Geeveston is Australia's most southerly town. Sitting on the Huon River, this quaint hamlet is in the middle of one of the world's most important apple and fruit growing areas. It has also been heavily reliant on the timber industry since the late 1800's.
Geeveston takes up some considerably beautiful real estate in southern Tasmania. Sitting right at the mouth of the roaring Huon River, this town is so southerly that you may be able to catch an aurora borealis during winter, otherwise known as the Southern Lights. Why should the Northern Lights get all the acclaim?
The 60-kilometer drive south from Hobart to Geeveston takes you through rolling hills and over roaring rivers. The 1-hour drive is relaxing with spectacular scenery. It's over 260 kilometers from Launceston and 341 kilometers to Devonport. Those drives will take you 3 and 4 hours respectively.
Geeveston is the gateway to the Hartz Mountains National Park. This small town sits right off the Huon Highway at the lower end of the Huon River. It is surrounded by intensely beautiful forests that have been responsibly harvested for the timber industry. This small southerly town is also your base camp for exploring the Picton and Huon Rivers.
Despite its small size, this town is full of comfortable infrastructure. You'll find an array of local shops, restaurants and attractions. Take a stroll up Main Street to discover wood sculptures of famous Geevestononians. Each sculpture is intricately hand-carved.
And visiting Geeveston in the fall is absolutely wonderful. Drive through the rolling hills and stop at an apple orchard to pick some of your own. Or simply pull off to the side of the road to buy Crofton, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, Fuji and Granny Smith apples at a farmer's stand.
And of course, the Southern Lights and thunderous natural surrounds would inspire artists and makers to move to this quaint little town. A short walk down Main Street will take you by artists and makers selling their wares which make an incredibly unique souvenir for your trip to Australia's most southerly township. Image Credit: nicolemoraira (Hartz Mountains National Park)
Nature Enthusiasts, Craftsmen, Lovers and Families
Geeveston serves as the perfect base camp for exploration into its nearby wilderness. You can head on into the mountains at Hartz Mountains National Park, or you can turn your attention to the beautiful and powerful Picton and Huon Rivers. This tiny town has warm and welcoming beds as well as hearty restaurants to refuel before heading back out into the wilderness.
It's hard not to be inspired by Geeveston. Its incredible natural surrounds, inviting atmosphere and its unique position as Australia's most southerly town attracts artists from all over the state. You'll find plenty of craftsmen plying their trade inside a community of artists enjoying the fruits of Geeveston.
There's nothing more romantic than an autumn day picking apples. And with so many farms in the area, the restaurants serve up honest and sensual foods. Geeveston, with its quaint Main Street and community of artists, is the perfect place for a romantic weekend getaway.
Families can sit on the banks of the Huon River looking south toward Antarctica. The area is full of beautiful picnic spots, apple orchards and berry farms. It's enough to keep the entire family occupied for a short getaway. And after the entire family is tuckered out from exploring the natural surrounds, Geeveston is a welcoming tourist town full of warm hotels and hot meals.
Geeveston caters to all sorts of travelers with a backpacker accommodation, warm bed-and-breakfast and a rustic lodge on the outskirts of town. Hearty nature lovers can make Geeveston their base camp at an affordable rate at the backpacker hostel. Couples will love the incredibly inviting bed-and-breakfast while families can post up in the Lodge.
The Tuhane Airwalk is similar to the Treetop Walk through the Tingle Trees in the Western Australia town of Denmark. The walk takes you up to 48 meters above the ground as you stand up among towering trees like the Huon Pine, Leatherwood, Sassafras, Blackwood, Myrtle and Stringybark. The walk is more than a half a kilometer long and can hold over 100 people. It's an incredibly unique way to experience the towering pines around Geeveston.
The Wooden Sculptures of Local Heroes is one of the first things people notice when visiting town. Lining Main Street, you won't find any world-famous people immortalized in these statues. Instead, you'll find plenty of local heroes. The sculptures range from an Olympic rower all the way to a kindly elderly woman that called Geeveston home.
The Forest and Heritage Centre has changed its name to the Geeveston Visitor Centre. You can find it at the end of Main Street and enjoy a unique display depicting the history of the timber industry in the Geeveston Area. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to seek out a member of the staff wearing a green jacket.
The Heritage Park and Platypus Lookout can be found on the road to the Geeveston Visitor Center. Visit early in the morning and you just might be able to catch a glimpse of one of Australia's most unique critters -- the hard to find platypus.
Head down the Huon Highway to the intersection of School Road to find the remnants of a Swamp Gum. Unfortunately, this plant was logged back in 1971, but you can still see its stump. It is the largest flowering plant on earth and you'll marvel at the 16-metre stump.
Geeveston's bed-and-breakfast is the 1868-built Cambridge House. It is one of the oldest buildings in southern Tasmania and even survived a bombing in 1922 during a timber workers strike. Image credit: Leatherwood-Flower
Sushi is the perfect food for refuelling after a day in nature. It provides plenty of protein and carbohydrates, and you can find a sushi restaurant right in the middle of Geeveston. You'll also find a rustic café perfect for a morning coffee.
Geeveston's history is one of generosity. In 1839, John Price sold a large patch of land to Lady Jane Franklin. She then began distributing parcels of land to poor settlers and early Geeveston became known as The Settlement. The first settlers that were granted land arrived in the early 1840's.
Lady Jane returned to England for the next decade and many of the early settlers moved to the land around the Huon River. A few years later, in 1861, the town was officially named Geeves Town but would eventually be shortened to Geeveston.
John Geeves built the first steam-powered timber mill in 1874. It was a harbinger of things to come as Geeveston would rely heavily on the timber industry as well as Apple growing for its up-and-coming economy. And in early 1920, the town built one of the first paper mills in all of Australia. By the 1960's, the paper mills were the main employer in town until closure in 1982. In an effort to revive the town's economy, the mayor procured funding from Tasmania for theAirWalk in 2001.
Geeveston features a cool temperature all year round. Summers are incredibly mild but can be rainy. In fact, December is Geeveston's rainiest month.
Master sushi maker Masaaki plies his craft every Friday and Saturday in the heart of Geeveston. Make sure to get to town's sushi restaurant early to grab yourself a seat and to enjoy some of the best sushi in the country.
Be bold and walk to the summit of Hartz Peak to look to Tasmania's rugged and wild Southwest. Image Credit: Tourism Tasmania and Rob Burnett (Sushi)
Hartz Mountains National Park is only 15 kilometers from Geeveston and is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is uninhabited, wild and features unusual flora and fauna. Drive the Arve Loop Road around the park before choosing a nature walk.
