How to visit Maria Island, Tasmania.

Maria Island

Maria Island (pronounced “Ma-rye-ah”), a small island located off the east coast of Tasmania, 13 km at its widest and 20 km long, is probably one of my favourite places in all of Australia, never mind Tasmania. But if you were thinking of skipping this little slice of paradise, don’t!

The island is best known for its convict history and scores of animals, Cape Barren Geese, Tasmanian devils and wombats that live there, making it known as Tasmania’s ‘Noah’s Ark’. The minute we stepped off the ferry, we stopped wombats and Cape Barren Geese. Wildlife is just everywhere here! The water is some the clearest and cleaner I’ve ever seen, beaches so inviting to run onto and dive into the water. There are no cars on the island so everyone gets around on foot or two wheels and it is a slower pace of life with little reception so it ensures you are really off the grid.

We unfortunately didn’t have the time to stay overnight and most people come for a day trip but if you have the time it is definitely worth spending 2-3 days here. You can see most of the main attractions of the island in a day for sure but more time means you can move slower, relax on the stunning beaches and do some of the longer hikes.

Getting there

You cannot drive here, so it is either by ferry or by plane.

Ferry

The ferry leaves from Tribunna on the east coast, about an hour and 15 minute drive from Hobart. There isn’t much here at all but the ferry departs from the marina. The ferry company is Encounter Maria, it takes 45 minutes ($45 return) and leaves again from Darlington on Maria Island. First ferry: 8.30am, last ferry: 5.30 pm. Have a look at the time table here.

You are allowed to take 7kg of carry-on luggage for free. Anything above this incurs a fee, as does taking a bicycle with you.

• Additional Luggage Between 7–15kg: $10
• Bicycle – $10
• Kayak – $20
• Adult return ticket- $45

There is a small cafe on the ferry to buy snack or a sandwich for the day as there is no where t buy anything on the island so you must have all your food and water with you.

Plane

You can get a 3.5 hour scenic flight over Wineglass Bay and Maria Island, which touches down on the island and gives you 2 hours to explore.

You leave from the air strip on the Freycinet Peninsula near Friendly Beaches.

The cost for this starts at $385 per person (minimum of 3 people) and includes a picnic lunch.

Day Trip

You can also do a day trip from Hobart that is a great full day trip which leaves the city early in the morning from your hotel, brings you to Maria Island by a minibus and you spend the day on the Island. The price includes a delicious lunch and expert, professional guide to lead the way. Click here to see more.

If you’re short on time and don’t want to rent a car just to leave it at the ferry terminal for the whole day, then this is the best way to see the island.

Things to do

1) Hiking: Maria island is a hikers paradise with plenty of multi day and shorter day walks. Here are some of the best day walks to do on Maria island:

• Bishop and Clerk: 4-5 hours, 11 km. A steep and strenuous 4 hour climb to the top of these two cliffs but so worth it for the incredible views of the island below. The last hour or so is just scrambling up rock face on uneven and unstable rocks to start and then the rocks become more solid, more like big boulders to climb over. The start of the trail goes from Darlington and heads the same way as the Fossil Cliffs Trial until you turn right for the Bishop and Clerk trial. You can see the towering dolerite columns of the summit (620m) from the shared grass trial. These were named Bishop and Clerk because of the resemblance to a bishop, wearing a mitre, being followed by a clergyman. Not suitable for those who are not confident climbing over boulders. The summit is very exposed with sheer drops either side so should not be done during high winds. Bicycles are permitted along the track as far as the ‘no bikes’ sign (approximately 2km past the Fossil Cliffs junction).

• Fossil Cliffs walk:1.5-2 hour circuit, 4.5 km. This is a nice easy track suitable for all with stunning views of the cliffs on Maria Island. An easy walk up to the grass airstrip leads to the 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 huge number of fossils, including clams, sea fans, corals, scallop shells and sea lilies, that were deposited in the sea around 300 million years ago. Bikes can be ridden on the track but not onto the fossil platform.

• Painted Cliffs walk:1.5-2 hours return, 4.3km return a nice easy walk down passed Darlington and to the beach and painted cliffs, these are a must see when on Maris Island. Seeing these beautiful honeycomb swirling patterns of the cliffs is one of the highlights of any trip to Maria Island. The beach beside it is beautiful to snorkel and swim on. The cliffs can only be seen at low tide and cannot be seen from above.

• Mount Maria: 8 hours return, 16 km. At 711m, Mount Maria is the highest point on the island. Views from the top give incredible sweeping views of the island and the isthmus below. The track begins south of Darlington near the mouth of Counsel Creek. It meanders through open woodlands ascending quite gently at first, and ends with half an hour of scrambling over rocks and large boulders to reach the summit. It can get quite cold and windy up here so take an extra layer for the summit.

Longer multi day walks: 3-4 days, 50 km (including a side-trip to the Isthmus, Bishop and Clerk pinnacles & Mount Maria summit). Not considered a multi-day walk but you can do a 3-4 day walk around the island on the Maria Island circuit route self guided. Once you have all your own camping gear and are self sufficient with food, there is no reason you need to pay for an expensive tour unless you want the stress taken out of carrying all the equipment and a bit of luxury.

There is a group that do a 4 day hiking tour around the island, taking in Bishop and Clerk, Mount Maria, Riddle Bay and Haunted Bay. It includes two guides, a maximum of ten per group, all your food is provided and you stay in African safari style wilderness camps, except for the final night. Here you spend the night in a beautifully restored Bernacchi House at Darlington, a rare, heritage listed house dating back to 1880. Maria Island Walking Tours start at $2650. Click here for more information.

2) Spot as many different species of wildlife. The wildlife is EVERYWHERE!. It is incredible and you realise you are in their bedroom so you must respect them and keep your distance. The best time to see wombats, kangaroos, pademelons and Cape Barren Geese is mostly at dawn or dusk. We saw so many kangaroos, wombats and pademelons between 4.30-5.30 before we caught the last ferry back to the mainland.

3) See the Painted Walls. Maria Island’s most popular sight where the combination of wind and waves has worn away the sandstone cliffs to reveal this striking scene. You must go at low tide though so have a look at the tides before going.

4) Swim in the crystal clear waters. The beaches are incredible here, some the the cleanest water and clearest. The best beaches to swim in are Painted Cliffs beach, there is a beach right beside the painted cliffs that is so beautiful for a swim and a picnic. Hopground beach near the ferry is also beautiful. The water is so calm here.

5) Hire bikes and cycle around the island. The island is much easier to see and quicker to get around on two wheels. But note the island is very hilly and on certain hikes you have to leave you back and go on foot (such as Bishop on Clerk). We didn’t hire bikes as they were all sold out when we got there and managed ok. It more of a nice to have rather than must have. Ring ahead to hire bikes as they book out during the summer.

Accommodation

You can either do a day trip or camp overnight. You could easily spend 2-3 days here and not get bored. Accommodation is basic dorm accommodation where you need your own sleeping bag ect or camping gear.

At Darlington there is the penitentiary which offers basic bunkhouse-style accommodation, offering 9 rooms with 6 beds and 1 room with 14 beds. You need to supply your own bedding.

There are three campsites on Maria Island. These are:

• Darlington Campsite
• French’s Farm
• Encampment Cove

Darlington campsite costs $7 for one, or $13 for two people in a tent. This is actually great value as there are free cold showers (hot shower is $2-coin), toilets, an undercover kitchen area with a BBQ and fireplace (free firewood), lockers and filtered drinking water.

Things to know before going

• There is no food, filtered water or bins on the island. Bring everything on and off with you.
• It’s a National Park, you need to purchase a Tasmania National parks pass.
• There are toilets and hand washing facilities on the island.
• You can bring your own bike on the ferry for a fee.
• You can leave your car for free at Triabunna marina.
• Filtered water is only available at Darlington but there is tank water at French’s Farm which they recommend you filter.
• There are toilets at Darlington and French’s Farm campsites

We stayed in Tribunna the night before getting the ferry early to Maria Island. There is not very much in Tribunna but they do have a petrol station and a small but good campsite with everything you need ($35 for powered site) and hot showers ($1 for 4 mins), wi-fi, laundry and camp kitchen.