Maria Island — NICOLE RICHIE

We got off the ferry and it was like we were transported back in time. Off the southeastern coast of Tasmania sits Maria Island, a historical site and national park that has been undisturbed since the convict settlements of the early 1800’s. We were psyched to finally be experiencing the untouched island where we heard there would be tons of wildlife, incredible scenery and nothing to do but connect with the land. We came prepared with packed lunches, snacks and plenty of water, considering we knew we’d be spending the day on an essentially deserted island. With one phone, no vehicles and nothing to buy, Maria Island allows you to truly experience its natural beauty. We were very excited.

The island offers many hikes and walks to choose from. They all vary in difficulty and length. We took the first ferry over so we could have the entire day to explore the island. We decided to visit the Fossil Cliffs before the Bishop and Clerk trek and then hike to the Painted Cliffs in the afternoon. Bishop and Clerk, the most difficult and strenuous hike on the island, is also the one with the most spectacular views. We figured it would be hard but doable, especially because we had done a grade four hike in Freycinet National Park just a few days before.

Along the Fossil Cliffs to Bishop and Clerk, Maria Island TAS/ 📷@justybumpstead

When they say this hike is difficult they are not kidding around. The sun was beaming down on us as we walked up along the Fossil Cliffs towards the track. The first couple kilometres are a number of steep hills covered in dry open meadows, which as the day warmed up became more difficult to climb. When we reached the forest we finally got some shade. The incline slowed for a moment, just enough to catch my breath before setting off on the small winding path up the mountain.

Fossil Cliffs, Maria Island TAS /📷@justybumpstead

Jazzed to finally be on Maria Island /📷@justybumpstead

It took a lot for me to get up. Lets just say I haven’t exactly been treating my body like a temple the last couple months and I could definitely feel it on the way up. We made it about ¾ of the way up before we reached “the scramble.” A couple people who passed us on their way down had warned us of the rocky incline and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. We approached the scramble and I took a deep breath. I climbed quickly through the sliding boulders, taking a few breaks along the way. The rocks slid out from our feet with each step as we cautiously made our way up to the top. We pushed through the last section of large boulders and helped each other to the top of the mountain. We looked out over the islands and the Tasman Sea. The view was worth the fact that my heart had lodged itself into my throat creating a lovely burning sensation.

We looked out over the pinnacles and saw our starting point, hundreds of meters below. Proud of our hard work, we took a seat on what felt like the top of the world.

Bishop and Clerk, Maria Island TAS /📷@justybumpstead

The kids are alright!, Maria Island TAS/ 📷@justybumpstead

We walked through the dry pastures looking for the “town” of Darlington where there was said to be a water tap. I put town in quotations because in reality it’s not much of a town at all. There are accommodations, a mess hall and museum, that have all been preserved since the 1800’s. It was all a bit eerie; the walk in, the old buildings, the yellow tank water. We sat down and ate our packed lunch under a tree. After a much needed break from the sun, we started our second hike to the Painted Cliffs.

We walked towards the beach. The water was so clear and the white beach extended out for miles. There was an option to walk around it but we decided to take off our shoes and walk the rest of the way in the sand. After about five minutes neither of us could take it anymore. We quickly changed into our suits and ran into the water.

The Painted Cliffs, Maria Island TAS/ 📷@justybumpstead

Carved by the ocean and coloured like the sun, the painted cliffs did not disappoint. They were stunning and so unique to anything I’d ever seen before. We explored for a while and had another swim before deciding it was probably time to start heading back to the dock.

We walked along the dirt road exhausted and immensely happy. We had spent the day hiking, climbing, swimming and exploring and the sun was slowly starting to fall from its highest peak. As we began reviewing the highlights of our day, we realized that we really hadn’t seen much wildlife. Justin started to joke around about the broken promises and the lies they told us to get us here, as if this wasn’t one of the best days we’d had so far. We both laughed, and he continued, “Fuck you Maria Island, we come all the way over here and see three kangaroos and a coupla’ geese! What a joke, you advertise that we’ll see all this wildlife, and nothing, not one wombat”. I chimed in “Yeah, fuck you guys, where are the wombats!” And then, out of the corner of my eye I saw them. As if the universe had placed them there, just for us. I exclaimed, “WHATS THAT!” and covered my mouth in complete shock. We ran closer and watched in utter disbelief as a wombat and her joey grazed in the open field. They were so elegant and fluffy and sturdy and small. They looked like teddy bears as they moved ravenously through their afternoon snack. The joey was following its mother closely and fed alongside her, waiting to be told when it could stop and rest. We watched them move together, side by side.

Cuteness overload, Maria Island TAS/ 📷@justybumpstead

I looked back at Justin and I could see he was feeling the same way I was. Shocked, bewildered and ecstatic. Considering I’d only been in the country two months it wasn’t strange that I hadn’t seen a wombat, but being from here and having never seen one and then after this complete twist of fate, seeing two, a family, after the day we had, he was beaming. We stayed with them for a while, following them through the grass, giggling at how the joey, now full, moved awkwardly and finally just splayed out beside its mother while she, unfazed, continued to feed. They were friendly and indifferent towards us and we couldn’t keep our eyes off them. Finally we returned to the track and made our way back to the dock. We sat on the sand waiting for the ferry to come and bring us back to reality. Our time on the island had been challenging, spectacular, exhausting and unbelievable. As we boarded the boat and I looked out over the blue water onto the untouched island and I thought about how lucky I am to be able to see this land and have this kind of experience. The day was fading behind the horizon as the boat cruised back towards main land. Humbled, we sat in silence and looked out over the sea and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we saw dolphins.