​Maria Island - history and wild life

Prologue: we tried to visit Maria Island in 2013 but access was closed because some major maintenance works were underway. So it was a place we promised to get to this trip if not simply to explore, then to have a shot at spotting the 40 spotted pardalotte!! 70% of the world population lives in the white gums there.

Triabunna Port, where we hopped on board for Maria Island.
Triabunna is the aboriginal word for the native hen
which is nicknamed locally 'Turbo Chook'

Named by Tasman in the 1600s, Maria Island predates Port Arthur as a convict settlement. Here endth the lesson for today - oh expect to tell you that a number of Tassie devils has been released on the island with the hope of increasing the population of healthy, cancer-free animals. In fact the island was seen as a modern day Noah's ark to which a number of endemic species were 'transported' as a means of protecting them for posterity. We know about translocation, don't we!? Looks like Tassie is the destination for many 'translocated' species - both human and non human! Hmmmm .....

Mrs Hunts cottage. She operated a pedal wireless in this isolated spot
(the beginnings of WiFi - think about it you remember the old wireless!!) in the early 1900s
to maintain communication with mainland Tassie.  What a woman!

These cliffs are stunning to behold.  We walked as far as we dared over rocks,
making the dash between waves. So we didn't get as close as we would have liked.

We wandered for ~5 hours from the painted cliffs which are stunningly layered, worn sandstone incorporating colours introduced by many minerals, inland to a reservoir built by convicts in the early 1800s. We passed by the original convict settlement which was later rebirthed as a productive, industry-based settlement base.

Our walking poles - one of the best purchase we have ever made,
helped us across many a rocky or dubious surface.

The island provided a source of lime stone for the concrete industry (the lime silos remain), produced grapes sufficient for a small wine industry, produced silk! (no idea what and how), and also dabbled in farming and fishing. An amazing history!

The Commissariat and cement silos. Silent reminders of a 'productive' past,

We saw none, but I heard the insistent chirp of the now believed (by Lindsay) mythical 40 spotted pardalote.
It was a fascinating day and we returned home into the setting sun surrounded by dolphins. Tra la la

Is that a sky or is that a sky?!
I can almost see the cherubs peeking over the edge of the clouds.