What is The Nut at Stanley?
The Nut is a flat-topped volcanic plug about 143 metres high that rises steeply above the town of Stanley in northwest Tasmania. It formed around 12.5 million years ago.
The Nut is the remains of an ancient lava lake. Molten basalt cooled and hardened inside a volcanic vent, and the softer surrounding rock eroded away, leaving the steep-sided block standing above the sea.
Explorers Matthew Flinders and George Bass saw it in 1798 and described it as a Christmas cake. Its sheer cliffs make it one of the most recognisable landforms in Tasmania.
Reaching the top
Visitors can climb a steep zigzag path or ride a chairlift to the summit. A walking track of about 2 kilometres loops around the flat top, with lookouts over the coastline.
Wildlife on The Nut includes pademelons, wallabies and seabirds. Short-tailed shearwaters nest in burrows on the slopes.
The Nut State Reserve protects the landform. It is especially striking at sunset.
The chairlift operates in the warmer months, and the summit can be very windy, so a jacket is useful.
Did You Know?
The Peerapper people, Traditional Owners of the area, called The Nut Moo-nut-re-ker.