Maria Island

Tasmania

Wombats are short-legged quadrupedal marsupials native to Australia.
Fun fact: they leave cubic feces to mark territory; it is believed that this particular shape is due to the way their intestine walls work (apparently 2 walls are flexible and 2 are stiff). 😛

A little bit of history: in the 1800s Maria Island has been a penal settlment of convicts brought by English soldiers but it was closed twice due to frequent escape attempts; today the convict probation station of Darlington is recognised as World Heritage site by UNESCO and in 1972 the island was finally declared a National Park after the failed attempt of the Italian businessman, Diego Bernacchi, to use it for his industrial ambitions.

Probably the most famous among the islands of Tasmania, Maria Island is known to be the land of wombats but it is actually a place of uncontaminated nature where also wallabies, pademelons, grey geese and even Tasmanian devils now find their home.
What keeps this island uncontaminated is the absence of cars and any sort of eatery: travelers who decide to spend 1 or more nights on the island will have to park their car at the Triabunna wharf before jumping on the ferry and, most important, will have to pack enough food to cover all the meals of their stay.

Let’s talk about the things to know before planning your trip to Maria Island:
1. the ferry from Triabunna costs 64 AUD per adult (round trip), it takes 45 minutes and while purchasing the ticket you can also add a 24h bike rental at the cost of 33 AUD per person.
2. You can build your tent on the island (there are different camping spots) or spend the night at the Penitentiary accommodation: minimum 2 nights stay – 2 of us paid a total cost of 88 AUD for a 6 beds room (we would have paid 10 AUD for each extra person eventually).

3. The only electric plugs available are in the Mess hall (common area with kitchen and tables) so bring some camping lights even if you stay at the Penitentiary.
4. There are no restaurants nor eateries in general on Maria island so you better “calculate” all the food you’ll need to cover your meals on the island; pack also some garbage bags because you will have to carry your trash back to the land as there are no garbage bins on the island. Remember that there is no power, this means no fridges but you will find pots and pans in the kitchen, contrary to what the booking confirmation says.
5. There is plenty of toilet paper in the toilets.

Is it worth to spend the night? Absolutely yes! Wear comfy clothes and ride the bike on the designated tracks but take the swimsuit with you because you will ride along beautiful beaches with white sand and freezing crystal water.

On your way to the south of the island, you cannot miss the Painted cliffs with their natural patterned sanstones and Mcraes isthmus, the neck of sand that basically keeps together the 2 parts of Maria Island.
If you walk nord instead, you will be able to spot marine fossils at the so called Fossil Cliffs.