Australia Painted Cliffs Maria Island, Tasmania

These Painted Cliffs that are not that large are about 2 klms from the main settlement area of Maria Island that was a penal colony for people committing offenses against the French Colonists . The wonderful patterns on the exposed rocks along the shore were caused by ground water percolating down through the porous sandstone rocks and leaving traces of iron oxides, which have stained the rock formation. The regular patterns of red, orange and yellow bands and rings are due to fractures, joints and layers present within the sandstone.

About 20 min walk from the main centre on the Island 45 min boat ride and a 90 min drive from Hobart