Cool events, warm hospitality and high spirits: Hobart is so hot right now

Worried about Tasmania's winter chills, I've packed two beanies. Little did I know I'd end up beanieless - and jacketless - on a sunny August day in Hobart. Forget "come down for air", maybe Tassie's tourism slogan should be "come down for glare".

For so long, Tasmania was seen mainly as a summer destination, a season when the long sunlit days and warm(ish) weather were perfect for hiking up Cradle Mountain or dawdling between the stalls at Salamanca Market. If you did brave a trip in winter, the logic used to be that the best refuge would be a fireplace and a bottle of pinot noir.

But that was the old Apple Isle. In case you haven't heard, two things have changed. Firstly, nobody uses that name anymore. And secondly, Tasmania is now hot in winter, with a huge range of events and festivals, from choirs to nude swims.

I've landed in Hobart in the middle of Tasmanian Whisky Week and am immediately in good spirits. People have come from across the country to meet local distillers, many of whom are making a name for themselves internationally with their boutique single malts and use of local peat or Australian wine barrels.

Different events across the city offer the opportunity to pore over the island's whisky. One night, I head to Lark Distillery's new Gotham bar for 'Drag n Dram', where the spiels by distillers and considered tastings by patrons are punctuated by the risque banter and hilarious performances of drag queens (a bit of rye humour, perhaps?).

The next day, the spirits of Tasmania continue on the water when I join a cruise along the D'Entrecasteaux Channel to the beautiful restaurant at Peppermint Bay, set on forested coastline, where more distillers lead us through a whisky tasting over lunch. Then later in the week, at the festival's main showcase, I wander through the large exhibition hall to chat and drink at the stalls of local producers, tapping into the industry even further.

But to escape the (whisky) fumes of the city, I head into the bush one morning to where the Arden Bathhouse recently opened about 30 minutes' drive from central Hobart. The small wooden complex complements the eucalyptus surrounding it, nothing in sight except for forest and views of the valley, no sounds but the birds and the rustling leaves.

Every booking here is private, so groups always have the bathhouse to themselves. From the main cabin, which has drinks and seating to relax, are wooden walkways leading to a sauna, spa, and cold plunge. It's the perfect antidote to all the action in the city. It's calm, restorative... and, yes, hot.

Locals keep telling me that one reason Hobart is so busy these days is MONA, the incredible art gallery that's constantly changing, so I head straight from the bush to the museum. The newest addition here is its $100 million library - although MONA can't be boring and call it a 'library' so it's known as the 'Phrontisterion'. As librarian Mary Lijnzaad shows me around, it's quickly obvious that the Dewey Decimal System is also too boring for MONA, with its 30,000 books sometimes arranged by colour, theme, or whim.

"We have our food and wine books there," Mary points and then gestures across shelves, "and we think from that flows things like festivals, and from that flows mythology and religion, and then maybe you think about symbols, and that gets you to writing and books."

Like the shelves of the Phrontisterion and its incredible collection (which includes a rare Shakespeare First Folio), my time in Hobart flows from food and drinks to festivals and then to writing. It makes me think about art as well.

With the annual Hadley's Art Prize showing while I'm in town, I pop into the historic Hadley's Orient Hotel to see the free exhibition of all the landscape entries that have come in from across Australia. And even at my accommodation, the beautifully renovated Henry Jones Hotel, the historic jam factory buildings feel like a gallery at every turn. More than 400 works are hanging in all the public spaces and in each of its guest rooms.

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If I were to take my eyes off the colourful pieces on the walls of my room and look out the window to the waterfront, I might almost be able to see the main precinct of the Beaker Street Festival, whose two-week run coincides with my trip. The festival's events blend science, culture, and art, and I find some time to get a quick taste of a couple of them.

One evening, for instance, I join an event up the slopes of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington where stories from astronomers and First Nations about the bright stars above us bring them to life in their own ways. And one afternoon, a guided walk through the native plants around Palawa Kipli leads into an exquisite lunch where those local ingredients are the real stars of the show.

If you think two festivals at the same time - Whisky Week and Beaker Street - seems excessive, that's just the way Tasmania is these days. A concerted effort to create winter events means there's usually something happening somewhere in the state this time of year, especially in Hobart. Of course, it can get cold. Maybe I was just lucky to have a few days of glorious August sun where I could even take off my jacket. But one thing's for sure - even when Hobart's not warm, it's still hot.