Fancy a long weekend of culture? Jump on a flight and head to Hobart. No, really.

The Museum of Old and New Art has generated a lot of hype since its January opening. And it’s all true. This has got to be the most impressive altruistic enterprise anyone has done in this country and it puts the philanthropic offerings from the silver doughnut gazillionaires to shame. The Monthly loved it and Quadrant decried its “brutal banality”. What better recommendation do you need?

It’s all free, although I can’t imagine how Walsh intends to maintain this situation, and the exhibits are due to change in July. So go now, and then go again when the weather gets warmer.

Any for an extra treat, on the Friday night when you fly into Hobart, stay at the Astor Hotel in Hobart. Proprietor Tildy is Basil Fawlty and Nigella Lawson rolled up into one cute package, a genuine Aussie treasure.

And on your way out on Sunday afternoon, before the late afternoon flight to wherever, head to the award-winning Garagistes restaurant in Murray Street for the best $65 fixed-price lunch you will ever have. SBS Food reckons it’s the “most exciting restaurant in all of Hobart”.

What more could you want?