stand-up paddleboard on the still waters of the River Derwent here.

If this gives you a taste for adventure in waters of Tassie’s western wilds then head further west still to join a kayak tour with https://tassiebound.com.au/. Pick-up locations for the three-hour Paddle with the Platypus and 4.5-hour River Derwent Rapid Tour are both within a 50-minute drive of Hobart at Bushy Park, a quaint little village also known as the hop capital of Tasmania.

Russell Falls, just over an hour from Hobart, is a much-loved spot – which even featured on Australia’s first stamp – that will give you a taste of Tassie’s magnificent wilderness.

The two-tiered cascade waterfall is accessed via an easy 1.4-kilometre return walk through deep-green mossy forest comprised of towering swamp gums and all manner of species typical of cool temperate rainforest including dogwood, musk and myrtle.

Mic is a forager extraordinaire and proponent of Italian slow food made with the best Tassie ingredients (find him every first and third Sunday of the month at Hobart’s Farm Gate Market).

On this foodie excursion south-east of Hobart, Mic will teach you how to identify local flavours and ingredients before rustling the morning’s spoils up into a six-course luxury lunch overlooking sparkling Frederick Henry Bay, complemented by local seasonal meat and seafood and matched which a selection of wines from nearby Bream Creek Vineyard.