The Nut Stanley

The sheer-sided volcanic plug that rears above the fishing village of Stanley is visible for miles across the north-west coast. A steep path - or a small chairlift - climbs to the flat top, where a circuit walk rings the summit with views over the town, the harbour and the Bass Strait swell breaking on the rocks below. The Nut is the eroded core of an ancient volcano, and its abrupt bulk gives Stanley its unmistakable silhouette. Watch for the muttonbirds that nest on the slopes and stream out to sea at dusk in their thousands.