Mr & Mrs Smith

There's no need to leave entertainment one-stop shop MONA Pavilions, so lap up the remote riverside feel away from inner-city Hobart. Take a Moorilla winery or Moo Brew microbrewery tour on site, check out the free Cellar Door tastings, hit the heated swimming pool and sauna, or order a soothing massage in the privacy of your apartment-style room (there isn't a spa here, but you won't miss one). 

MONA also hosts regular workshops, embracing beer and tapas, cheese and wine, beer and dessert (that's got to be a must!) and even songwriting, although you'll need to register in advance and pay extra for these. Other events in the pipeline include MONA Quiz Night, Urban Farm (a chance to sample and buy fresh regional produce from local farmers' markets) and Manicures, Martinis and Massages, girlie get-togethers teaming pampering with cocktails which would suit a hen night or all-female stay here.

With gorgeous hotel restaurant the Source on your doorstep, and the sexy synergy here between food, art and own-label wine and beer, you may not want to venture further afield to dine. We recommend taking advantage of your in-room fully kitted-out kitchen and Moorilla wine stash too (you can order in any condiments you need if you want to cook for yourself), as private dining in your lounge or breakfasting out on the deck with river views is a real treat.

In you fancy getting out into town, though, MONA recommends Monty's on Montpellier (37 Montpellier Retreat, Battery Point; +61 (0)3 6223 2511; www.montys.com.au), which is strong on local fish, meat and wine, sleekly modern Smolt (2 Salamanca Square; +61 (0)3 6224 2554; www.smolt.com.au) and Chinese restaurant Mee Wah (16 Magnet Court, Sandy Bay Drive, Sandy Bay; +61 (0)3 6223 3688; www.mewah.com.au). Alternatively, check out Piccolo (323a Elizabeth Street; +61 (0)3 6234 4844), closer by in North Hobart, which dishes up seasonal Tassie fare.

If you're staying over on a Friday, take advantage of the Moo Brew microbrewery tours from 4pm–5pm on site. Brewery Night kicks in afterwards from 5pm, so you can savour the flavours out on the terrace at adjacent Source restaurant. There are four regular beers and two special releases on tap and in bottles. No preservatives, no additives, but loads of attitude.

January Look out for MONA FOMA (www.mofo.net.au), an eclectic, edgy arts festival held over several weeks of the month which MONA supports. Events, many of which are free, are spread across central Hobart, from the wharfside to the Theatre Royal, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and the popular Salamanca Arts Centre. Expect music, arts, oddness and more, plus MONA sideshows throughout summer (December–February) and beyond (www.moorilla.com.au/events). John Cale, Grandmaster Flash and Yo La Tengo were all involved in 2010.