Again we awoke to a stunning morning and hoped it would hold out for our day on Maria Island. We had to be at the dock by 9 and we are 90kms away and on the other side of Hobart and it was a Friday morning so being in the usual Saunders mode we left at 7 on the dot. Hmmm we were thru the middle of Hobart and on crossing the river by 7:15, so much for peak hour in this state. Arrived at Tribunna by 8:15 and we eventually by 9:25 were asked to board our vessel. Only 25 people sized craft so all was good. We travelled over to Darlington the jetty bit of Maria Island and dropped some people off and stayed on board for morning tea before heading off around the island. What a beautiful stunning spot with a strange history of two eras of convicts (they were taken from here as too easy to escape and too easy a life to Port Arthur) and an italian gent who leased the land and set up vineyards and restaurant and hotel and eventually a concrete plant in the 1840s. But we just explored the geographical beauty of it all first as it is world renowned for unique areas of fossils and rock types etc. Many geologists come from all over the world to view the phenonomon of these rocks, to us interesting but just rocks. Our boat went inside a cave which is not always a good feeling but very interesting. Eventually we motored on to Riedel Bay which is similar in formation and looks to Wineglass Bay in Freycinet. We stopped here for lunch surrounded by white sand and crystal clear water, stunning. Eventually after being fed and wined we set off again back to Darlington after viewing seals and dolphins. We alighted from the boat and were given an hour and half to explore the remains of the convict settlement and our Italian gents house and so forth. Would be so good if they restored these to their original conditions and made a tourist trade from them. All now heritage listed so very little can be touched. Lots of walks to be done on the island ie 3 days etc and basic accommodation available but you have to take everything in and everything off and it is being kept pristine and rightly so. Our day was spectacularly beautiful and we could not believe our luck with the weather. A long day but well worth it all.
Salamanca Markets plan for Saturday ...hmmmm I am taking my wallet with me on that one.
xxxx