 A Cape Barron goose in her big girl pink socks We invested a day and a ferry trip in Maria Island, and we're certainly glad we did! TWO CONVICT BRIDGESWe left Swansea on a very grey day, and enjoyed a brief stop and walk on the beach at Spiky Beach - a convict-built bridge that remains standing, and it is clear that the spiky rocks were gathered from the nearby beach. How miserable it must have been for those convicts building this bridge in some very bleak weather. We mused that we hoped they at least felt proud of what they had achieved in making the bridge. No-one knows why the spikes were added, but they do seem to reflect the harsh environment. The weather was abysmal as we headed south to Triabunna so in an attempt to escape we took an afternoon drive to Richmond to see another convict-built bridge - a much more serene affair, and the the oldest stone span bridge in Australia.  The beautiful Richmond Bridge near the village of Richmond TRIABUNNAWe decided to stay at Triabunna to be close to the ferry service - so we booked a cabin at the caravan park. It was a little tired, and therefore felt overpriced, but it was adequate. The IGA store in Triabunna was more than adequate, and there was a coffee caravan along the main drag, so all was not lost. The process for ferry tickets and on-boarding was very easy. We were glad we'd booked ahead, and so we duly turned up for our early morning departure. The weather was better - fine with a chance of sea birds! Our trusty vessel awaited us... It's a very short trip across to Maria Island, and much of it in the sheltered waters of the port, so no threat of seasickness for us on this day. It was very comfortable on board, with a full bar service available (which is good because there is NOTHING available for sale on Maria Island). You must take enough food and water and medication to see you through to your return trip. ISLAND LIFEWe were greeted by several pied cormorants who had taken up residence on the dock. Nice! We headed onto land, and like pretty much all female passengers we visited the onsite amenities - the queue was long and slow (suggest you have a different strategy, ladies!). Not to worry, we were soon enough on our way. These days, tours and walks focus on the wildlife, but Maria Island was once a convict settlement, and there is plenty of evidence of this history around the Darlington settlement.  Evidence of English settlement as we walk towards Darlington We had decided in advance that nature was to be our focus on this trip - so we set two walks for ourselves, timed to allow us to be ready for our 2.30pm departure. So we set out for the Painted Cliffs, not so much to see them, as to encounter creatures on the way. We began by heading up the main road to the cliffs along with all the other pilgrims (several on bikes), but then we opted to take the path to the Oast House which looked more bushy and congenial to our goals. We were in luck - this turned out to be a slow walk (lots of creatures to photograph!). It felt a little like wandering through an eon zoo - which is what Maria Island is, actually! We reached the Oast House, and loved the different treescapes and historical relics on our way to the cliffs. We had found so much to enjoy, time had flown, so we admired the cliffs from our vantage point, and made the return walk. On the way, we met a baby wombat foraging with its mother and yet another flock of Cape Barren geese. Our impression is that these lovely birds always look like girls who've escaped from their boarding school on their grey uniforms and pick socks!  We picked up the pace and scurried along to do our second walk, starting again from Darlington. This one was the Reservoir walk which took us out past the Twelve Apostles (these are the remains of twelve historical buildings).  It was a delightful walk, mostly up a gentle incline and through thick bush. The reservoir was a very tranquil spot. We were rewarded with excellent sightings and sounds of birds, and even some photographs. One more sighting was rather fun. We saw a "turbochook" (Tasmanian nativehen) with a chick...the chick had the biggest feet and was in danger of tripping over itself.  A Tasmanian nativehen chick with the largest feet! We were suitably spent and very happy with our day. We sat on the wall near the dock, awaiting our passage home, and enjoying some pied oystercatchers playing in the waves.  Pied oystercatchers The weather had brightened considerably during the day and our return trip was very enjoyable.
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