Southern Tasmania doesn’t slow down in winter. If anything, things get a little stranger, louder, darker and far more interesting.

Across nipaluna / Hobart and the wider region, the calendar fills with events that embrace the cold rather than hide from it. You’ll find crowds gathering around fire pits at Winter Feast, voices echoing through theatres and pubs during Festival of Voices, runners tackling icy trails on kunanyi / Mount Wellington, and locals happily plunging into freezing water during the Dark Mofo Nude Solstice Swim.

Then there’s the quieter moments too. Wandering through galleries during Hadley’s Art Prize. Stargazing and storytelling at Beaker Street Festival. Country charm and heritage at the Heritage and Bullock Festival in Oatlands. Or standing rugged-up on a waterfront somewhere, watching red lights flicker across the city during Dark Mofo.

So pull on the beanie, embrace the cold air, and start filling the calendar. Winter in Southern Tasmania is anything but sleepy.