Ruby Hunt's Cottage: one of the last residents to leave the island (in 1968)

A lovely unnamed beach just south of Painted Cliffs

And another unnamed beauty a little further south

Aside from wombats, these little guys (wallabies) are roaming around as well.

Part of our bike tour took us into the woods -- just beautiful!

This is part of Fossil Beach. The rocks are full of fossilled shells!

A perspective from under the trees that reminds me how small we really are in this world.

Maria Island

October 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

We visited Maria Island (pron: mar EYE uh) which had 2 convict eras before it was turned into a National Park in 1971. The first era (1825-1832) ended as a result of multiple escape attempts; the second era (1842-1850) focused on agriculture, industry and training but again ended as a result of convict rebellion. The Darlington Probation Station is one of 11 convict sites recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

There are also wombats roaming all over the island, and they are even cuter than quokkas!

So today, there are two posts: one for the island and a second for the various wombats we found. (They were just too cute to not photograph!)Read more