Tasmania - Maria Island~Part 1
Touch down - Maria Island ferry dock
April 9-11, #31
If I had to recommend one place to visit in all of Tasmania, it would be Maria Island. Somehow we managed to time our visit during a slow tourism window that let us experience the island and its wildlife at our own pace.
More than once people had told us we must visit the island, but advised us that there were baggage restrictions on the ferry. Fortunately, we were able to connect with the only Warm Showers host in Triabunna a few meters away from the ferry that also managed the bike rental on the island. He graciously agreed to store our extra gear until we returned.
Day One - North Island
The next morning, our gear reduced to our panniers with 3 days of food and a backpack, we boarded the ferry and arrived 30 minutes later. Within a few meters, we saw our first wombats grazing alongside the gravel road before crossing under a majestic canopy of centuries old windswept spruce on our way to the main campground, Darlington.
We had booked a couple nights there with all the amenities unsure whether or not we would use it as a base camp for the third night and take day trips around the island. Looking around the campground, we found the smallest paddies we had ever seen and only a few tents. The kitchen area was enclosed with a picket fence and for the first time - lockers for food storage. After finding a spot and stowing our food, we decided to checkout the two free camps at the other end of the North island just before the Isthmus.
I had been bracing myself for a island full of hill climbs, but surprisingly after the first rise, the gravel road turned into a mellow ride along the shoreline, passing marsupial lawns full of wombats and a few paddies, pristine beaches and scenic viewpoints, then gently arched into the forest passing another marsupial lawn, before we arrived at the first free camp, French’s Farm. Each of the free camps had an emergency shelter with water tanks and toilets. At the farm, the original home now served as the shelter. The sheep shearing barn was still in tact enough for visitors to walk the floor boards and peer up at the rafters.
Day One of Island perfection!
The side road to Encampment campground followed a sizable creek, named Four Mile, as it wound its way through the marsh before reaching the sea. We passed by a few camp spots further up the road and the remainder looked to be a top the hill where a couple tents were tucked in the trees surrounding another emergency shelter. Ahead of us a wallaby had stopped in the middle of the road to to take a long drink from a puddle left over from the heavy rain a couple days ago. We decided to leave her in peace and head back to our camp.
As the sun began to set, we stopped by to check out the Painted Cliffs and in honor of Edison’s birthday walked out onto the beach to take a celebratory photo. To our surprise, a wombat had also trundled his way down to the edge of the beach for a sunset stroll.
It was close to dusk by the time we returned to camp. The kitchen was still full of activity, so we opted to cook dinner at the table next to our tent. It wasn’t until we were mid-way into prepping our dinner that we realized why everyone was in the kitchen area, even though marsupials are grazers, apparently that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in other cuisines. From a respectable distance, the paddies appeared mildly interested, sniffing the air, but from underneath our feet, the potoroos were determined to have a rummage in our bags to decide for themselves what might be worth a nibble. We quickly discovered those lil’ buggers are the quintessential party guest that refuses to leave, no matter how many subtle hints or direct cues you give them.
Day Two - Fossil Cliffs & Quarry
It only took one day on the island to convince Nivaun we needed another night stay. After reassessing our food stores the next morning, he was on the phone rearranging our ferry return. After breakfast, the plan was to visit the places we wanted to see on this end and then move to one of the free camps for a night before returning to Darlington. Before we left camp, I noticed this little wombat trying so hard to nibble his favorite grasses that had been fenced off around the kitchen area. The amount of wildlife cuteness here was almost unbearable!
There are two cliff attractions on either side of the historic prison site next to Darlington. The first photos we saw of Maria that lured us in were the most featured/publicized, Painted Cliffs. However, to fully appreciate their features it needed to be timed with low tide and few visitors, so we opted to ride towards the Fossil Cliffs at the top of the island.
Not having seen photos of this area we rode to the edge of the cliffs and then realized we could get an even better view by taking the Bishop & Clerk track straight up the hillside to another plateau.
After a snack break on the plateau, we careened down and up the other side to find the Fossil quarry, where every rock was covered in a mosaic of fossilized shells.
As the sun began to drop, we followed the track around toward the air field to find, above and below us, a mob of Forester Kangaroos - our first full-size hoppers. Back-lit by the sun, we were mesmerized by the males ever on the alert standing tall, intently awaiting our next move. Holding our ground, a cascade of bounding fur bellies took off across the road and down the hill, their tails beating the air behind them. A glorious and magical way to end a day!
Day Three - Point Lesueur
Moving day - we were ready to find a secluded corner to soak in our surroundings. Cruising down the gravel road, without our heaviest gear, on a relatively flat gravel road, felt otherworldly. On the way, we met a tour guide that told us about a lesser-known campsite at Encampment. Intrigued we headed that direction, and indeed, after passing by the sites at the top of the hill, we saw the faint sign of a track into the forest. On the back side of the hill, sure enough, we found a clearing above the rocky shoreline at the end of the bay. Under a tree sat a lone picnic table with plenty of flat ground nearby. It was perfect and beckoned us to come and “just be” for an afternoon. So that is what we did.
Our hidden oasis
Nivaun wanted to catch up on his journal. Having left my laptop behind, I decided to walk instead. Together we walked through a dried out lagoon just off the shore and headed up through the bush.
Point Lesueur - looking back at Chinamans Bay. Mt Maria, McRaes Isthmus & South Island on horizon
I continued on alone around the point crossing through dried out grassland dotted with wombats, following the coastline around to find a pristine white sand beach lined in grass-covered dunes and below the last surviving lagoon on the point. Its center filled with cattails, its edges lined in brightly colored grass - in a landscape of dried brown grasses, it appeared a mirage. Wombats grazed around its rim and lapped at its shores. Next to witnessing the kangaroos at sunset the night before, it was the second most National Geographic setting I have had the privilege to look upon.
Point Lesueur - the last remnant of three lagoons, still a stunning landscape
Oyster Bay
Nature Channel - Live
Over the next rise, the kangaroos had joined the wombats further complicating my efforts to weave around them all. After passing by the historic prison site on the other side, I met up with Nivaun and we walked together back to camp, not a single other person in sight.
During dinner, the wildlife began to reappear around us. A lone pottoroo, more easily dissuaded, paddies grazed near the beach, and possums warily watched under the cover of the bush nearby. It felt as though we had found our piece of heaven in Australia.
Perfection!
