Who knew it would only take a couple of hours for us to become smitten with Tasmania!
After an extremely exciting and busy day, we took the picturesque drive to Stanley to relax in the serene setting of the Stanley Seaview Inn. Wow, what a treat! Our first day on the island saw us waking at 5am to depart Spirit of Tasmania, detouring to Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, stopping to explore Anvers Chocolate, and finally complete the tremendous day relaxing in an apartment complete with what could arguably offer one of the best views in Australia.
We checked in, and headed off to our apartment which offered us enough room to park the van, and unhitch so we could head off to grab a bite to eat without the hassle of towing. We’d planned to unpack our gear and head straight off to explore, but we soon realised that would be impossible. The view captivated us, and so we took the time to have a bit of a breather and recover from our busy day.
The apartment was beautifully designed, with a fresh, modern interior, free wi-fi, and offered a lovely in-room breakfast delivered that evening, ready for us to rise when we pleased and enjoy the stunning view over The Nut and the ocean from the balcony.
Amahli is our resident foodie and was excited to find our breakfast tucked away in the breakfast hatch. There was lots of variety to choose from, so everyone in the family was well catered for!
The kids kicked back to soak up some television, as it had been weeks since we’d watch any and they were pretty happy to be up to date with some of their favourite cartoons. Before too long though, they were keen to explore the sites and surrounds and we took a walk around the grounds to track down the playground they’d spotted on the way in.
I daresay there are very few family accommodation options that snuggle you in amongst gorgeous farmland with a view out to the ocean and one of Tasmania’s true icons. I’m not sure the kids realised it, but they probably uncovered Australia’s most scenic playground, get a load of the view! I really wish they’d share some of their energy with us because after a busy day they still found energy to play!
The village of Stanley is situated in the North West of Tasmania, and offers a unique history into the fishing industry and settlement within the region. There is a self-guided history tour with a booklet available to assist your walk through town, and lots of gorgeous historic buildings all maintained beautifully that make the effort more than worth it. We grabbed a bite to eat at the Stanley Hotel, where such an active day took the toll on a certain someone.
After dark, the fun didn’t stop! A quick addition of jackets and warm clothes and we were off to spot some penguins which grace the shores of Stanley. We were waiting with other tourists in a spot dedicated to watching them arrive on shore, and almost gave ourselves pneumonia in the hope of seeing the illusive birds. Finally giving up to head back to the warmth of our apartment, we did a turn in the car park only to find a single Little Penguin waiting there! Talk about exciting! A drive through town uncovered lots of gorgeous penguins hanging out under cars and crossing the road in front of us, we even managed to get a little bit of video footage we’ll put up soon.
Please be mindful if you’re watching penguins to use ONLY a red torch, or cover your torch with red cellophane. White light disturbs the penguins, and it was sad to see people not following such a simple rule to try to keep disturbance to these little wonders to a minimum.
Of all places to visit in Tasmania as a first stop, I would definitely recommend Stanley. We were absolutely sad to leave Stanley Seaview Inn the next day, they have a couple of accommodation options available for families, and regularly have deals on their website so be sure to take a look. We said goodbye to the comfort of the apartment and hit the road with van in tow once more, but we didn’t leave straight away, we have lots to share about our day spent exploring the town still to come, we’ll be sharing soon.
*Disclaimer – We stayed as complimentary guests of Stanley Seaview Inn but all opinions and information here is, as usual our own honest opinion, tested out for the benefit of our readers.
