The Ark Stanley is a short stroll to most of the attractions in Stanley. Don’t forget to let us know if you need a loan of an umbrella, beach towel or a picnic basket.
Enjoy all our region has to offer – fresh seafood and shellfish, locally-pastured beef/lamb, cheese, honey, Tasmanian wine, whiskey and gin. Crayfish can be purchased all year round.
Stanley hosted some of the biggest names in Hollywood in 2014 as the town was the main location of the Hollywood block buster The Light Between Oceans, a story of love and sacrifice that sees a loving couple face a moral dilemma when they rescue an abandoned baby from an adrift rowboat.
Perhaps, when you stay with us, you will be able to lay claim to sleeping in the same bed as the Producer, the Director (also of Harry Potter fame) or the famous Australian actor Jack Thompson, all of whom stayed at The Ark Stanley during the making of the movie.
Permanent large scale panels have been installed about town, depicting “grabs” from the filming showing how the township was changed and what areas were used.
There are two great beaches in town where you can take a safe swim or easy stroll. One is right across the road from The Ark Stanley and the other a short walk.
The Nut, rising 152 metres from the sea, dominates the headland. The track offers you a 20 minute walk (approximately) to the top, alternatively, you can take a 5 minute ride on the chairlift (fee applies) with no exertion necessary. Follow this up with a stroll around the 2.3 km Nut plateau.
Wallabies, Wombats, Seals, Dolphins, Whales, Pademelons, Quolls, Shearwaters, Sea eagles.
As at July 2018 there is a proposal for the installation of a penguin viewing platform in the vicinity of Godfreys Beach. Please watch this space.
Penguin viewing is possible along the coast throughout Stanley, however, it is particularly possible at Godfrey’s Beach; this is unguided with signage and on occasions attended by a volunteer Parks & Wildlife Ranger. The Ark Stanley has up to date information on viewing our local penguins including brochures (and red cellophane) while Parks and Wildlife have their penguin viewing guidelines here – http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=2995
Uncover Stanley’s past in the footsteps of a local. Begin your walk at Marine Park overlooking Little Wharf.
A 2 Minute Walk from The Ark sets you on the track.
http://www.stanleyheritagewalk.com.au/en/ OR
Download the heritage walk guide here http://www.stanley.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/stanley_heritage_walk_guide.pdf
Features a nine-hole links-style coastal course, set among the dunes, just 10 metres from the sea.
A 2 minute drive from The Ark.
Regarded as the ‘birthplace’ of European settlement in Tasmania’s north-west, step back in time and spend a few hours discovering the bygone era. Built from 1832 to 1835 for the chief agent of the Van Diemen’s Company and now owned by the State Government, the site offers self-guided day tours and is open 7 days 9.30am – 4.30pm. A 4 minute drive from The Ark.
Located in what used to be the Parish Hall for St. Paul’s Church, Church Street, Stanley.
Find your ancestors and view many items of interest, with the Museum having been established in 1973 as an exhibition that will take you on a journey into Stanley’s past.
Open daily from September to June.
Visit the birthplace in 1879 of Joseph Aloysius Lyons, the only Tasmanian Prime Minister of Australia.
A stone’s throw from The Ark.
Drop a line off Stanley Wharf, the most popular recreational fishing spot on the north-west coast. Boasting good catches of snotty trevally, Australian salmon, couta, mullet, leather jacket, squid, flathead, tailor, mackerel and snapper.
Lot 1 Fisherman’s Dock (off Wharf Road) Stanley, telephone (03) 6458 2052.
Enjoy a fascinating discovery of Tasmanian sea-life and come face to face with resident sea creatures
Open daily from 10am to 4pm from mid-September to June.
A picturesque and historic cemetery dating back to the 1820’s. Giving you a glimpse into the history of the township, the burial ground is the final resting place of many important figures in Stanley’s history. Set at the base of The Nut with views over Godfrey’s Beach and over to Green Fields to Highfield House.
Movie Night is held the last Friday of every month (except December) commencing 7.30pm. As The Ark Stanley maintains a current membership with the Society, our guests are able to attend for free. So come along and join us; enjoy the film, have a little snack afterwards, and mingle with the locals.
Wharf Road, Stanley.
Traditional boat building viewing, sales of Tasmanian timber including myrtle, huon, celery top and king billy pine, as well as tackle and marine supplies.
Explore this promontory extending out into Bass Strait with tracks, cliffs and beaches attracting walkers and rock climbers. A 30 minute drive from The Ark Stanley. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=3698
Only 10 kilometres from Stanley you will discover an expansive beach that stretches from the mouth of the Duck River to the entrance of the West Inlet. A perfect place for a peaceful walk, shell hunting and picnic place.
Located in our magical Tarkine region, the Edge of the World is found at Gardiner Point, Arthur River. The wild roaring forties (strong westerly winds) batter the coastline from across the Great Southern Ocean; and wind gusts up to 200km per our have been recorded on the far north west coast, making this a place not to be missed.
Once a “working forest” in the late 1800s to early 1900s, covering an area of about 2,800 hectares, the forest reserve is home to the magnificent Dip Falls and the Big Tree. A 30 minute/33 kilometre drive from The Ark.
Dip Falls are a magnificent, two-tiered waterfall, with the water flowing over cubic-basalt columns, formed hundreds of years ago by the cooling of the volcanic rock. A viewing platform is provided which gives a magical view of the top tier of the falls. You can also take a steep walk (approximately 152 steps) down a pathway to the base of the falls.
The Big Tree standing 62 metres (203 feet) tall is located after a further one kilometre walk into the wet eucalypt forest. Around 400 years old and with a circumference at the base of 16 metres, the tree is a ‘eucalypt oblique’, commonly known as a ‘browntop stringybark’, and is believed to have been up to 90 metres tall at one time. Slowly shrinking due to the natural process of aging, with the top growth blown off and destroyed by strong winds, this grand being has survived lightning strike, insect and fungal attach, fire and the axes of early forest workers.
1 Hour from Stanley – Being mainland Tasmania’s western-most settlement and the furthest settlement from Hobart, this magnificent area boasts plenty of coastal walks, good fishing spots and attracts many Australian and international surfers to the coastline.
The beach is a combination of a long stretch of fine white sand, volcanic rocky outcrops and low tide will reveal a section of the beach showing stunning rock formations covered with rich green ocean algae (Chlorophyta phylum). Views take you as far north as Mount Cameron West and to Woolnorth where the wind turbines can be seen rotating in the wind.
The Arthur River is one of the State’s seven major rivers, and is the only Tasmanian river which is completely wild. The Arthur River is 170kms long and has never been logged or dammed. The river remains much as it has been for thousands of years, flowing through tall eucalypt forest and rainforests to the sea. Reach Arthur River by taking the A2 for 50 km beyond Smithton to Marrawah (great surfing and beach walks) then continue on gravel roads 14 km further south.
A 70 minute/83 kilometre drive from The Ark.
The Tarkine, roughly bounded by the West Coast and the Arthur River, the Pieman River to the south and the Murchison Highway to the east, is a large area of temperate rainforest, sand dunes and coastal heathland. Covering roughly 450,000 hectares, the Tarkine hosts over a hundred bird species, platypus, echidna, wombat, bandicoot, possum, glider, Tasmanian devil, and the spotted-tailed Quoll and eastern Quoll.
Along the drive you can stop at the Sumac Lookout and enjoy its views of the Arthur River. Further along there is a half hour walk through cool temperate rainforest at the Julius River Forest Reserve. At Lake Chisholm Forest Reserve a path through majestic old myrtle forests takes you to the flooded limestone sinkhole known as Lake Chisholm.
The Milkshakes Hills Forest Reserve has both eucalypt forest and rainforest and from the top of one of the “milkshakes” you can enjoy great views of the countryside.
Take a picnic lunch – great picnic areas can be found at Kanunnah Bridge and Tayatea Bridge.
Nearby is the Balfour Track Forest Reserve where the relatively flat 3 hour return walk was cut for packhorses and prospectors at the beginning of the century to access the largely abandoned mining town of Balfour.
Originally built by Forestry Tasmania in 2004, privately owned and run since 2010, Dismal Swamp is considered the only sinkhole (basin-shaped depression) in the world that encloses a dense Blackwood forest. Ride the 110 metre slide or take the 360 metre long path to the bottom, where four pathways then take you into a swamp that is rare in the world and home to a diverse range of creatures including ringtail possums, pademelons, spotted tail quoll, devils, birdlife and burrowing crayfish. A 40 minute/53 kilometre drive from The Ark.
Blanch Road, Edith Creek, telephone (03) 6456 4216.
6 Acres of landscaped gardens and lawns, beside 16 acres of cool temperate rainforest. Spend a lovely afternoon strolling in the gardens or choose from a number of walking paths including 10, 15 and 30 minutes. Open 10am – 4pm from early October to the end of April. (Closed Sundays and Mondays). A 30 minute/32 kilometre drive from The Ark. https://www.facebook.com/Allendale-Gardens-292413317527032/
Originally built by Forestry Tasmania in 2004, privately owned and run since 2010, Dismal Swamp is considered the only sinkhole (basin-shaped depression) in the world that encloses a dense Blackwood forest. Ride the 110 metre slide or take the 360 metre long path to the bottom, where four pathways then take you into a swamp that is rare in the world and home to a diverse range of creatures including ringtail possums, pademelons, spotted tail quoll, devils, birdlife and burrowing crayfish. A 40 minute/53 kilometre drive from The Ark. https://www.dismalswamptasmania.com.au/
1 Hour’s drive from Stanley, tours are available which include an up-close visit to the cliff top towers of the Woolnorth Wind Farm, a visit to the historic Woolnorth property historic precinct, and to Cape Grim for the cleanest air in the world.
Bass Highway and Main Road, Stanley, telephone (03) 6458 3434
Offering 15 minute, 30 minute and 1.5 hour helicopter flights over the North West Coast and the Tarkine. A 7 minute/7 kilometre drive from The Ark.
Flights are dependent on weather. Advance bookings essential. Operates daily (November – April).
http://www.osborneaviation.com/aerial-tours
Lighthouse Road, Wynyard, telephone 0499 919 993
The only operating Lighthouse open for tours in mainland Tasmania. Built in 1888 and situated on a ‘volcanic plug’ formed 13.3 million years ago, the lighthouse is open for tours from October to May, weather dependent, between 11am – 3pm. A 45 minute/60 kilometre drive from The Ark.
Dockside, Wharf Road, Stanley, telephone (03) 6458 1294.
See the Australian fur seal in the wild. Take a 75 minute return Eco cruise, visiting Bull Rock and taking in views of the 125 metre towering sheer cliff face of The Nut.
Xanders on Church, 5 Church Street, Stanley
Telephone: 6458 1414
Stanley Hotel Bistro, 19-21 Church Street, Stanley
Telephone: 1800 222 397
Hursey Seafoods, 2 Alexander Terrace, Stanley
Telephone: 6548 1103
Sealers Cove Restaurant, Pizza & Pasta, 2 Main Road, Stanley
Telephone: 6458 1234
The Chocolate Gallery and Café, 17 Church Street, Stanley
Fully Licensed, offering free tastings and a chocolate cooking school
Telephone: 6458 1408
Touchwood Craft Gallery, Gifts and Café – Hand-made pottery, blown glass, pewter, jewellery and
fine woodcraft made from Tasmanian specialty timbers and artisans, 31 Church Street, Stanley
Moby Dicks Breakfast Bar – Open daily 7.30am to noon. 5 Church Street, Stanley
The Swinging Anchor Café, 4 Church St, Stanley
The Brown Dog – Gifts, Homewares and Café, 15 Church Street, Stanley
Cow N Calf Gallery – David Murphy Photography, Church Street, Stanley
The Angels Share – Quality Tasmanian Whiskeys, Beverages and Locally Handcrafted Giftware
14 Church Street, Stanley
Providore 24 – Showcasing fine Tasmania produce including, wine, honey, preserves,
cheese, breads, pate’s and salmon. 24 Church Street, Stanley
Sticks & Stones Shells & Bones Stanley – Shells, Fossils, Gemstones, Handmade gifts and jewelry.
27 Church Street, Stanley
Stanley Supermarket and Newsagency and Take-Away, telephone 6458 1263
Crossland Antiques and Collectables, telephone 6458 1220
0421 695 224
+61 421 695 224
18 Wharf Road, Stanley, Tasmania, 7331
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