Maria-Island-Nationalpark
The Maria- Iceland National Park (English Maria Iceland National Park ) is a national park on the island of Iceland Maria off the east coast of the Australian state of Tasmania.
On Maria Iceland, it was 1971/1972 declared a national park, there are next to spectacular scenery and rare animals also numerous testimonies of history.
Geography
The island is divided in two by two crescent bays almost. One, at its thinnest point about 200 meters wide, isthmus connects the much larger northern part of the southern part of the island. The highest point is Mount Mary with 709 meters.
History
Long before European explorers arrived in this region of the world, populated by aboriginal tribe of Tyreddeme the island. The discoverer Abel Tasman named the island in 1642 to Maria van Diemen, wife of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Anton van Diemen. The French explorer Nicolas Baudin was finally one of the first Europeans set foot on the island.
Maria Iceland was settled in the early 19th century by whaling and sealing vessels and used by the British in the years 1825 to 1832 as a penal colony. The Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi leased the island in 1884 for some time, built a cement factory and tried to grow wine. He founded a settlement with at times up to 250 inhabitants, school, post office and shops. However, the company failed already in 1892. Only with the cement factory No way out was possible and Bernacchi 1886 Melbourne returned back to London. In 1925, he tried a second time. His ideas, also of tourism, however, his time were ahead and he failed 1930 final. After this second period of industrialization Maria Iceland was settled by some farm family. From this time also some ruins of former farm buildings on the island come. The end came in 1971 when the Tasmanian government began to buy up the land and convert it into a national park.
Today the island is no longer inhabited permanently and houses usually only in the summer months a small group of rangers and tourists.
Flora and Fauna
An enormous number of Forester kangaroos, wallabies, Filandern (English Pademelon ), Cape Barren geese, echidnas and wombats populated the island. The whole grass of the island is eroded by the animals to the scar. The predominantly night-active animals are hardly afraid of people and people come in part also by itself very close. Otherwise, the island is also inhabited by a wide variety of bird species, all three occurring in Tasmania species of snakes and a few other species. On Maria Iceland also comes before the Tasmania Barn Owl, which is with a height of up to 55 centimeters, the largest of all the barn owls.
Attractions and Tourism
The island can be reached most easily by means of a ferry. A speedboat runs twice daily between Triabunna on Tasmania and Darlington on Maria Iceland. In Triabunna also obtained the necessary visitor badge. On the island, no motorized vehicles are allowed. Bikes, however, are allowed. There is no electricity on the island, nor any shops. Hot water is only available means of shower coins in a limited quantity. Every tourist consequently need to bring everything they need in sufficient quantity.
Darlington
The former settlement Darlington is in the northwest of the island. In the Bay of Darlington is a small pier. Highly visible here are the extremely unsightly four cement towers, a memorial of attempted industrialization. Explosion tests despite they are now a protected monument.
The former convict camp in Darlington, Darlington Probation Station, has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2010. It was the second camp of its kind in Tasmania, now serves as a ranger station and accommodation facilities at six-bedded rooms with wood burning stove. Directly behind the partly restored, partly somewhat dilapidated buildings there is a small campsite for individual tourists.
A little north of the investor is about 500 meters short runway (Category ALA, Aeroplane Landing Area ) to find for small aircraft. Flight time to Hobart is about 20 minutes.
Painted Cliffs
About two kilometers south of the investor the Painted Cliffs are located. You are certainly one of the highlights of the island. Ferrous water has provided the formerly white limestone with reddish to yellowish stains. The rocks themselves are now washed away by the sea and to visit easily at low tide.
Fossil Cliffs
In the Fossil Bay, on the north coast of Iceland Maria, there are large boulders and rock walls that are covered with thousands and thousands of fossilized shells and sea snails, the Fossil Cliffs. At low tide you can reach via a path well with the many millions of years old fossils.
Mount Bishop & Clerk
By means of a half- day hike, you can reach the top of 600 meters high Mount Bishop & Clerk. The rock falls steeply to the coast from and you can almost see the whole island.
Camping
Next to the campsite and the accommodation in Darlington there are other campsites in Frenchs ' farm, ROBEYS Farm and Encampment Cove. Each of these campsites has a small cottage, which is suitable for sleeping.
Swimming and Diving
The crystal clear water and the shallow bays with wide sandy beaches invite, despite water temperatures 12-19 ° C, for swimming and scuba diving. In order to create a diving attraction, the sinking of a disused ship 2006 Maria Iceland.