The many faces of Maria Island

Maria Island has it all: nature, wildlife, heritage, campsites and, no cars! Just a mere 30min ferry ride off the East Coast of Tasmania, this national park has to top each explorers "places to go" list. We had gotten recommendations and read about this secret spot a few times and didn't want to miss it for the world. As it's been featured as a must do in several guidebooks and magazines, it's not so secret anymore but we were lucky.
When we reached the free campsite in Triabunna on Monday afternoon, there were still plenty of spots and the ferry on Tuesday morning wasn't crowded either.
We planned to spend one night on the island and hence had packed a tent, our sleeping bags, food, cooking gear and clothes the day before. The bikes came along, too.
Maria Island features some basic accomodation and a campsite right at the ferry landing in Darlington and two more free campsites further down the island.
The facilities at Darlington (showers, gasstoves, drinking water and a BBQ area) and the higher chances of spotting a Tasmanina devil, quickly convinced us of setting up camp there. We then chose to ride to (almost) the most southern tip of the island, haunted bay. The map says it's a return trip of up to 10 hours, but we looked at the distance and were convinced it wouldn't take as long. Little did we know of the several hurdles and time consuming factors we had to face: riding the bikes on sand, cycling up a loooong incline, scrambling to the actual bay and of course: spotting wildlife. A strenuous but wonderful trip! Tom rode ahead several times, as Vivi and I were too immersed into the beauty surrounding us to hold his speed. Despite of her cold, Vivi definitely out rode me though. Time for more exercise!
The secluded bay, a jump into the ocean at a beach that we only shared with a wallaby (and a few devil paw prints) and the many wombats on the way back, made the trip worth every drop of sweat though. And we made it back in time for the sunset, too! A wonderful day on a beautiful island! Will write about day 2 in the next post.Read more