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The Nut at Stanley, Tasmania: Everything You Need to Know

The Nut at Stanley, Tasmania: Everything You Need to Know

Olly Gaspar

By Olly Gaspar, full-time traveler for 6 years. I visit every place I write about & share real tips, photos, & advice from my trips.

Discover one of Tasmania’s most iconic coastal natural attractions ‘The Nut’ in the remote part of the Northwest coast.

Stanley is a historic town situated at the base of “The Nut“, the remains of an ancient volcanic plug. This strange geological phenomenon with a fitting name brings many visitors to the otherwise quiet, rural town.

In this blog post, I’ll explain everything you need to know for visiting The Nut. From the short but steep walking track, chairlift, and share some photos I took my trip.

Where is the Nut & How Do I Get There?

Getting to the nut is fairly easy. However, if you're planning to get here independently, you'll need your own vehicle.

You'll need to head to Stanley, approximately 223 km from Launceston or 125 km from Devonport. Directions here are pretty straight forward and once you get to Stanley, there's no question about where The Nut is. Stanley is built at the base of the plug, while The Nut itself is considered a state reserve (The Nut State Reserve).

If you're looking to climb The Nut or take the easy way up on the chairlift, then drive to the end of "Browns Road". An easy marker is "Nut Rock Cafe". Here, you'll find a large car park with easy access to the walking track and the chairlift.

Google Maps Pin: "Brown's Road Parking"

Map of the nut at stanley, tasmania

What is the Nut?

As I briefly mentioned, The Nut is the remains of a volcanic plug. While I'm by no means a geologist, I'll do my best to explain it. Basically, a volcanic plug is the remaining hardened magma from the inside of an ancient volcano. This rock is harder than the old land surface material and therefore remains while the sedimentary material erodes over time. The image below is a good explanation.

There are several volcanic plugs around the world and most share a similar protruding shape. A famous example is the Devil's Tower in Wyoming, USA.

Even if you're not too interested on how The Nut at Stanley formed, it's undeniably a cool attraction that is definitely worth checking out on a Tasmanian road trip.

Volcanic plug diagram
Diagram of how the plug is formed

The Nut Chairlift

If you're visiting Stanley, you definitely need to make your way up to the top of The Nut for awesome views and well, to say you've done it!

For those not too keen on taking the steep steps, jump on The Nut Chairlift, located at the car park mentioned in the directions above. Unfortunately, this lift was closed when I visited, (the chairlift is closed in Winter) but it looks to be a fairly unique experience for those visiting in the warmer months.

The chairlift distance is roughly 250 m.

Operating Hours
The first Thursday in September until June 209:30 am to 4:00 pm
Extended Opening Hours: December 27th until the end of Daylight Savings:9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Days Open7 days (weather permitting) except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Good Friday
ClosedOver Winter for Maintenance
TicketPriceDirection
Adult$19Return
$12One Way
Child$12Return
$7One Way
Family$50Return
$35One Way

Check updated prices on the official website.

Stanley chair lift up the nut

My Experience Walking Up the Nut

  • Hiking Distance: 2.9 km circuit loop
  • Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour
  • Elevation: 170 m total elevation gain |
    The Nut height: 152 m AMSL
  • Difficulty: Moderate (well-maintained but a little steep)

The trail up is known as The Nut Access Track, which is cement-sealed and rather steep. It takes roughly 10-15 minutes to walk up to the top for awesome views over Stanley. However, if you've already made it to the top, why not walk the "Summit Circuit", a roughly 2 km loop around the circumference and back down to the carpark.

There are several great lookouts along the way with informative signposts about the unique Bass Strait birdlife and the indigenous history of The Nut and Tasmania.

Tip: Make sure to keep an eye out for wildlife too! There are several wallabies and other native marsupials that call this place home.

Walking up the nut in stanley
Walking up the nut in stanley
View from the nut tasmania
The nut tasmania port
View from the nut walk tasmania

Getting a Unique View of The Nut

While climbing The Nut at Stanley offers amazing views over the Bass Strait and the surrounding Northwest Tasmania farmland, what about getting a great photo of The Nut itself?

For this, I highly recommend driving over to the northern end of the village, past the Highfield historic site down Green Hills Road. Along the way, you'll find some great vantage points like Highfield Lookout as well as an official viewpoint area with a big sign.

The nut view

What About the Penguins in Stanley?

The Nut isn't the only standout attraction at Stanley, Tasmania. For nature lovers, you might also be lucky enough to spot some penguins.

For Penguin spotting, I recommend heading to "Godfrey's Beach Penguin Viewing Platform", literally just beside The Nut on the northern end. If you visit at dawn or dusk, you might spot a Blue Penguin or two. This species is the only penguin found in Tasmania, and coincidentally the smallest species of penguin in the world.

Tip: Try to stay as quiet as possible when waiting for the penguins as they're very easily scared. We spotted some however a family arrived with children and they scared the penguins away.

Looking for Accommodation near the Nut?

Here are my top picks for the best places to stay with epic views of The Nut!

Views of the nut from horizon deluxe apartments, tasmania

1. Horizon Deluxe Apartments Luxury

Offering spectacular views from a spa bath over The Nut and ocean it doesn't get much better than this. An apartment-style stay with a large balcony, and comfortable bedding. Within walking distance to the well-known Jimmy Lane Lookout.

Bedroom at ellie's cottages in stanley, tasmania

2. Ellie's Cottages Mid-Range

Small family-run cottage & spa hosted by Ellie. Offering a hydrotherapy massage spa & comfortable rooms. A short walk from the Nut where penguins can be viewed at sunset.

Cabin accommodation at big4 stanley holiday park

3. BIG4 Stanley Holiday Park Budget

Great for those traveling with kids as the park offers a small park and is in a great location to explore The Nut & Godfrey's Beach. Cabins, cottages, caravans, and even tents are welcome.

That wraps up this quick guide to visiting The Nut at Stanley, Tasmania.

Check out some of my other guides below if you're looking for more things to do around Tasmania.

Thanks for Reading

I’m Olly Gaspar, Australian adventure traveler and founder of We Seek Travel. Six years ago, I left home to travel full-time and started this website to share my journey. Today, it’s grown into one of the world’s largest free adventure travel resources, now supported by a team of passionate travelers writing travel guides to the places we visit.

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