Transport to Maria Island
Maria Island
Home to the most intact convict probation station in Australia, Maria Island lies just off the east coast of Tasmania. Its mountainous terrain, stunning bays and dramatic cliffs are protected within Maria Island National Park, which includes a marine sanctuary off the northwest coast. Originally home to the Tyreddeme people, the island was named after the wife of Anthony van Diemen and became a convict settlement in 1825.
Ride the Maria Island ferry that connects from the mainland port of Triabunna to Darlington, a ghost town that’s dotted with convict-era ruins. The island’s oldest building, the stone-built Commissariat Store, has been transformed into a visitor centre, with informative displays about the island’s history and ecology.
You can follow the Reservoir Circuit through the island’s open woodlands and tall eucalypt forests while keeping your eyes peeled for Bennetts wallabies, wombats and native birdlife. Get up close to ancient creatures at the Fossil Cliffs or admire the naturally painted sandstone of the Painted Cliffs, then take a dip in the crystal clear waters of Hopground Beach.
For a more challenging hike, you can climb to the island’s two peaks - Bishop and Clerk - which offer magnificent views across the Tasman Sea towards Freycinet. Exceptional diving and snorkelling await in the Marine Nature Reserve, with visits by seals and whales not uncommon.
Maria Island Cycling
Distance: - | Duration: 2 to 5 hours | Start: Darlington | End: Darlington
With its lack of cars, gently undulating roads and picturesque coastal scenery, Maria Island is the perfect destination to explore on two wheels. The island is connected to Triabunna on Tasmania’s east coast by a ferry, with the option to either bring your own bike or hire one online and pick it up on arrival.
From the former penal colony of Darlington, you can get up close to wombats, kangaroos and wallabies along the Reservoir Track (4 km) or ride south to the magnificent Painted Cliffs (4.3 km), which are renowned for their incredible colours and swirling patterns. Slightly longer is the Fossil Cliffs Circuit (4.5 km), which winds around the northern tip of the island and offers encounters with clams, sea fans and corals deposited around 300 million years ago.
If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you can ride part of the way up to the highest point of the island, Mount Maria (16 km). Continue on foot for the final stretch to the summit to enjoy sweeping views towards the Tasman Peninsula.
While the tracks in the north of Maria Island are accessible to most cyclists, those in the south are best for riders with more experience. For more information about ferry times and bike rentals, visit the Maria Island ferry.
Public Transport to Freycinet
The ferry runs at regular intervals during the day.
A bus runs once a day
Wineglass Bay Cruise
Experience the exquisite beauty of Wineglass Bay, without the crowds, on The Wineglass Bay Cruise on the Schouten Passage II.
Credit Wineglass Bay Cruises
Kayaking
On this relaxed, guided tour of the Freycinet coastline, you’ll glide beneath pink granite mountains, past pristine sandy beaches and across waters so crystal clear you feel like you can touch the marine life below.
Credit Tourism Tasmania & Kathryn Leahy
Wineglass Bay from Mt Amos on the Wineglass Bay Track
The walk commences from the carpark of the National Park, and is a 1.3 km ascent up a loose gravel track. While not a long walk, the track is steep at times, and winds it way to a rocky lookout, perched between the twin peaks of The Hazards – Mt Amos and Mt Mayson. The dynamic curve of the bay is amplified by the vantage of the lookout, and it’s a wonderful spot to enjoy a silent moment. Return time is about 1-1.5 hours. From the lookout, the Wineglass Bay Track descends slowly to the sparkling blue waters and white sands of the beach. A walk to the south end of the beach takes about 20-30 minutes and is rewarded by a striking view across Wineglass Bay to The Hazards. Return to the carpark via the lookout, total time is about 2-3 hours.
Credit Tourism Tasmania & Adrian Cook
Hazards Beach
Hazards Beach is a short walk across a forested isthmus from renowned Wineglass Bay. Both beaches are part of the Freycinet Peninsula which hosts some of the most idyllic beaches in Tasmania. Hazards Beach like elsewhere on the peninsula is appointed with glorious white sand, forests and great chunks of granite, which experience an extraordinary changing of colours as the sun rises and sets.
Tourism Tasmania & Paul Sinclair