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Tasmania (Northern Region) |
| George Town | |
| George Town, situated near the mouth of the Tamar River is a flourishing commercial and residential centre. Close to some beautiful beaches, the town has modern visitor and recreation services. In 1804 Colonel William Paterson raised the Union Jack on Monument point and fired a salute from his ship, HMAS Buffalo, making George Town the first white settlement in the north and one of the first in Australia. The town was named after the King in 1811 by Governor Maquarie. | |
| Leaving
Launceston and heading north along the East Tamar Highway, it’s only a
few minutes before you’re zooming through scenic countryside, passing
through Dilston where cows graze in paddocks at the base of bush-covered
hills. After Hillwood, you’re headed for the port of GEORGE TOWN,
the third-oldest town in Australia, where Colonel Paterson landed in 1804
to begin settlement of northern Tasmania.
It may be your first point of call in Tasmania if you’ve chosen to take the high-speed Devil Cat catamaran from Melbourne, which docks at Adelaide Street, with the town centre opposite, across York Cove. The George Town Visitor Information Centre, on Main Road (daily 10am–4pm; tel 03/6382 1700), is about 1.5km northeast of the terminal on the way to Launceston. Despite its history, George Town isn’t particularly old or interesting, with only one colonial building to look at – The Grove, an elegant stone Georgian mansion at 25 Cimitiere St (daily 10am–5pm; $4). More appealing is LOW HEAD, 5km north, with 24 National Trust-listed buildings, whitewashed cottages and rambling houses, all sitting amid extensive parkland. The original convict-built Pilot Station now houses a museum (daily 8am–6pm; $3), which has a display of maritime memorabilia. There’s also a Little penguin colony at Low Head; guided tours are offered each evening at sunset (not May & June; 1hr 30min; $6; bookings on mobile tel 0418/361 860). If you’re interested, and can afford it, you could also visit a nearby fur seal colony on a cruise with Seal and Sea Adventure Tours (daily 8am–1pm; $105; bookings tel 03/6382 3452). If you need a place to stay, there are several choices in George Town. Gray’s Hotel, at 77 Macquarie St, is the oldest pub in the town but has few discernible traces of its early nineteenth-century heritage. The Pier Hotel, at 5 Elizabeth St, is a pretty wooden hotel on the waterfront with rooms upstairs in the old part, modern motel rooms on the waterfront, and self-catering units; the food here is very good, with an extensive menu including pasta and Asian curries. An alternative to eating at the pubs is the George Town Deli, at 68 Macquarie St (closed Sat & Sun), which sells health-foods and deli items and serves light lunches. In Low Head, you can stay in heritage cottage accommodation at the Pilot Station, and at Belfont Cottages, at 178 Low Head Rd, next door to a beacon. Attractions |
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Around George Town |
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| Heading
east of George Town, a pleasant day can be spent exploring the vineyards
around the Pipers River area, which produce distinctly flavoured,
crisp, fresh wines. At Rochecombe Vineyard at Pipers River, 2km off
the B82 on a sealed road (turn south just before the service station at
Pipers River), a Swiss couple make European-style wines – the climate
here is supposedly similiar to that of the Loire Valley.
There are tastings and a restaurant in the original weatherboard farmhouse (tastings daily 10am–5pm; restaurant 9am–5pm; tel 03/6382 7122). The friendly, small-scale Delamere Vineyard, on Bridport Road at Pipers Brook (daily 10am–5pm; tel 03/6382 7190), also has tastings, while Pipers Brook Vineyard (daily 10am–5pm), 2km off the B82, about 10km from Pipers River, is a well-established winery in a modern complex, with self-guided tours. It also has a café and vine-covered courtyard. Tiger Wilderness Tours (tel 03/6326 6515) runs a half-day wine tour to the Pipers River area from Launceston (5hr; $45). |
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