Nuts about the North-West

The fishing village of Stanley sits at the foot of The Nut, an ancient volcanic plug rising from the sea. A short walking track zigzags steeply to its flat summit, but the easiest journey to the top is on The Nut chairlift.

Find fish straight off the boats at Hursey Seafoods. Dine upstairs, or grab takeaway from the downstairs counter and head to the shores.

At dusk, watch little penguins waddle onto Godfreys Beach. A raised boardwalk at the beach's southern end provides a bird's-eye view.

Stanley Wine Bar is an eclectic gem, pop in for a wine and tasting plates (check opening hours). Stay overnight in Stanley at Stanley Hotel and Apartments, which has cottages and historical buildings dotted around town.

Gain an historical perspective at Highfield Historic Site, perched on a ridge above town. The grand estate was developed in the 1830s for the chief agent of the Van Diemen's Land Company, and the restored homestead features an ornate garden, fascinating farm buildings and sweeping coastal views.

It’s not just the air that’s fresh in the north-west - it's rivalled by the waters of takayna / Tarkine, which is where Tarkine Fresh Oysters grows its bounty of bivalves. Visit its Smithton centre for tastings and sales.

On Tasmania's far north-west tip is the Woolnorth property, Australia's largest dairy operation. Woolnorth Tours delves into its remarkable history – it's Australia's only farm created by royal charter – visits the state's first wind farm, and provides the only chance to stand atop the cliffs of Cape Grim and feel that freshest of fresh air.

Have dinner onsite at the Stanley Hotel Bistro and Bar, abundant local produce is on offer and the suppliers are likely to be sitting at a table nearby.  

Stay overnight at Stanley.

Explore Providore 24 for gourmet picnic good, platter delights and much more.

Go from fierce to flat water with a cruise on Arthur River. Never dammed or logged, this pristine waterway, which can be as still and reflective as meditation, is the focus of Arthur River Cruises.

Back on the wild west coast, detour to Gardiner Point, aka Edge of the World, a point of land assaulted by the Southern Ocean and stacked with logs and driftwood. If the world does have an edge, truly it's here.

Return to Smithton for the night, staying at Tall Timbers Tasmania and tasting local Cape Grim beef at the Cape Grim Grill at Kauri Bistro.

Australia's largest cool-temperate rainforest, takayna / Tarkine, is primeval and frayed at the edges by a wild coastline. It warrants a full day of exploration, best spent with Tall Timbers Adventure Tours, surveying the coast and plunging deep into the forest.

If exploring independently, set out on the Tarkine Drive, a 125km sealed loop, beginning from Smithton and taking in limestone sinkholes at Lake Chisholm Forest Reserve, ancient forests of myrtle and ferns, and Trowutta Arch, where a collapsed cave has left a fern-filled natural archway above a green sinkhole.