Maria Island National Park

Maria Island was originally a penal colony and now a national park.

The sheltered beaches on the west coast of the island (Mercury Passage) are popular with swimmers, snorkellers and scuba divers. The hills rise sharply up from the coast, and on the summits it can be disagreeably cool. The hillsides are covered with dry eucalyptus forest, and there are expanses of heathland and depressions full of ferns. There is a rich fauna, including the rare Cape Barren geese, Forester kangaroos and even wallabies. On Mount Maria (709m) there are beautiful walking trails and good climbing routes. From the tops of the hills there are fine views of the island and the east coast of Tasmania. There are interesting caves in the rock faces with