Maria Island National Park Tour

Maria Island is a special place, rewarding those that visit with World Heritage convict history, abundant wildlife, spectacular coastal cliffs and deserted beaches. Boasting a diverse range of highlights, our active day tour takes it all in! Maria Island is just a 30-minute ferry ride, but it feels like a world away...

Just one hour’s drive from Hobart to the ferry and 30 minutes across the water, brings us to Maria Island - a stunning island National Park. An island, off an island, off an island!

This is a tour for the active traveller who is keen to walk and enjoy this unique island. There are no cars on Maria Island and the only way across is on the passenger ferry. The main highlights are the Painted Cliffs, the Fossil Cliffs, and of course the wildlife, history and amazing scenery.

Maria Island has a fascinating history, which our tour guides will share with you as walk the trails. Many cultures have once been to the island, including the Tyreddeme Aboriginals, Dutch, English, French and Italians. The island has been home to explorers, whalers, sealers, convicts, fishermen, farmers, and industrialists. More recently, the island was declared a National Park in 1972.

We enjoy a series of easy-moderate walks exploring the history and the main highlights of the island. Setting out on foot we have 2 main walking trails for the day, covering a total distance of almost 10 kilometres.

The walk to the Painted Cliffs is gentle, mostly flat and leads us to Hopground Beach with the Painted Cliffs at the far end. We have plenty of time to explore the cliffs, photograph the unique features, and discover the many rock pools and beautiful nature in the area.

The Fossil Cliffs walk, takes us to amazing cliffs that drop sheer into the ocean. The views from the top are sensational. Even the non-avid geological fan, will be fascinated by the sheer abundance of the various shell fossils exposed in the cliff face. It offers a fascinating insight into the past environments of Maria Island along with expansive views of the Freycinet Peninsula.

We explore the buildings of The World Heritage-listed Darlington settlement. This is beautifully preserved and is one of the best examples of Probation Convict Settlements in the world. The Darlington convict settlement pre-dates the more widely known Port Arthur.

The island is a haven for wildlife, and one of the best places in Australia for viewing wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Cape Barren Geese and Kangaroos. The birdlife is also an attraction with 125 species including all of Tasmania’s endemics.

Even the ferry ride is part of the highlights of the day, the waters we cross are also abundant in sea life, we keep our eyes peeled for dolphins, seals and penguins along the way. While on the island, you have an opportunity to swim, photograph, observe the wildlife, and soak up the island life as Maria works its magic on you.

Join us on this day of discovery rich in environmental and cultural history, the perfect island playground for an adventurous day out.

Highlights

• Explore Maria Island National Park (5 - 6hrs)

• Watch for Dolphins & Whales on the ferry journey (30 mins each way)

• Walk to the amazing “Painted Cliffs” and wander amongst the unusual rock formation

• Enjoy spectacular views as walk to the “Fossil Cliffs”

• Explore and discover the geological history amongst the exposed fossils

• Discover the convict history at the Darlington World Heritage convict site

• Be amazed at the abundant wildlife enjoying life on their extraordinary island

• Relax and take in all the stunning secluded bays and beaches in this paradise setting