Stanley

After our fabulous but energetic time at Cradle Mountain, the drive north to Stanley was easy and smooth, taking a little over two hours. The landscape was more open and rolling with farmland replacing the mountains and then, there it was.

The Nut. Rising abruptly from the sea like an out of place object dropped randomly at the edge of town.

Stanley is a small town with a big history. It’s one of the best preserved colonial towns in Tasmania, originally settled in the 1820s by the Van Diemen’s Land Company as an agricultural outpost.

Did you know that John Lyons, the 10th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in Stanley? You can wander through his childhood home reading about his early life and that of his wife Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives and to serve in the federal cabinet.

You can feel the history in the neat weatherboard cottages and the wide streets, the main street home to small galleries, providores stocking local produce and cafes boasting the ultimate famous Tasmanian fare – the Scallop Pie. We had waited the whole trip for our first taste of Scallop Pie. So good!

Our stay at The Ark B&B right on the water’s edge was welcoming and comfortable. The room was beautifully decorated, cosy and well appointment and our breakfast generous, homemade and delicious. The owners made us genuinely feel looked after. We did have noisy visitors one night on the verandah – the local penguins came to visit and, oh boy, did they make a racket!

There’s a few great restaurants in town and we chose the Stanly Hotel Bistro for our first night. We’d heard and read great things about the restaurant, the way it showcased the local seafood. Big tip – make sure you book for dinner as it’s very popular. Look at that fish and chip plate, and the scallop pot pie!

Local attractions

Highfield Historic Site is well worth the visit. Built in the 1830s by convict labour, it was the headquarters of the Van Diemen’s Land Company Building managed under the watchful eye of Edward Curr, chief agent. Not a very nice character by all accounts. You can walk through the old homestead​, outbuildings and surrounding colourful cottage gardens and immerse yourself in the history of this significant property and read the stories of convicts who worked there. The house sits elevated above Stanley, with sweeping views across farmland to Bass Strait.

A short drive out of town (40 minutes) took us to Dip Falls. The falls are unexpectedly impressive and take your breath away. The water cascades over striking hexagonal basalt columns, geometric rock formations created by ancient volcanic activity as lava cooled and contracted thousands of years ago. The symmetry is remarkable, and you can’t tear your eyes away. It’s like a natural tiled wall sculpture.

If you walk across to the other side of the river there is a quiet walking track where you find an ancient myrtle beech tree estimated to be over 300 years old. Its gnarled trunk and wide canopy are very breathtaking (photos do not do it justice) and a reminder of just how long this landscape has been here.

Back in Stanley, seafood is part of everyday life and has been from the beginning. This is a fishing industry town and coastline. Rock lobster, abalone, scallops and fresh fish support the local economy, and you’ll see cray pots stacked along the wharf and fishing boats coming and going, bringing quality produce straight from the cold southern ocean.

Our second night found us at the Hurseys Seafood Restaurant, owned by a local family who also operate a fleet of fishing boats delivering fresh seafood straight to the restaurant. I opted for the salt ‘n’ pepper squid, wanting a dish that was light and simple, while Jeff went a little bit fancy with stripey trumpeter, cauliflower purée, duck fat potatoes, asparagus, served with a smoked dill hollandaise. How fabulous!

And then, of course, there’s The Nut.

This flat-topped volcanic mountainous structure dominates Stanley’s skyline. You can take the chairlift to the top but we chose to walk. It’s a short but steep climb that quickly gets your heart rate up. At the top, a walking track loops the summit with panoramic views in every direction giving you sights of farmland, the coastline, the town and Bass Strait.

What surprised us most on the summit was the small pocket of rainforest growing on the town side. Sheltered from harsh coastal winds it’s a complete contrast to the barren windswept environment of the rest of The Nut. This miniature ecosystem supports ferns, mosses and native shrubs that thrive in the damp, protected conditions. It feels almost secretive.

Our third night found us back at the Stanley Hotel Bistro. You would think we had had enough seafood by now, but there were two more dishes we had spotted the first night and had to try. I had my eye on the seafood chowder and Jeff was eager to dive right into the deep fried scallops.

What an amazingly fun, active and seafood immersive stay. We covered a lot in Stanley itself and the surrounding district – the history, geology, local food and the stunning coastline. Very memorable.

Catherine & Jeff