George Town
Built by convicts on the site where Europeans first landed in northern Van Diemen's Land in 1804, it is no surprise that George Town is classified as an historic town. This stunning coastal and family friendly town has a range of accommodation on offer and is ideal for a getaway.
In the heart of the town centre there is a purpose-built playground with multiple apparatus such as a flying fox and trampolines, it is complemented by a skate park, half basketball court, rotunda, BBQ facilities and a wind shelter gathering space surrounded by established trees. For mountain bike enthusiasts just a short drive from the town centre there is over 100kms of mountain bike trails. Poised on the fringes of the main street is the George Town Pump Track where you can hone your skills, or just have some fun.
An easy shared pathway winds its way around York Cove and along the scenic river's edge out to the Low Head Lighthouse. While many of George Town's earliest buildings are long gone, some remain and the history lives on in the old 1855 Watch House, the Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum, the Community Quilts in the Memorial Hall and in Regent Square.
Macrocarpa tree trunks from the hedge that once sheltered the old Cable Station from prevailing North Westerlies have been carved by chainsaw artist Eddie Freeman to depict the early colonial history of the site, and there are more of these at the East Beach caravan park at Low Head.
This is an ideal central base from which to explore the coastal villages and the surrounding vineyards, wineries, distilleries and agricultural areas in the Pipers River Valley and the Hillwood area. And don’t forget the Little Blue Penguins who waddle ashore each night – take the Low Head Penguin Tour for a chance to see them up close and learn more about these little birds, their environment and what makes them so special.
George Town is a 38-minute drive (50km) from Launceston.
An easy shared pathway winds its way around York Cove and along the scenic river's edge out to the Low Head Lighthouse. While many of George Town's earliest buildings are long gone, some remain and the history lives on in the old 1855 Watch House, the Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum, the Community Quilts in the Memorial Hall and in Regent Square.
Macrocarpa tree trunks from the hedge that once sheltered the old Cable Station from prevailing North Westerlies have been carved by chainsaw artist Eddie Freeman to depict the early colonial history of the site, and there are more of these at the East Beach caravan park at Low Head.
This is an ideal central base from which to explore the coastal villages and the surrounding vineyards, wineries, distilleries and agricultural areas in the Pipers River Valley and the Hillwood area. And don’t forget the Little Blue Penguins who waddle ashore each night – take the Low Head Penguin Tour for a chance to see them up close and learn more about these little birds, their environment and what makes them so special.
George Town is a 38-minute drive (50km) from Launceston.
