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Painted Cliffs, Maria Island National Park
Painted Cliffs, Maria Island National Park (photograph: Cam Blake)

Maria Island National Park

A tranquil island of rich heritage.

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Alerts for Maria Island National Park

See details

see details
Track closure: Fossil Cliffs Track
Applies from 4/11/2022

​Due to the recent heavy rainfall, access to the Fossil Quarry floor is closed. 

Repair works are planned and the track is expected to reopen in April 2023.

For further enquiries please call: (03) 6257 1420

Last reviewed 8/11/2022 11:42 AM

FeaturesExpand/Collapse

  • Barbecues
  • Camping
  • Cycling tracks
  • Fishing
  • Huts
  • Kayaking
  • Overnight walk
  • Park ranger
  • Picnic facilities
  • Short walk
  • Snorkelling
  • Swimming
  • Toilets
  • World Heritage Area

ContactExpand/Collapse

About

The ideal combination of nature and history rewards those who seek to explore Maria Island, off Tasmania’s East Coast. After arriving on the Maria Island ferry, start your exploration at Darlington Probation Station – a World Heritage Australian Convict Site. From Darlington, continue your Maria Island discovery by weaving along the numerous trails on foot or by bike and leave your ordinary life behind.

Spectacular cliffs wrap around the eastern side of Maria Island, providing a perfect vantage point for watching birds dive and swoop into the ocean. In season, you may even be lucky enough to spot the whales that frequent these waters during their annual migration. On the western side of the island, the Painte​d Cliffs are one of Maria Island’s more memorable spectacles, showcasing the power of nature in their weathered contours, where the combination of wind and waves has eroded the sandstone to reveal a striking facade.

Access to the Painted Cliffs Rock Platform is safest within two hours of low tide. There is no access to the Painted Cliffs from the clifftop​.

Tidal information is available at the Maria Island Gateway at time of ferry check or via the QR code displayed on the Noticeboards at the Commissariat Store (Visitor Information) or Rangers Station on Maria Island.​

​Maria Island is a special place where long sandy beaches, turquoise water, mountaintop vistas, abundant wildlife and a multi-layered human history come together to create a perfect island destination.​

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The story of Maria Island is dominated by the ocean: from the rise and fall of the sea that created the island and left a legacy of creatures fossilised in its cliffs, to the history of its human occupation.

Start your explorations at Darlington, the most intact example of a convict probation station in Australia, and a World Heritage Australian Convict Site. You can visit convict buildings dating back to 1824 and ruins that reveal key features of the convict probation system. Rediscover the fascinating history through interpretive displays at the Coffee Palace Museum and Commissariat Store. You can even stay overnight in the old Penitentiary buildings or camp in the nearby campground.

There are plenty of rewarding short walks, day walks and even overnight walks. No matter where you are on the island, you're going to see wildlife, including wombats, devils, kangaroos and Cape Barren geese.

Cycling is another great way to explore, or explore further afield, on the island, as there's no vehicle access. Bring your bike on the ferry (fees charged) or hire one on the island (limited availability).

Maria Island Marine Reserve protects a range of beautiful marine life and is home to a diverse range of plant, invertebrate and fish communities, making it a fabulous place for swimming and snorkelling, or a ramble among the rockpools.

From the moment you arrive, you'll begin to notice the special nature of the wildlife on this island. Since the late 1960s, a number of threatened species have been introduced as part of conservation efforts. The very things that once made the island a suitable convict settlement now make it an ideal refuge for plant and animal species under threat elsewhere. Alongside the native pademelons, who have always called Maria Island home, you'll be likely to spot forester kangaroos, Bennett's wallabies, Flinders Island wombats, Cape Barren geese and Tasmanian native hens. 

Although the animals seem friendly, we need to remember that we are visiting their home. To help, an initiative of the Spring Bay Destination Action Plan Group, the Maria Island Pledge encourages all visitors to the Maria Island National Park to become custodians of the island’s values - natural, cultural and historical.

Maria Island is also one of the best places in Tasmania for bird watching. All but one of the State's twelve endemic birds can be found on the island, including the endangered forty-spotted pardalote, green rosellas and the majestic wedge-tailed eagle. With sharp eyes you may spot tiny hooded plovers, sooty and pied oyster catchers, and little and fairy terns on the beaches.

A more recent addition are Tasmanian devils. Tasmanian devil numbers have declined dramatically State-wide due to Facial Tumour Disease and Maria Island National Park was chosen as a site for captive breeding, with 15 Tasmanian devils introduced to the Island in 2012. You can learn more about these conservation efforts on the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program website.

Maria island is well known for its asounding underwater diversity, please see our Maria Island Marine Reserve for more information.

For more information on our wildlife please see Tasmania's wildlife.

Visit our caring for wildlife page for more information on interacting with and protecting our native animals.

As you cross to the island you follow in the wake of Aboriginal people, who for thousands of years made regular canoe crossings to the island they knew as wukaluwikiwayna.  For more than 35,000 years Aboriginal people have lived in the homelands of the Oyster Bay nation, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people from Maria Island were known as the Puthikwilayti. 

Maria Island’s landscape is a microcosm of unique cultural heritage found within Tasmania; rich, varied and significant. This heritage and the associated stories play an important role in raising awareness about the past, celebrating the present and learning for the future. Today's Aboriginal community continue their people's connection to this special island. 

Maria Island became a penal settlement in 1825 and was soon infamous for the number of escapes across the water. From 1842 Maria was used as a convict probation station, but by 1850 this mainly agricultural station was abandoned.

Maria Island's potential captured the imagination of Italian entrepreneur, Diego Bernacchi, who set up a cement works to utilise the island's limestone deposits in the late 1800s. The following period saw the development of industry, as well as the growth of a small farming and fishing community – all which has since closed down.

The first moves were made towards forming a fauna reserve in the early 1960s. Maria Island was officially declared a national park in 1971.

The significance of the convict probation era at Darlington was recognised in 2010 by World Heritage Listing as part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. More information on World Heritage listings can be found on our Tasmanaian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) page,​ and on the Heritage Tasmania website.

You can learn more about Maria's history at the old Commissariat Store in Darlington, which houses the displays and information.

Maria Island National Park map Buy a map from TasMap

​​Access Maria Island by passenger ferry from Triabunna, located off the Tasman Highway (A3). The ferry service runs between Triabunna and Darlington, and takes around 45 minutes.

Visit the Encounter Maria Island website for details on current ferry timetables, fares and crossing information. Passenger numbers may be limited during busy periods and advance bookings are recommended.

There is no vehicle access to Maria Island – you can explore the island on foot or by bike.

​Arriving by Air

If you are a private pilot, you will need to apply for and obtain an authority to land on Maria Island Darlington air strip prior to landing. 

Applications should be forwarded to mariaislandenquiries@parks.tas.gov.au Please allow at least 7 days for the application process to be completed. 

​

Where possible, please avoid driving in our reserves at night. You are sharing the roads with our native wildlife, so take it slow and watch out for animals on the road.

​​​​Park entry fees apply

Park entry fees (including those who travel to the island on their own boat or plane), Penitentiary and camping fees can be paid online or at the Maria Island Gateway in Triabunna.​

Walk times

Walk and ride times are walking or riding only. Please allow extra time to explore ​features along the way to make it back in time for the ferry, or if staying overnight return to camp in daylight.

Be prepared to be self-sufficent

Maria Island is a remote island experience, there are no shops or cafes on the island. You will need to bring enough food for your stay, refillable water bottle, sturdy walking shoes, warm and waterproof clothing including a beanie, sun protection including hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, personal first aid kit, mobile phone and a backpack to securely carry all of your belongings. Stock up on basic supplies in Triabunna before you catch the ferry.

Check the weather forecast before you travel to ensure you have the appropriate clothing.

All water on Maria Island is not potable and treatment is required (purification tablets or boiling for at least one minute) before use. ​Water is available from signed t​aps in the barbecue shelter and Mess Hall at Darlington. Please note this is a limited supply so bring a full water bottle with you.

Please take all your rubbish with you when you leave. There is no rubbish tip and no rubbish collection service on the island.

Smoking is not permitted within the accommodation precincts. Please store your butts in your own carry-out container.​

​

​​​Campfires are only permitted at designated campgrounds within designated fireplaces. Campfires are prohibited during seasonal fire restrictions. Never leave your campfire unattended - it is prohibited. For campfire safety and how to check whether any restrictions are in place see Campfires and fire restrictions.​

Always check local signage for campfire restrictions before lighting a campfire. Bring your own water and firewood.  It is best to have a fuel stove with you for cooking, as restrictions can change. 

For the safety of everyone - completely extinguish your campfire before you depart and ensure no hot coals remain.  Remember - Soak it. Stir it. Soak it again.​

Please take all rubbish away with you.

​
Due to wastewater infrastructure works, the Darlington showers are not available.​

Find out other essential information for visiting Tasmania's parks and reserves on our Know before you go section.

​​Guide Dogs are permitted in national parks and reserves, but it is advised that you bring reasonable proof that the dog is an assistance animal with you and advise PWS staff of the dog's presence on your arrival, where applicable.  

For other assistance animals, please contact the mariaislandenquiries@parks.tas.gov.au to seek an authority. Where possible, please allow 10 days to process the authority.

​

Experiences in Maria Island National Park

4-5 hours return, 11km, Grade 4

A challenging walk offering exhilarating cliff-top and ocean views from the towering dolerite summit.

Maria Island National Park

Bishop and Clerk

A challenging walk offering exhilarating cliff-top and ocean views from the towering dolerite summit.

4-5 hours return, 11km, Grade 4
Read more
1-2 hours, 1 km, Grade 2

Discover the stories behind the island’s rich human and natural history.

Maria Island National Park

Darlington Township Walk

Discover the stories behind the island’s rich human and natural history.

1-2 hours, 1 km, Grade 2
Read more
4 hours one way, 13km, Grade 3

Look for the ruin of a 1920s home in this sheltered cove.

Maria Island National Park

Encampment Cove Walk

Look for the ruin of a 1920s home in this sheltered cove.

4 hours one way, 13km, Grade 3
Read more
Fishing on the rocks at Friendly Beaches, Freycinet National Park

Tasmania has a wealth of excellent inland and ocean fishing locations where you can cast your line.

Statewide

Fishing

Tasmania has a wealth of excellent inland and ocean fishing locations where you can cast your line.

Read more
1.5-2.5 hour circuit, 4.5 km, Grade 3

This stunning set of cliffs on Maria Island hold stories both ancient and modern.

Maria Island National Park

Fossil Cliffs

This stunning set of cliffs on Maria Island hold stories both ancient and modern.

1.5-2.5 hour circuit, 4.5 km, Grade 3
Read more
3 hours one way, 11 km, Grade 3

Take the time to explore the old farmhouse and shearing sheds of Frenchs Farm on your visit to Maria Island.

Maria Island National Park

Frenchs Farm Walk

Take the time to explore the old farmhouse and shearing sheds of Frenchs Farm on your visit to Maria Island.

3 hours one way, 11 km, Grade 3
Read more
7 hours one way, 20 km, Grade 3

Located in the far south of the island, breathtaking Haunted Bay is worth the walk.

Maria Island National Park

Haunted Bay Walk

Located in the far south of the island, breathtaking Haunted Bay is worth the walk.

7 hours one way, 20 km, Grade 3
Read more
1-2 hours return, 2km, Grade 3

Wander the hills that surround the Darlington Settlement, uncovering ruins and learning the fascinating history.

Maria Island National Park

Hills Walk

Wander the hills that surround the Darlington Settlement, uncovering ruins and learning the fascinating history.

1-2 hours return, 2km, Grade 3
Read more

Maria Island is a cyclist’s paradise with gently undulating roads and an opportunity to explore more in one day.

Maria Island National Park

Maria Island by bike

Maria Island is a cyclist’s paradise with gently undulating roads and an opportunity to explore more in one day.

Read more

Maria Island is a special place with something for everyone - historic ruins, sweeping bays, rugged cliffs and mountains, and remarkable wildlife. Whether you’re here for hours or days, you can choose the kind of stay that suits you and let Maria work its spell.

Maria Island National Park

Maria Island History

Maria Island is a special place with something for everyone - historic ruins, sweeping bays, rugged cliffs and mountains, and remarkable wildlife. Whether you’re here for hours or days, you can choose the kind of stay that suits you and let Maria work its spell.

Read more

Maria Island’s marine reserve protects a range of marine habitats, perfect for coastal explorations – both on land and in water.

Maria Island National Park

Maria Island Marine Reserve

Maria Island’s marine reserve protects a range of marine habitats, perfect for coastal explorations – both on land and in water.

Read more
4 hours one way (to northern end of Isthmus), 14km, Grade 3

The beautiful white, sandy beaches on either side of the isthmus shows nature at its finest.

Maria Island National Park

McRaes Isthmus Walk

The beautiful white, sandy beaches on either side of the isthmus shows nature at its finest.

4 hours one way (to northern end of Isthmus), 14km, Grade 3
Read more
8 hours return, 16 km, Grade 4

Mount Maria is the highest point on Maria Island – a dolerite outcrop with sweeping views south of the twin bays and beyond to Tasman Peninsula.

Maria Island National Park

Mount Maria Walk

Mount Maria is the highest point on Maria Island – a dolerite outcrop with sweeping views south of the twin bays and beyond to Tasman Peninsula.

8 hours return, 16 km, Grade 4
Read more
Mountain biking Meehan Range

Tasmania is fast creating a name for itself as a premier mountain biking destination and a must see on your mountain biking holiday.

Statewide

Mountain biking and cycling

Tasmania is fast creating a name for itself as a premier mountain biking destination and a must see on your mountain biking holiday.

Read more
1.5-2.5 hours return, 4.3km return, Grade 3

One of Maria Island's most beautiful features, these cliffs lack height but they more than make up for it with their amazing colours and swirling patterns.

Maria Island National Park

Painted Cliffs

One of Maria Island's most beautiful features, these cliffs lack height but they more than make up for it with their amazing colours and swirling patterns.

1.5-2.5 hours return, 4.3km return, Grade 3
Read more
4 hours one way, 14 km, Grade 3

Explore the convict ruins that once made up the Long Point Probation Station on Tasmania's Maria Island.

Maria Island National Park

Point Lesueur Walk

Explore the convict ruins that once made up the Long Point Probation Station on Tasmania's Maria Island.

4 hours one way, 14 km, Grade 3
Read more
Group rafting on the Franklin River

Tasmania’s oceans and rivers have a well-deserved reputation as some of the cleanest in the world, and what better way to explore these wondrous waterways than up-close and self-propelled.

Statewide

Rafting and kayaking

Tasmania’s oceans and rivers have a well-deserved reputation as some of the cleanest in the world, and what better way to explore these wondrous waterways than up-close and self-propelled.

Read more
6 hours one way, 19 km, Grade 3

Traverse McRaes Isthmus and continue down Maria Island’s west coast through woodland forest to a small farm tucked into the hillside.

Maria Island National Park

Robeys Farm Walk

Traverse McRaes Isthmus and continue down Maria Island’s west coast through woodland forest to a small farm tucked into the hillside.

6 hours one way, 19 km, Grade 3
Read more
Beachside snorkelling

Bring your wetsuit, mask and fins to discover the underwater life.

Statewide

Snorkelling and scuba diving

Bring your wetsuit, mask and fins to discover the underwater life.

Read more
1.5 hours return, 4km return, Grade 3

Capture a glimpse of Maria Island’s wildlife and history on a quiet discovery walk through open woodlands. A beautiful place to relax and reflect.

Maria Island National Park

The Reservoir Circuit

Capture a glimpse of Maria Island’s wildlife and history on a quiet discovery walk through open woodlands. A beautiful place to relax and reflect.

1.5 hours return, 4km return, Grade 3
Read more
Wedding at Highfield Historic Site

Tasmania's parks and reserves can make for a beautiful backdrop for your special day. See some of our favourite locations for simple, outdoor wedding ceremonies, through to full packages offered by Highfield Historic Site.

East coast, Hobart and South, Launceston and North, North West

Weddings

Tasmania's parks and reserves can make for a beautiful backdrop for your special day. See some of our favourite locations for simple, outdoor wedding ceremonies, through to full packages offered by Highfield Historic Site.

Read more

Accommodation

Stay Overnight

  • Maria Island camping - Darlington

Located close to the heart of Maria Island, Darlington campground is the perfect spot to pitch your tent on your island adventure.

Bookings and more info

Maria Island camping - Darlington

  • Maria Island camping - Encampment Cove

A free campsite is available at Encampment Cove, where you can explore the convict ruins that once made up the Long Point Probation Station at nearby Point Lesueur.

Bookings and more info

Maria Island camping - Encampment Cove

  • Maria Island camping - Frenchs Farm

A free campsite is available at Frenchs Farm, providing an excellent base for exploring McRaes Isthmus – a narrow neck of sand with sweeping beaches on either side.

Bookings and more info

Maria Island camping - Frenchs Farm

  • Maria Island Penitentiary accommodation

Basic bunkhouse-style accommodation is available to visitors in the old penitentiary at Darlington.

Bookings and more info

Maria Island Penitentiary accommodation

Gallery

Maria Island National Park

Maria Island with kangaroos

Maria Island with kangaroos

Maria Island kangaroo and ruins

Maria Island kangaroo and ruins

Maria Island family holiday

Maria Island family holiday

Maria Island ruins

Maria Island ruins

Maria Island wombat

Maria Island wombat

Cycling through Tasmanian blue gum forest, Maria Island

Cycling through Tasmanian blue gum forest, Maria Island