Stanley

Sunday morning, we left Launceston and made our way towards Stanley. While driving, we made several stops along the way.  We passed through the town of Penguin, a pretty seaside village.  The town is known for its multiple statues of penguins and even the trashcans are in the shape of their namesake.  We did not spend too much time here, but wanted to make sure to get a obligatory photo of the 10-foot penguin in the center of town!

Ten minutes from Penguin is the Fern Glade Track, a short walk along the Emu River.  Part of the reason I wanted to do this walk is it is a known habitat of platypuses.  Unfortunately, we did not see any on this hike – I’ve heard multiple times they are an elusive, shy creature.  We did however get to see a couple of pademelons, including two babies!

We then made a stop at Table Cape Lighthouse, a 590-foot lighthouse, sitting atop a 12-million-year-old volcano.  Down the road is another lookout point where we could see mountains, ocean, and farmland.  Although it was cloudy, there was no haze and we could see for miles and miles. 

Once we arrived in Stanley, we headed straight for The Nut, a sheer-sided bluff and all that remains of an ancient volcanic plug.  It is unclear how this landmark received its unusual name, but there are two theories.  The first is it comes from a shortened version of the original Aboriginal name, Moo-Nut-Re-Ker.  The second theory is the name came from when the breakwater was built in 1892. At the time, the side of the Nut was packed with explosives to construct the breakwater and once it detonated nothing happened and no rocks fell.  The crowd who gathered to watch agreed it was a “Hard Nut to Crack”.  There is a steep climb to the top and then a 45-minute walking track which circles the area and offers great views of the town and Bass Strait beaches.  

The Nut

Monday, we woke early to complete the Tarkine Drive, a scenic drive full of lookouts, walks, and sites.  It pretty much took us the whole day to drive around as the route covers a large part of the north-west region of Tasmania.   We stopped at multiple points along the way and I took A LOT of photos, so bear with me on this one!  I loved that the scenery kept changing throughout the drive.

West Point Reserve 

Bluff Hill Point

The Edge of the World - The sea west of Tasmania is the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean on the globe. From Argentina the currents sweep unimpeded more than halfway around the planet until they hit this point.

Kannunah Bridge

Sumac Lookout

Lake Chisholm

The Sinkhole

Trowutta Arch

Today we are leaving Stanley and making our way to Cradle Mountain, a 2 1/2 hour drive south.  We will be in Cradle Mountain for two nights.  We only have one week left in Tasmania before heading back to mainland Australia and I'm trying to soak up all the beauty and sights in the time we have left!