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Australia’s best seachange towns No.10: Stanley

trading places logoStanley harks back to a simpler time – the Victoria of 20 years ago, as one local says – where kids roam freely and doors are unlocked.

The Tasmanian town is the main fishing port on the isle’s north west coast. It rests on a peninsula that is just seven kilometres into Bass Strait, lapped by waves and freshened by sea air on either side.

At the foremost point of the peninsula rises a volcanic rock formation affectionately called The Nut. In its shadow live 481 residents, many in quaint colonial-style cottages.

trading places 2016 stanley tasmania at a glanceRiding the chairlift 140 metres to The Nut’s flat top makes for a stunning picnic spot, or a testing hike for the adventurous. It is what makes the town famous.

“The green hill behind The Nut is a great place to go up and look out onto the water,” Mayor Daryl Quillam says. “It’s a nice old historic township and it is rather unique. It’s beautiful.”

Hungry from exertion, a feed of freshly caught seafood with golden chips will satisfy.

“The fish is so fresh and abundant,” Mr Quillam says.

With a median house price of $205,000, this rugged paradise is a bargain.

Australians choked by smog and smoke will breath easily. Some of the cleanest air in the world ruffles the hair of locals, the local tourism body claims.

Located one hour west of Burnie, a large regional city, it contains one of the nation’s best examples of colonial settlement, with buildings dating back to the 1840s.

“Stanley is a little gem of colonial heritage,” says Stanley Seaview Inn owner Clint Walker. “People like to walk around and admire it, either on a tour or a self-guided route that we have created.”

The area’s fertile soil supports 33 per cent of Tasmania’s dairy farms. Other industries include manufacturing, forestry and prime beef.

Locals insist it is a perfect place to raise a family.

“A great place for kids to grow up in – they can go walking around the streets or into town without any concern,” Mr Walker says.

“They can go to the beaches or the parks or jumping off the various jetties and go fishing.”

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Video: Peter Bellingham Photography
Photos: Stanley Visitors Centre | Peter Bellingham Photography | Getty
Reporting: Anthony Colangelo

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