Penny Royal
Launceston

The JAC Group purchased the Penny Royal Hotel and Apartments in 2013 together with a derelict theme park located at the bottom of a twenty-metre cliff behind the complex. The Penny Royal colonial era theme park was originally developed by Roger Smith in 1979 and then sold to various operators before ending up closed for a decade and left in a state of total disrepair. Josef was keen to restore the theme park to its former glory because it was Tasmania’s only theme park and an important part of Launceston’s heritage. After consulting with his team, the JAC Group spent twenty million dollars to redevelop the complex which was officially opened by the Premier of Tasmania the Hon. Will Hodgman MP on a rainy evening the 18th March 2016. The redevelopment involved demolishing and faithfully rebuilding the old buildings to fit them out with new restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as an ice creamery and wood fired pizzeria. 

Cliff adventures were also added with a dozen rope bridges suspended around the cliff face, two zip lines that cross the complex and a twenty-metre cliff jump, as well as indoor and outdoor rock-climbing using auto belays for safety. The complex also includes a tall ship Brig Tamar cruise, convict ghost tour, gold panning and gemstone mine, a convict barefoot sensation obstacle course and the Matthew Brady dark ride that travels on water barges through gunpowder mills under the buildings around the perimeter of the site. The water barge dark ride is based on the story of notorious escaped convict, pirate and 'gentleman bushranger' Matthew Brady in 1825 using special effects, projections and realistic human animatronics from Sally Corp in Jacksonville, Florida USA.