Poet's Cottage
The legend continues with the romance of its original intention, that was, to build a residence for the illegitimate son of King George IV.
The Brown Dog – a delightful cafe and gifts shop ideal for coffee/tea, cakes, light lunches and Tasmanian ice creams.
The Stanley Pub – serves excellent award winning lunches and dinners – so popular, booking is a must.
The Stanley Sea food shop – offers great Fish and Chips and Tasmanian Ice creams – Fresh from the boat fish and seafood can also be bought for home cooking.
Marleys – a popular venue serving, eclectic and great, breakfasts and lunches.
Touchwood – an intimate cafe serving breakfasts lunches and afternoon teas, with gorgeous views over Tatlow’s Beach and the residential town.
The Providore 24 – sports a selection of gourmet foods ideal for the grazing platter from Tasmanian Cheeses, Pate’s and condiments, as well as a good gift shop and wonderful original fashion items.
The Nut Cafe – sitting beneath the Chairlift up at the Nut parking lot, is this cafe serving morning teas and light lunches, as well as a good gift/souvenir shop.
The Mariner Rose – book a High Tea to enjoy in the front parlour of another BnB in the heart of Stanley – 0431 968 763
Of course, there’s the Stanley Pub where one can always catch up with the local fishing community and townspeople . Attached to the Pub is a beautiful cellar selling Tasmanian and other wines and spirits.
The Angel’s Share is a town must see and do. One can taste a big and rare selection of Tasmanian Whiskies and Gins, and there is the added benefit of bespoke shopping items of clothing and accessories.
The Tasmanian Wine Bar is a Stanley gem and well worth a visit. An evening here will be stored in the memory banks forever. It is unique and the hosts are delightful as they serve you an excellent selection of Tasmanian wine and whisky.
Other than those already mentioned;
The Stanley Art gallery – next door to the Brown Dog – boasts some beautiful original artworks.
The Stanley Hotel shop – sells clothing and accessories.
Sticks & Stones Shells & Bones – next door to Marley’s – sells exactly these items for collectors.
The Craft Shop – part of the Town Hall – provides an outlet for local handcrafts and lovely gift ideas.
Highfield House
Built in 1832 and completed in 1838, Highfield served as the family residence of the Agent for the Van Dieman’s Land company, Edward Curr and his family. Outbuildings including The Chapel, Stables, Cottages and more were built by assigned convicts, and indentured servants ( 45 men, 11 women, and 25 children), who comprised the workforce of the Company, completing works in 1841. The remains of the convict barracks and the two entrance portals to a deer park can still be seen on the property. Highfield also claims the very best views of The Nut to be found, although there are significant other sites for keen photographers.
The Nut
A walk around the Nut is a fabulous experience. The Chair lift is an option for those who feel the steep climb and/or descent is too much, or alternatively, mix it up with an up or down one way trip. The walk around the top is undulating and not too taxing and offers spectacular views of Flinders islands and more, over the whole Stanley peninsula.
Penguins
We love our Penguin population – so much that we have a specially built Penguin Viewing platform. Rug up and take one of our special red lighting torches with you to Godfrey’s Beach at dusk. If you wait quietly and patiently, you can see theses wonderful Fairy Penguins come home from a day’s fishing to feed their baby fledgelings, and settle down for their rest in their burrows.
Best viewing is September to March, but your hosts can help you find them almost throughout the year.
Historic Walking Tour
Throughout Stanley, starting at The Wharf, plaques can be found on the walls of all of the historic places of interest. Poet’s Cottage features as number 2 on this walk! Each plaque will give you some idea of the origin and history of the building and its past inhabitants and if you scan the barcode on each one, you can listen to the history and interesting stories.
Whales
Whales are sighted in both of Stanley’s picturesque bays. Our most recent sightings in August 2023, were thought to be a Southern Right mother about to calf.
The legend continues with the romance of its original intention, that was, to build a residence for the illegitimate son of King George IV.