Fossil Cliffs Maria Island - Great Short Walk

One of the 60 Great Short Walks of Tasmania. ​This stunning set of cliffs on Maria Island holds stories both ancient and modern. An easy amble adjacent to the grass airstrip leads to the dramatic cliff edge. A short steep track gives access to a rock shelf from which you can see the cliff's rock strata up close. They contain a vast number of fossils, including clams, sea fans, corals, scallop shells and sea lilies, that were deposited in the sea around 300 million years ago. This extraordinary fossil richness is one of the finest examples of its kind anywhere in the world. The resulting sedimentary rocks are so lime-rich that the cliffs were briefly mined for the manufacture of cement. On the way, you pass silos near the jetty that date from that time. Bicycles may be ridden on this track but not on the fossil platform.​ All facilities are in the Darlington township.