Waves lap at the steps of this luxurious haven in the state’s north-west
The Little Taliska is Tasmania’s answer to a stay in the idyllic, seaside townships of Cornwall, in southeast England, writes Kirsty Eade.
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It’s been several years since I last visited the beautiful, historic seaside village of Stanley in the state’s far North-West but every time I return it never disappoints.
The village sits snugly under one of Tasmania’s most famous landmarks, The Nut, which is a huge sheer-sided headland that sits at an elevation of 143m above sea-level and is the remains of an ancient volcanic plug. The township, which features several rows of historic buildings, all built in about the late 1800s, that spill down to the harbour, would have to be one of the prettiest in the state. The stone and weatherboard homes, inns, halls and schools would have originally been constructed to service the 19th century village’s busy fishing and shipping port.
These days life in the town still revolves around the working fishing port, however, now it’s also very much a bustling tourist town.
I think it’s the closest thing we have to the lovely, seaside townships in Cornwall, in south-west England, and reminds me of one of those idyllic, little fishing villages like the fictional town of Portwenn (whose real name is Port Isaac) featured on the much-loved TV show Doc Martin.
When I first visited Stanley as a journalist based on the North-West Coast in the mid-1990s it was run down and a bit dilapidated. At that time, many of the homes were in various states of disrepair and several even had barbed wire or electric fencing strung up instead of the smartly painted picket fences most have now.
I remember thinking at the time ¬that this place is in such a picturesque location ¬and could be such a great spot to bring visitors but it just needs a bit of a spruce up.
Which is exactly what the owners of boutique accommodation the Little Taliska and the Ship Inn, Kerry and Alastair Houston, thought when they moved to the township about nine years ago.
Originally the Houstons bought the Little Taliska, which I was lucky enough to spend a couple of nights in last month, as a holiday home. They’d discovered Stanley after taking a family road trip around Tassie and as soon as they arrived there felt right at home. Kerry says, Alastair in particular, immediately fell in love with it, as it reminded him of Scotland where he’d holidayed as a child with his mum Prim, at a place called Taliska Bay on the Isle of Skye.
“Stanley’s beautiful old buildings made of the local bluestone, the portside township, friendly bars and people all rekindled such fond memories for Alastair of those trips with his Mum to Skye, and we all loved it as well, so we just kept coming back,” Kerry says.
The Stanley cottage borrows its name from Alastair’s grandparents’ holiday home which was called Taliska.
After completing the renovation of the Little Taliska, the Houstons then bought the former Bay View hotel and transformed that into what is now the well-known, multi-award winning, mustard-coloured, boutique hotel, the Ship Inn.
After several years of successfully operating the Ship Inn, the couple then turned their skills for renovation to the classic 1843 bluestone building over the road from their hotel. This building which was formerly the Van Diemen’s Land Company’s bond store, has now been converted into their own stylish residence.
Thanks to Kerry’s love of the challenge of doing up old buildings, keen creative eye and Alastair’s talents as a skilled stonemason, the couple has been able to transform several of Stanley’s “blank canvases” into classy accommodation offerings. However, Kerry insists they couldn’t have done it without their talented team of local tradies, as well as the assistance of interior stylists Lynda Gardener and Belle Hemming Bright.
Once they’d finished transforming the VDL store into their home earlier this year, they hit the restoration trail again and enlisted the help of Gardener and Hemming Bright to restyle the Little Taliska. She says previously the cottage had a maritime theme which was nice but a bit cold and she wanted to bring the stylists in to give it a modern makeover with vintage pieces to give it a bit of a warmer atmosphere.
During our stay, my husband and I found the family-friendly, three bedroom cottage to be the perfect spot for a relaxing weekend getaway.
While the cottage was built in 1892 the clever restoration has transformed it into a warm, cosy, luxurious haven while still allowing it to retain its historic feel. Original features such as its wide floorboards, solid wooden doors, brass fittings, dormer windows and sloping attic roofs are complemented by vintage artworks and maritime antiquities which all add to the building’s character.
These classic touches are beautifully balanced with modern comforts such as warm central heating, comfy couches, soft organic linens (sourced from Oaklight Textiles), feather and down pillows and other contemporary additions such as the generous-sized bathroom which is complete with a walk-in rainfall shower, as well as luxurious bathroom products from Salus. Families with small children are also well catered for with a portacot, high chair and a gorgeous, little day bed nestled in the nook under the stairs, which makes the perfect spot for little people to hang out.
The property also includes a lovely outdoor stone courtyard which has an amazing view of the towering Nut above, barbecue facilities which are ideal for cooking up a meal as well as an outdoor shower which is perfect for washing off after a trip to the beach.
The other thing I loved about the property was the veranda at the front of the cottage which is a great spot to enjoy a cuppa while you take in the mesmerising views of Sawyer Bay and Tatlows Beach over the road. On the first night of our stay this was the perfect position to take in a stunning sunset.
The other beauty of the cottage is its location, close to the heart of the town. Being conveniently situated on Alexander Terrace, it’s only a short stroll to the great friendly pub the Stanley Hotel (which for my money still does one of the best Cape Grim steaks going around), the eclectic Tasmanian Food and Wine Bar, as well as all the cafes, local shops, supermarket, The Nut and Stanley’s other famous landmark, Hursey Seafoods.
On the night we went to Hurseys it was a full house, possibly due to the recent refurbishment which Kerry also had a hand in. And despite being packed, the service in the restaurant was first class thanks largely to the front-of-house supervisor Babes’ expert direction and the food was, as always excellent. We had a seafood platter which was full of succulent fresh, wild-caught seafood including oysters Kilpatrick, scallops, salt ‘n’ pepper squid and lightly battered flake that came straight off the docks a few metres from where we ate our meal. And I doubt if you’ll find fresh crayfish done better than anywhere else in the country.
Following a delightful meal of seafood we took the short walk back to the cottage, spied some of the village’s cute Fairy penguins ambling up the beach and had a restful night’s sleep after nodding off to the sounds of the waves lapping the beach over the road.
And just like the Houstons felt when they’d discovered this stunning little town that made them feel so at home, once I’d holidayed in Stanley, I didn’t want to leave either.
The author was a guest of Little Taliska cottage and Hursey Seafoods.
MAKE A NOTE
GETTING THERE
The Little Taliska, 28 Alexander Tce, Stanley.
Stanley is located about 400km, or four-and-a-half hours’ drive north of Hobart.
STAYING THERE
This accommodation would suit a couple, young family or a group of three couples, (the cottage can sleep up to six guests). There are three queen bedrooms, one bathroom with walk-in rain shower and a stone courtyard with barbecuing facilities and an outdoor shower. There are also cooking basics and a selection of teas and coffee pods available. For young families there are also handy items such as a travel cot, highchair and children’s books and toys available for use.
Prices start from $385 per night and there is a minimum two-night stay.
To book search on Airbnb for Beach House @ Little Taliska 1892 or for more information phone 0439 749 140 or email hello@shipinnstanley.com.au
WHILE YOU’RE THERE
The Little Taliska is located a short stroll from the town’s restaurants including Hursey Seafoods, the Tasmanian Wine and Food Bar and the Stanley Hotel as well as local cafes, shops, galleries and supermarket.
The Nut chairlift and/or walk is only a 10-minute stroll away and the town’s beautiful beaches, fairy penguin viewing platform and historic Highfield House are also close by.
Stanley is a great base to explore many of the far North West’s other natural wonders such as Dip Falls and Rocky Cape and the Tarkine and Arthur River, the Edge of the World at Marrawah and Mt Cameron (all about 60km away) on the state’s West Coast, are all easy day trips from the town.
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