The Nut State Reserve

The Nut has been a navigational landmark since European settlement and takes its colloquial name from its squat, flat-topped silhouette when seen from the sea. The volcanic plug formed around 13 million years ago and stands apart from the surrounding low coastal country with near-vertical basalt walls on all sides. Stanley township clusters at its base, giving the whole scene a distinctly Cornish or Irish headland character.

The chairlift, designed and manufactured in Austria, spans 250 metres horizontally and climbs 95 metres in a leisurely five-minute ride, making the summit accessible to those who prefer not to tackle the steep foot track. At the top, a sealed circuit path links multiple lookout platforms, picnic areas with gas barbecues, and toilet facilities. A cafe operates near the summit. The walking track from town takes around 10 to 20 minutes each way and is rewarding for those who want the full exertion.

The summit circuit is one of Tasmania's most photogenic short walks, with views that shift dramatically as you round each corner, open ocean to the north, the patchwork Circular Head agricultural plains to the east, and the wild Tarkine wilderness beginning to the south-west. Little penguins nest in burrows at the base of The Nut and can often be spotted from the summit at dusk.