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About half an hour north of Launceston lay George Town, home to excellent beaches, a colony of little penguins (commonly known as fairy penguins) and a trail network — well, technically two trail networks — Mount George and Tippogoree Hills.
These trails are close enough to Launceston that folks can head out for an after-work chop — there are even shuttles running some afternoons — or swing through on their way to Derby or St Helens.
With 120m of elevation to play with, Mount George is a 16km gravity network designed around maximising time on the bike.
There are two riding areas, the Summit Trails and East Peak. The network consists of primarily blue and green runs that are heavily featured, packing as much fun into a small area as possible. With oodles of rock features and jumps, everything is rollable, so you can leave the ground on your own terms and progress your skills as your confidence grows.
With short runs, the shuttle turnaround is faster than a Formula 1 pitstop. If the trails are open, Send It MTB Shuttles will have uplifts running every weekend, and select weekday afternoons — check their social media page for updates.
If the shuttles are parked, or you don’t mind a mellow climb to get your blood pumping, Keystone and Sticky Beak are your self-propelled ticket to the top.
The second part of the George Town MTB destination is the Tippogoree Hills network. Just across Birdport Road, — though the trailhead is actually around the corner at Lauriston Park — this is a more traditional trail centre offering 57km of riding with about 300m of vertical.
The network is built around a tiered format with three shuttle dropoffs — The Saddle, The Cul-De-Sac and The Summit. The bottom two are also connected by climbing trails, while if you want to pedal up to The Summit you’ll have to rip up the fireroad for the time being.
Running through more rugged terrain, the goal is to provide a more backcountry feel, with wide-open forest areas that feed into dense gullies. There is an eclectic mix of slow-speed tech trails with some pride rock-eque slabby rock features to full-on airflow goodness.
George Town is one of the oldest settlements in Australia, and beyond its spectacular beaches, there is no shortage of things to see and do. Between the Bass and Flinders Centre Maritime Museum, a multitude of wineries and distilleries, and the surf, there is plenty to keep you busy. Oh and did we mention there is a MASSIVE pump track in town too!
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