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Maria Island is one of the most interesting places in Tasmania, but not one you hear as much about. And yet, it’s pretty normal to only get one day at Maria Island to admire its quiet beauty.
Since it’s such a special place and you’ll probably have limited time, you need to know what to do at Maria Island in advance. Here’s how I spent my day there, what I liked, and what I’d do differently.
Is Maria Island worth visiting?
Let me say right off the bat that visiting Maria Island is a fantastic thing to do and well worth the effort.
Two of Tasmania’s most compelling elements are its wilderness and colonial past. At Maria Island, you get both.
The British operated a penal settlement here from 1825 to 1832 before turning it into a probation station. Following this, an Italian entrepreneur opened a cement works, which lasted until 1930.
The local farming community was eventually removed between 1960 and 1971 when the government converted Maria Island into a national park and a reserve for endangered species, including, more recently, Tasmanian devils.
Now, the island is uninhabited, leaving its beautiful, quiet nature to wildlife and the limited number of tourists that visit.
The good news is that Maria Island is also a great option to add to your East Coast trip after visiting the Bay of Fires and hiking in Freycinet National Park.
Getting to Maria Island
Maria Island (pronounced like Mariah Carey, not Maria from Sound of Music) is on Tasmania’s southeast coast, close to the Tasman Peninsula and not that far from Hobart.
But it is an island, meaning the only way to get there is to take a ferry from Triabunna or take a special boat cruise.
First, you’ll need to get to the wharf in Triabunna. From Orford, it’s a 10-minute drive, and from Swansea, it’s closer to 40 minutes. Finally, Hobart is around 1.5 hours away.
If you don’t have a car, you can still visit Maria Island with this tour. It takes you from Hobart to the ferry and back, and it includes your ferry ticket and park pass, making it great value.
The Maria Island ferry operates 3-4 daily ferries in each direction, depending on the season. I highly recommend taking the first ferry over (8.30 am in summer) and the last back (4.15 pm) to get as much time on Maria as possible. That is if you don’t choose to stay overnight.
Where to stay for Maria Island
You might think that if you plan on visiting Maria Island you’d stay there.
However, accommodation on Maria Island is limited to camping and simple dorm facilities. Instead, it’s better to stay on the mainland unless you’re planning to do days of hiking and other activities on the island.
Triabunna and Orford are the best places to stay for Maria Island, as they put you really close to the ferry and have all the amenities you need. However, options are limited.
Marion Bay, Swansea, and Bicheno are farther away but still convenient enough that you can drive to and from the ferry without a problem.
For my one day at Maria Island, I stayed at the Orford Blue Waters Hotel. It’s a simple motel attached to a pub and a bit noisy if your room is near the pub, but I found it comfortable.
Other well-rated options in the area include:
What to bring to Maria Island
You need to give careful thought about what you’ll be bringing to Maria Island.
There are no stores on the island, so if you want to buy food or drink water, you need to bring it. So pack plenty of water, snacks, and your lunch to keep you going before returning to Triabunna around 5 pm. If you need to, buy lunch at the Spirit of Maria Cafe in Triabunna before you board the boat, as it opens early.
While you should also bring sunscreen, a hat, etc. there is another important thing to organize before coming.
As this is a national park, you need a parks pass, which is not included in your ferry ticket. Ferry staff check you have one when you check in for your boat, so don’t think you can sneak through.
Since you’re using the ferry, buy a daily pass for a person rather than a vehicle, or consider whether a Holiday Pass is worth the money.
Things to do on Maria Island
With only one day on Maria Island, your timing between ferries limits what you can do. All the longer, overnight walks are ruled out. And walks like the one to Point Lesueur would take up most of the day, meaning you’d miss everything else.
Below, you’ll find a collection of activities that fit comfortably into a single day and let you see several of the island’s highlights. Hiking and biking are the only ways to get around here, so don’t be surprised that this is going to be an outdoorsy place.
One regret I have is not doing the Bishop and Clerk hike. I probably had time, and it’s another of the 60 Great Short Walks in Tasmania. But I’d only suggest looking at it if you really want a hike. How I spent my one day in Maria Island is much better suited to people interested in more short/medium walks.
Darlington Probation Station
After arriving on Maria Island by ferry, it can help to get your bearings. Just up the road from the dock is the Darlington Probation Station, where you can do just that.
This old building by the former cement works is now a visitor center of sorts, with information on the island’s walking trails, wildlife, and history.
Even if you only give it 5 minutes of your time, I think you’ll feel more prepared to explore the island.
Fossil Cliffs
One of the easiest walks to start right away from the Darlington Probation Station is the Fossil Cliffs Circuit.
What starts as a dirt track soon turns into a flattened route through open fields looping around the top of Maria Island. The circuit here is very open, providing great coastal views even though you’re a long way from the water.
It’s a mostly gentle walk until you reach the Fossil Cliffs. Heading down onto the cliffs, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve entered a quarry (technically, it was a quarry at one point for the cementworks).
From this eroding cliffside, you can enjoy some great views along the coast. But it’s when you examine the cliffs up close that you can see the Fossil Cliffs are true to their name. Yes, you can see signs of fossils across the cliff face.
After seeing the cliffs, you’ll want to complete the circuit back towards the settlement. This is when the walk gets steep and hilly, but also rewards you with more scenery.
The Fossil Cliffs Circuit turns away from the cliffs down into a valley, but it’s worth heading just a little bit up the hill towards Bishop and Clerk. It is steeper than anywhere else I went that day, but there’s a nice viewpoint on the hill just before you hit the tree line.
Taking the valley down, you’re on the direct path to the Darlington settlement.
Hiking details: 4.5km circuit, 1-2 hours, comfortable walk
Reservoir Circuit
Taking the Fossil Cliffs Circuit inland, the scenery drastically changes. You’re no longer on open plains; you’re now in the bush, surrounded by forest.
Just as there are occasional abandoned buildings on the open hillside near the cliffs, you’ll find more buildings down in the valley. And it’s by the Engine House that you’ll find the turn-off for another walk – the Reservoir Circuit.
This isn’t one of the island’s more prominent trails. It seems like it’s designed more for bikes, with a flat route up and a mountain bike track back. But I was keen for more walking at this stage, so I took the detour.
A simple track runs through a thick forest to a reservoir. Maria Island sometimes seems sparse and desolate, so this water reserve provides a nice contrast. There’s not much to see here, but it would make a nice lunch picnic spot.
If you’re short on time or energy, you can skip the Reservoir Circuit. But I recommend spending some time in the valley admiring the old ruins, especially as you’re likely to spot wildlife in the area. It was here that I saw a handful of pademelons and a wallaby.
Hiking details: 4km return, 1 hour, gentle walk
Painted Cliffs
After looking around the Darlington settlement and maybe having lunch, it’s time to seek out the famous Painted Cliffs.
Now, visiting the Painted Cliffs depends on two things:
- You need a low tide to reach the cliffs since the tides do cut them off from the beach. For me, that was in the late afternoon, but check the tide times.
- Unfortunately, the park has also closed access to most of the cliffs since May 2024 while it awaits a safety survey on falling rocks.
Take this into consideration when planning when to visit.
You leave the settlement on a wide dirt road up the hill. Keep an eye out for the inland Oast House Track, which forms a loop with the coastal route. I chose to take this route on the way there, which lets you visit the old house ruins before reaching the cliffs.
It’s not too far from Oast House to the coast and the beautiful sandy shores of Rutherford Beach. Even if the Painted Cliffs weren’t here, I’d recommend coming for its nice scenery.
When the tide’s right, you can step from the beach onto rocks on the shoreline and cross to the cliffs. Waiting around for the tide, I noticed quite a few people just wading into the water to reach the rocks by the cliffs, but I had the time to be patient.
You may have been able to see the cliffs before, but up close, the cliff’s wavy formation and thin layers are far more obvious. I’m really disappointed I couldn’t walk along the cliffs past the first bend because of the closure.
Still, I can see why they’re a highlight of Maria Island and a photographer’s dream spot.
Hiking details: 4km circuit, 1-1.5 hours, mostly easy terrain
Frenchs Farm Coastal Route
While I waited for the tide at the Painted Cliffs, I decided to take the coastal route and see more of the west coast.
The next notable landmarks/spots are Four Mile Beach and Return Point, but because it was already mid-afternoon, I didn’t have time for those.
Instead, I stopped at every coastal point near the track. At this stage, I was mostly focused on finding wombats, but instead, I found scenic views of cliffs and crystal-clear water. I never even considered swimming at Maria Island, but the beaches there are wonderful, and the west coast is very sheltered. It’s worth keeping it in mind.
Darlington settlement wombats
Darlington was the main settlement of Maria Island and has about a dozen buildings still standing.
This is where you’ll find the island’s accommodation, campground, public toilets, and a bike hire place. It feels like a small farm estate.
But honestly, the biggest draw in this area for many people is the wombats.
Despite always looking for them, I didn’t see any wombats in the first half of the day. It wasn’t until I returned to the settlement in the later afternoon that I suddenly saw a whole bunch.
This isn’t the only place you can see wombats in Tasmania. I’ve seen them almost every time I’ve gone to Cradle Mountain. But I was told they were all over the place, so I was stumped when I couldn’t find them at first. But they seem to especially love the grassy plains around Darlington. You may even want to visit this area first if seeing them is a must for you.
Please remember, these and all animals here are wild, so don’t touch them or get unnecessarily close. The wombats are usually quite chill though, so you can get appropriately close for photos without it being a problem. Just let them do their thing.
