Maria Island, TASMANIA
Airing Date: Dec 9th, 2002
Located off the east coast of Tasmania just 10 minutes from Orford, Maria Island is best known for its discontinued penal settlement.
The flight from Hobart to Maria Island features spectacular views of the Freycinet Peninsula, including the dramatic peaks of the Hazards.
It's hard to believe anyone ever lived on Maria Island, but the first inhabitants had no choice - they were convicts.
On this 20 kilometre long and 13 kilometre wide wild and rugged island there are no cars, no electricity and no shops.
The island is characterised by sheer cliffs tumbling into the sea, extensive fossil deposits and ruins of the 19th century penal settlement. The natural elements are fascinating, but the main reason visitors come to Maria Island is to soak up its history.
The first inhabitants of the island were a colony of convicts who built the township in 1825. Because the island was so close to the Tasmanian mainland, many convicts escaped, and in 1830 the settlement shut down. All that remains of the colony are the rundown cement works, a few convict shacks and a huge national park that is home to mobs of Forrester kangaroos.
There is nowhere to buy food on Maria Island, so before taking off it's a good idea to purchase a gourmet hamper from the Gourmet Club of Tasmania. The hamper makes a satisfying picnic, including treats such as Tasmanian chocolate truffles, Tassie cheddar, quail, eggs, ham salad and more.
The two and a half hour Tasair 'Three Parks' flight returns to Hobart via the Tasman Peninsula.
If you're game enough to rough it at Maria Island, basic accommodation is available. The old Penitentiary in the convict days used to sleep 400 prisoners, but today it has been divided into nine separate rooms.
The facts
Tasair two and a half hour round trips cost from $176 per person with a minimum of two people.
Tasair
Tel: 03 6248 5088
Gourmet food hampers from The Gourmet Club of Tasmania cost from $30.
Accommodation at the Penitentiary costs from $22 per night.
For more information about Tasmania visit the Tourism Tasmania web site.
Tasmanian Tourism Centre
Tel: 1800 623 191
