Stanley is an adorable little coastal town and we wished we could linger longer. With its quaint colonial charm, it is no wonder that Hollywood filmmakers chose it as a filming location for the old-fashioned drama ‘The Light between Oceans’ starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Rachel Weisz.

The town has spectacular views over the coastline on both sides of town and there’s certainly no better place to enjoy them than from the top of the Nut. The good news is- we didn’t have to literally climb it… we cheated (only because we were time restricted 😂) and took the chairlift to the top.

Once on top, with the wild and woolly Roaring 40s in our hair we walked the easy, well-made trail that circles the ‘plug’ and gives excellent views from several lookouts. It goes without saying that the 360-degree views of the coastline were mesmerizing.

Short-tailed shearwaters- also known as mutton birds- love the secluded nature of the plateau and thousands have made their home here at ground level. These incredible birds spend their days at sea and return to their nests after nightfall and fly as far as the Artic every year, before returning to The Nut to breed.

From Stanley, we headed to the magnificent plateau of Table Cape to add some more flower power to our trip… with more stunning scenery on our journey…

…and deers…

… before arriving at Table Cape. Sitting at 180 meters high, this extinct volcanic vent dominates the coastline close to Wynyard a little like The Nut does in nearby Stanley. The volcanic soil on the cape grows a variety of crops and is regarded to be the richest agricultural soil in Tasmania. Its dramatic cliffs drop away into the Bass Strait, with Table Cape Tulip Farm perched at the top.

We had all been really looking forward to this day since I had discovered that the tulips would be blooming while we were in Tassie… and we were blessed with a stunning spring day. Apparently they are the largest tulip fields in the Southern Hemisphere that you can actually wander in, and so each Spring, when the rainbow of tulip fields explodes with joy and colour, people like us come from far and wide to see the spectacle. From a distance it’s like a patchwork quilt, but up close you start to see row upon row of colour stretching to the horizon. While not all were blooming yet, we delighted in tip toeing through the tulips and taking a million pictures.

We then headed for our final nights stop- The Truffledore… nestled in the foothills of Cradle Mountain and Mount Roland, it offers a little slice of truffle heaven. My beautiful friend Anne’s son Tim and wife Ina welcomed us to their stunning B&B to experience a little of their life on the boutique truffle farm… meet the animals… enjoy the beautiful scenery and unwind in the country tranquillity.

The Truffeldore offer’s black winter truffle and truffle products, tastings, a range of farm to table food experiences, tours and events, as well as farm stay accommodation. The converted barn now operates as a cookery school, farm gate, function centre and a place to discover and taste all things truffle.

In truffle season (June-August) they offer small group Hunt & Harvest tours, which are a four-hour experience that includes a tour of the truffiere with their harvester and truffle dog to see firsthand how they find and harvest their black truffles, followed by a four-course lunch lavished with fresh truffle! Sounds like a fantastic experience… pity we weren’t here in the right season. This place is amazing and what Tim and Ina have created is quite exceptional! Just another reason to return to Tassie!

We had the most awesome night in the restaurant. Tim made fresh goose egg pasta and gave Sue the opportunity to help him.

Combined with prawns, confit garlic, chilli and truffle oil- with grated cured goose egg on top. Absolutely delicious! Lots of conversation and fun and laughter (especially with Sue’s pasta making skillls)- just us, Tim and Ina and her parents who were visiting from Germany. What an experience… and a memorable last night.