The traditional, yet quirky harbour town of Hobart is the gateway to the spectacular island of Tasmania, and while it is far more compact than many Australian cities, it still has plenty of historic and cultural sites, and it's well worth spending a couple of days here, before touring the rest of the island.
The majority of visitors will have travelled great distances to get to Tasmania, and will be keen to get their itinerary just right.
After all, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and knowing which sites will suit your interests is, therefore, very important.
One solution is to think about incorporating a Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour on arrival in Hobart, which takes you directly to the city's most popular attractions and sightseeing-spots, and this article will give you an idea on how to explore Hobart from such a tour, and you can expect to see.
· Maritime history: Because Hobart is a port, there's a maritime emphasis to many of the attractions.
Sullivan's Cove, for example (where Hobart's first settlers landed in 1804), is one of the first stops on the bus tour.
You'll loop back round to this quarter at the end of your tour too, where you can explore the Victoria Docks, the harbour and Elizabeth Street Pier.
References to the sea are everywhere, from the play equipment in Princess Park to the old fishing village cottages at Battery Point.
· Convict past: Equally interesting for historical buffs are the bus tour stops that reference the city's convict connections.
You can visit the Cascades Female Factory, for example, which was a workhouse for female convicts in the early nineteenth century.
Then there's the Penitentiary Chapel, which is part of the Old Hobart Gaol.
This is where the convicts attended their compulsory church services in the nineteenth century.
· Natural beauty: If you're looking for something a bit more uplifting, there's the opportunity to hop off the bus at the Botanical Gardens, which boasts 6,500 varieties of plants, many of them native to Tasmania.
There's everything from a Japanese garden to a sub-Antarctic plant house here - enough to keep plant lovers happy all day! · Let's not forget Hobart's outstanding scenery, either.
As you travel around the city, you can't fail to admire the magnificent Mount Wellington in the distance.
The views from your open top bus are a definite plus, and you'll be able to get some great snapshots as you travel along the route.
· Cultural heritage: There are two museums to visit on the bus tour route.
You could choose to go to the Tasmanian Museum, which focuses on Tasmania's history, art and culture and also has an art collection.
Otherwise, there's the Maritime Museum, which has models of ships, paintings, images, photographs and other, sea-related exhibits.
· Shopping opportunities:There are stops on the bus tour that offer you the chance to browse to your heart's content.
You could try the Sandy Bay Shopping Village, for example, or you could jump off at Salamanca Place.
This area is famous for its Saturday market, and has renovated warehouses, bars, and cafes for you to visit.
Everyone - locals and tourists alike - descends on the area to enjoy great food, music and the bargains, of course! If you have the time, there is the option to add an extra section onto your bus trip.
You could combine it with a visit to the Cadbury Factory for a chocolate tour, a trip to Mount Wellington or a visit to the Cascades Brewery.
In this way, if time is short (or you'd just prefer to let someone else do the organising), you can fit even more into your visit.