"Geeveston" Geeveston by Sadieinoz

Geeveston is a small town in the Huon Valley about 45 minutes drive from Hobart.
To reach it you take the Southern Outlet from Hobart to Kingston 11km away and from there the Huon Highway takes you upwards; over Vince's Saddle (376m) through Lower Longley and down to Grove and Huonville passing through green pastures and apple and cherry orchards.
After Huonville you come to the pretty town of Franklin where you can visit the Wooden Boat school or visit an antique shop or two or just have a coffee by the river. Then another 10 km of winding road beside the river brings you first to Castle Forbes Bay then to Port Huon with it's deep water wharf .
Geeveston is just another five minutes down the road.

Timber has always played a big part in the lives of people here.Some of the earliest settlers were timber cutters. There are still many employed by Forestry Tasmania or contracted to cut timber for them working in the forests near Geeveston. There are still a couple of sawmills but that part of the industry is mostly gone now. Between Geeveton and Port Huon there was once a large timber mill but now it's gone and so have many of the houses where the workers lived.
Most people who visit Geeveston stop at the Forestry and Heritage Centre on Church Street. Here you can see displays about timber cutting and buy handcrafted wooden items in the gift shop. You can also buy tickets for the Tahune Airwalk and National Park passes if you wish.
Geeveston is also a good place to stop for a meal with several cafe's catering to visitors. One of the most popular with both visitors and locals is Kyari who will also supply picnic hampers.
Interesting Fact! Geeveston does not have a pub! It was a "temperance town" and the local worthies would not allow one to be built. The nearest pub was at Port Huon. It is still there but currently only functioning as a bottle shop.
In and around Church Street you will see several large wooden figures which were carved in honour of former residents of the district. Some who have been commemorated are a local doctor, pharmacist, policeman and a former Olympian!

Accomodation in the town is provided by two B&B's, Cambridge House and The Bears and two Backpacker hostels, Bob's Bunkhouse and The Forest Lodge.
At Port Huon there is accomodation at the Kermandie Motel and next door at the Kermandie Hotel. There are also holiday units which have just recently opened overlooking the water.

I think that this area is not one to be rushed through. It is possible to visit Geeveston and the Tahune Airwalk as a day trip from Hobart but it also makes a good base for visiting other attractions in the Huon Valley. Geeveston is 30km from the Tahune Airwalk and 10 km from the Wooden Boat School at Franklin. It's handy for visiting the Hartz National Park, Hastings Caves, Lune River Railway, Dover, Southport and Cockle Creek in the far south.

• Pros:Good base for touring the Huon Valley and far south.
• Cons:Not much in the way of nightlife