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George Town
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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 set amid extensive parkland. The original convict-built Pilot Station now houses a museum (daily 9am-9pm; $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 (1hr 30min; $8; bookings on 0418 361 860). Cruises to a nearby fur seal colony are also on offer with Seal and Sea Adventure Tours (daily 8am-1pm; $75-100; 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 (tel 03/6382 2655; $70-90), is the oldest pub in town but has few discernible traces of its early nineteenth-century heritage. The Pier Hotel , at 5 Elizabeth St (tel 03/6382 1300; $50-150), 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. Opposite, at 4 Elizabeth St, is the Travellers YHA Hostel (tel 03/6382 3261; rooms $35-50, dorms under $20) in a pretty 1870 home, with a clean and modern interior. 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 (tel & fax 03/6382 1143; $70-90), and at
Belfont Cottages
, at 178 Low Head Rd (tel 03/6382 1841; $115-150, with breakfast provisions supplied). You can
camp
at
Low Head Caravan Park
, 136 Low Head Rd (tel 03/6382 1573; vans $35-50, cabins $50-70). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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