Touring Tasmania – Maria Island National Park
Sandstone formations on Maria Island
Maria Island is a small mountainous island situated off the East Coast of Tasmania and for such a compact place it has quite a varied and interesting history! Now though, the whole of Maria Island is a national park and a popular destination for eco tourists, though there are some things you will need to know before planning your visit to the island.
Getting To Maria Island
There is only one way to get to Maria Island and that’s by boat. The Maria Island Ferry departs from the town of Triabunna, the largest town on Tasmania’s East Coast, 6km (3.75 miles) north of Orford. You can buy tickets and check the sailing schedule at the Triabunna Visitor Centre but please note, this is not a large ferry so advance bookings are essential to guarantee your place. Also note that the ferry does not sail every day and the schedule changes according to the time of year, usually though there are two sailings to Maria Island and two sailings back.
Getting Around Maria Island
Maria Island is a national park and hence nobody lives on the island, the only inhabitants are the rangers who look after the place. There are no vehicles on the island. This means the only way to get around is on foot or by bicycle. Bicycles are not available for rent on the island so you’ll need to bring your own (or rent them from Hobart) and these can be brought over on the ferry for an additional charge on top of your fare.
Staying on Maria Island
There are no hotels here! If you want to stay on the island (and this is recommended to fully appreciate it) you’ll have to camp in one of the campsites or you can stay in the converted and very basic Penitentiary! These buildings give you a roof over your head, some heat, bunk beds and mattresses and a picnic table. There is no electricity or cooking facilities though toilets and showers are located nearby. Despite the somewhat primitive accommodation, these rooms (which sleep from 6 to 14 people) get booked up a long way in advance. It must be the novelty factor!
Also be aware that there are no shops, restaurants or other services and facilities here on Maria Island, so this means you’ll have to bring everything you need with you. If you’re here just for the day obviously some food and drink are the main things to remember, though if you’re camping or staying at the Penitentiary you’ll have to remember bedding, food and cooking utensils too.
A History of Maria Island
As mentioned above, Maria Island has quite an interesting and varied history, remnants of which can still be seen today.
Maria Island was named by Abel Tasman after Anthony van Dieman’s wife, Maria, in 1642. It wasn’t until 1825 that Maria’s Island became inhabited and was established, like much of this region of Tasmania, as a penal colony. Several of the buildings from this era can still be seen here today – the Commissariat Store built in 1825 and the Penitentiary completed in 1830.
The opening of Port Arthur in 1830 was one reason why it was decided to abandon the penal colony in 1832, yet ten years on a second convict era began, this time lasting eight years until 1850. Following this the island remained abandoned until 1884 when an enterprising Italian named Diego Bernacchi decided to try his luck with several projects.
The original settlement of Darlington was renamed San Diego and soon had over 250 residents. He set up a small cement works then built the Grand Hotel in 1888 with the intention of establishing a pleasure resort. Several other buildings were constructed, though in so doing they used bricks from some of the former penal colony buildings, losing some of the heritage of Maria Island along the way. Although the resort was popular, Bernacchi’s Maria Island Company went into liquidation and following the collapse of his cement business also, he and his family left in 1896.
From the 1920’s Bernacchi gave Maria Island another try! Again the settlement began to thrive and the cement works were started up, but again there were problems. A number of other buildings were built during this time, though by 1930 the island’s industrial age had ended. Farming took over and Maria Island was still being farmed until 1972 when it was declared a national park. Unfortunately naivety meant that the cement works were demolished prior to the island becoming a national park – it wasn’t considered that these were historically significant at this time, so more of Maria Island’s heritage was lost.
What to See and Do on Maria Island
Darlington – Maria Island’s only ‘town’ is Darlington. The ferry from Triabunna docks here and you can still see remnants of the different periods in the island’s history. These include remains of the convict settlement as well as buildings from Bernacchi’s time on the island.
The Painted Cliffs – The Painted Cliffs are beautiful sandstone cliffs which have been eroded to form attractive patterns. The reason why they are called the Painted Cliffs is because they have been stained by iron oxide seeping through the sandstone.
The Fossil Cliffs – The Fossil Cliffs are quite different as these are limestone though what makes these so interesting are the abundant ancient fossils which have been preserved in the rock.
Mount Maria – The highest point on Maria Island is Mount Maria, standing 711 metres high. A popular hike is to the summit, though this can take 6 to 7 hours return from Darlington so isn’t feasible if you’re only here for a day trip. Bicycles are not permitted on this mountain track and also the track going up Bishop and Clerk Mountain, so the only way up is by foot.
Haunted Bay – On the southern part of Maria Island (which is joined to the northern end by an isthmus) is Haunted Bay. This is about 20km (12.5 miles) from Darlington on a track, so bicycling this distance should be relatively easy for most. If you visit in the evening you’ll find out why it’s called Haunted Bay, and no it’s not because of ghosts! The Fairy Penguins who live here have a haunting sounding call which is most heard in the evenings.
Encampment Cove – Encampment Cove is 13km (8 miles) from Darlington. Visitors to Maria Island who are coming by private boat often dock here and about a kilometre on from the cove are the ruins from the second convict colonial era at Point Lesueur.
Beaches, Swimming and Diving – There are several excellent beaches on Maria Island which are suitable for relaxing or for swimming. Diving is also popular and there is a sunken trader, called the Troy D, which was purposely sunk in 2007 to create a dive site. This is located 1.7km (1 mile) west southwest of the Painted Cliffs.
Wildlife and Marine Life – Because of Maria Island’s national park status it has meant this has become somewhat of a haven for wildlife. In addition some of the surrounding waters are within an important marine protected area.
For places to stay on the East Coast of Tasmania before and after your trip to Maria Island, visit Book it Now.
‘Maria Island National Park’ by Claire Bolgil
