SPARKLING STANLEY

Stanley Lazing in the Sun at the Base of the Nut



The Nut Transformed by the Setting Sun


Yes, well good intentions, we all know where they go! I am once again in catch up mode and whilst I would like to say I will keep this brief, we both know that is unlikely. From Devonport we headed west to the pretty little town of Stanley up on the western end of the north coast. Stanley is pretty much the last stop on the north coast.

Whilst Stanley is sparkling, clean, pretty and historically relevant, we did feel that it was very much also a ‘tourist trap’. We don’t have a problem with that, just as well too, as we suspect much of Tasmania will be this way. Tiny little towns, no longer making a go of it fishing, logging, or whatever their historical purpose was, but now hunting the tourist dollar; so long as they don’t ‘rip us off’ in the process, it’s all good.

The Nut, Stanley and the ZigZag Walk to the Top

Stanley was primarily a fishing village and some fishing is still done from there, but the whole town has been beautifully restored and comprises of steep streets of quaint little houses all clustered around the base of The Nut. Most of the shops are specifically tourist and will ‘rip you off’ if you are not careful. Food prices were fairly steep, but we are learning that Tassie food is priced similarly to West Australian food, in a word, ‘expensive’ – particularly if you wish to eat out. Just to make the point, we decided to partake of a scallop pie for lunch, as that is one of the things Tassie is known for. Very few places in town to choose from, but one little shop/cafe proudly displayed a sign indicating bakery, cafe & home- made scallop pies. Yumm!! Well, the pies were delicious, but I felt that $28 for two pies and two savoury scones was just a bit over the top. Ah well, they were good – the shop also sold home- made chocolate and fudge – did we go there? Of course – just 2 chocolates each tho’ and they were also delicious and surprisingly nowhere as expensive as the pies and scones!


Forgotten Times


The little town of Stanley clings tenaciously to the base of an extinct volcano – just the core actually – and this ‘core’ is called The Nut. The Nut can be seen for quite a while as you travel westwards towards Stanley and is a major landmark. There is a good walking track to the top of The Nut, but there is, for those not quite so ambitious, a chair lift. Guess who took the chair-lift? The trip to the top of The Nut, is well worth it as the views from the peak are amazing. Even when you catch the chair lift to the top, there is still good walking to be done along the various tracks leading to well placed viewing platforms.



Pinacle of Farming Land From the Top of The Nut




Amazing Views From the Top of the Nut



Looking towards the town from the CP

While we were in Stanley our good friends Steve & Sylvia caught up with us and we spent a couple of very pleasant days in their company, driving along the western coast and visiting Arthur River and other little seaside fishing hamlets. I can’t say we spent lovely nights with them as the sods took away our hard earned cash, beating us soundly at Poker. We have played cards with these two for quite a few years now and generally we come out pretty even – we are looking forward to our next encounter when we can even the score again!

It is likely to happen soon as our mates are almost the complete opposite to us in their travel mode. They are in Tassie for 1 month and have already completed most of their tour in just 2 weeks. We expect to catch up with them more or less on their way back. Steve has heard the mackerel are running at home and he is missing his boat and his fishing. Poor Sylvia will be hard put to keep him on the Apple Isle we think.

Weather – well, what a mixture! We had heard that Stanley was super windy and when we arrived it met all expectations in that regard. The wind was absolutely screaming around the camp. We are told that the norm there is a couple of lovely days, followed by a couple of super windy days. The wind comes from all angles as it bounces off and twists around The Nut. We were not game to put the awning up for the first couple of days. The up-side was that while the wind was there so was the sun and the place literally sparkled. We had that for the first two days, then the clouds came in and literally ‘sat’ right on us, no, not over us, but on us! It was eerily beautiful, The Nut looming over us in the perpetual mist and everything softened by the moist vapour. Oddly it wasn’t cold, even with the cloud hovering. The cloud came and went over the rest of our visit to Stanley, alternating glistening sunny days with moody grey ones.

The Nut  (sea-side) Earily Looming From the Mist

Stanley is quite beautiful, almost completely surrounded by water. We were a bit ‘turned around’ tho’ as we were right on the water’s edge and the water was between us and the mainland of Tasmania! The Nut and the town are pretty much on a little finger of land shaped much like a back to front comma and we were just underneath the top blob of that comma. Due probably to the fact our waterfront was pretty much a huge bay there were no big waves, just a myriad of busy little wavelets which cast strand upon strand of sparkling crystals against the tawny sand.

Busy Little Waveletts (land-side)

The surrounding land is, you guessed it, dairy and cattle farming. The rolling hills, currently adorned in gold were picturesque to say the least, decorated with dark Cyprus and contented black and white cows. Horses seem to be popular in the area too, and it was quite common to see riders wandering along the roads and tracks or meandering along the seaside. All in all, the combination of the quaint houses, the rural atmosphere, historic ruins and sparkling seas all safely under the watch of the towering Nut conspired to make Stanley a very pleasant stay indeed. Despite the touristy feel to the place, I at least, could have happily spent more time there. Until next time, stay well, be nutty but don’t ‘do your nut’! – Steph (well, what did you expect?)

Goodbye to The Nut