Tasmania (Northern Region)
Stanley
The tiny fishing village of STANLEY, 6km off the Bass Highway (A2) and 32km west of Rocky Cape, was the first settlement in northwest Tasmania, being the original 1826 headquarters of the Van Diemen’s Land Company. It occupies a scenic setting on a small, foot-shaped peninsula, right at the base of an unusual rock formation – The Nut, described by Matthew Flinders as a “cliffy round lump in form resembling a Christmas cake” – that rises directly out of the ocean to a height of nearly 150m. Circular Head, as it’s officially called (the name also for the surrounding municipality), is thought to be a volcanic plug, with the softer sediments around it having eroded away. stanley1.jpg (55631 bytes)
Although it’s still possible to do the strenuous ten-minute walk up the grassy Nut itself, you can get to the top more comfortably by means of an exhilarating chair lift, constructed in 1986 and reached via the ramp opposite the post office (daily: summer 9.30am–6.30pm; winter 9.30am–4pm, weather permitting; call 03/6458 1286 to check; $3.50, $6 return). A short walk around the windy Nut State Reserve at the top affords views over the town and port, and southeast as far as Table Cape. Directly below is the exquisitely deserted Godfrey’s Beach, with its calm and translucent blue waters.

Stanley’s main street, Church Street, runs below the foot of the Nut, and its restaurants and crafts shops are high enough above the beach, wharves and the rest of the town to command excellent views. The impressive Stanley Craft Centre is housed in the former Plough Inn, an 1850s building in Georgian style (daily 9.30am–5pm); items on sale include beautifully crafted wooden bowls made from Huon pine, swamp-gum bark, Tasmanian myrtle burls and blackwood. The centre also provides tourist information.

On the foreshore area is the slate-roofed Van Diemen’s Land Company Store, designed in 1844 by John Lee Archer, whose work can be seen notably in Hobart. The store is in Marine Park, and is the headquarters and venue for the three-day Circular Head Arts Festival, traditionally held in early September – although in recent years the date has been moved around somewhat (call the council for dates on tel 03/6452 1265). It combines visual art with plenty of entertainment: mime artists, street theatre and bands. From the nearby port area, at low tide, you can see the remnants of a 1923 shipwreck, a victim of the “furies” of the Bass Strait. Two kilometres north of the town, the headquarters of the Van Diemen’s Land Company are now restored as the Highfield Historic Site (daily: May–July 10am–4pm; Aug–April 10am–5pm; grounds $2; entry to grounds and house $5), from where there are superb views over Half Moon Bay.

Practicalities
In keeping with its historic ambience, Stanley has several “colonial” B&Bs, which are actually self-contained cottages with breakfast provisions supplied, such as Touchwood Cottage, at 33 Church St, and Bayside Colonial Cottage at 44 Alexander Terrace, which rises above Church Street. As you come into town, you’ll see the signpost for the Stanley Motel, 1km along Dovecote Road, which has spacious, well-appointed units (some self-catering), plus one for disabled guests; facilities include a bar, and a restaurant open to the public. From the motel you have the best views of the Nut, across the green fields of the Dovecote Estate.

Probably the best place to eat in Stanley is Hurseys Seafoods, next to Marine Park, considered to be one of the best fish-and-chip shops in Tasmania. Inside are huge holding tanks from which you select live fish and crayfish; as well as around twenty kinds of fish, they have freshly cooked local muttonbirds – not to everyone’s taste, as they’re very oily. The owners even offer their own fishing tours (tel 03/6458 1103). Among other good options, all on Church Street, are the Union Hotel, serving fresh seafood in its lounge bar; Sullivans Restaurant (tel 03/6458 1144), which has generous portions of home-style cooking; and the Dovecoat Restaurant, at the Stanley Motel. Also on Church Street, the relaxed Stranded Whale Coffee Shop (daily 9am–4pm, plus Fri night when you’ll need to book tel 03/6458 1202) has walls covered with photographs depicting various attempts to rescue pygmy right whales, which occasionally get stranded in the beaches around Stanley.