'Painted Cliffs'

Backblip.

Up early to head down to the pier ready catch the ferry over to Maria Island. Everyone catching the ferry helps to load all the gear on board before setting off at 9:30am. The trip over was a bit slower than usual apparently as there was some damage to the gearbox on the ferry and the captain was taking it a bit slower.

We arrived on Maria Island about 45 minutes later and helped to unload all of the gear on board on to the pier at the other end. There are no cars on the island so you load your gear in to trolleys and pull them over to the campground some 500 metres from the pier. We set up camp and after having some lunch set out with our bikes to explore the painted cliffs on the western side of the island. The bike ride took about half an hour, me dinking Bella on the crossbar all the way.

The cliffs were fascinating, the colours and layers beautiful and we explored for probably close to 2 hours before taking the loop track inland back to the campground via the Oast House ruins.

When back at the campground Dylan taught Bella how to ride her bike and within a few hours she was peddling about quite comfortably.

Just as the sun was fading we went for a walk up the hill to look at all of the animals coming out for the night. There were Pademelons, wombats, native hens and the Cape Barren Geese roaming around everywhere.

The night was very still but we had trouble sleeping on a single bed blow up mattress in our little 2 man tents. Kids in one and MsMun and I in the other. Lesson learnt for next camping night.