Glamorgan Spring Bay Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Inspiring Place to prepare a visitor plan for the Triabunna/Orford and Maria Island (TOMI) area. The project will include a comprehensive review of tourism issues relating to the southern part of Tasmania's east coast and will involve community and industry consultation, as well as setting out a long-term vision for growth of tourism in the area that can be staged and achievable. The entire island is a National Park. Maria Island National Park has a total area of 115.50 km² which includes a marine area of 18.78 km², off the island's north-west coast. The island is about 20 km in length from north to south and, at its widest, is about 13 km west to east. At its closest point (Point Lesueur), the island lies four kilometres off the east coast of Tasmania Australia.
 |
| Maria Island |
Maria Island is perhaps the best place in Tasmania for observing forest birds, and is home to 11 of the 12 bird species that are endemic to Tasmania. It is the stronghold for the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote, one of Tasmania's twelve endemic bird species. In early 2005 captive Tasmanian Devils were introduced to the island and are cared for by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service staff who live on the island. These devils form part of the "insurance population" of devils unaffected by the devil facial tumour disease that is sweeping through mainland Tasmania's devil population. Because Maria Island's devils are subject to strict quarantine, visitors to the island are not able to see or interact with them.
 |
| Maria Island Tasmania |
The marine section of the national park protects a representative area of Tasmanian East Coast marine habitat, and has significantly larger individuals and populations of key marine species than surrounding waters. This area is one of the most intensively studied marine protected areas in Australia and is popular with divers. The marine section of the park extends from an unnamed point north-east of Bishop and Clerk, westwards to Cape Boullanger and then southwards as far as Return Point.Glamorgan Spring Bay Council has partnered with the Freycinet Coast Tourism Board, Orford/Triabunna Chamber of Commerce, Parks & Wildlife Service and Tourism Tasmania to undertake this project in recognition of the need for a coordinated effort to address tourism growth as part of regional economic development in this area. John Hepper and his team at Inspiring Place are highly credentialed in destination development planning and have prepared comprehensive tourism strategies for locations throughout Tasmania, Australia and overseas. Work will commence immediately with the final TOMI Visitor Plan due to be completed by the end of April 2011.
 |
| Maria Island |
Maria Island Holiday Picnic Your enjoyed, Photograph, walking, bicycling, swimming, snorkelling, diving, bird watching, wildlife observation and relaxation are the main activities undertaken by visitors. Many people take interest in Maria Island's history, and most of the island's walks include sites of historic interest. The Painted Cliffs and the Fossil Cliffs are two popular walking destinations for day visitors, both on the island's coastline. The Painted Cliffs are sandstone with beautiful patterns formed through staining by iron oxide. The Fossil Cliffs are tall limestone cliffs containing prolific ancient fossils. Longer day walks include tracks that ascend Bishop & Clerk 620 m and Mount Maria-711 m. Mount Maria is a six to seven hour return walk from Darlington while Bishop and Clerk can be completed in about four hours return.
Maria Island tamania is recognising that the tourism industry is entering its busiest period, there will be several opportunities and mechanisms for community and local tourism operators to provide input or feedback on the plan. Consultation is expected to occur in February/March.
0 comments:
Post a Comment