Maria Island: Tasmania’s Ultimate Day Trip?
By Josie Rozenberg-Clarke
Whether you’re in Lutruwita/Tasmania for a few days, or you call the Apple Isle home, a day trip to magical Maria Island should be at the top of your to-do list.
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(image: JABProduction)
Australia’s island state has plenty of iconic islands of its own – think Bruny, Flinders and King – but, four kilometres off Tassie’s south-east coast, Maria Island is somewhat of an unsung hero. Where the others may boast bougie Airbnbs, artisan produce and accessible roads, Maria Island has none of these. And that’s what makes it special.
About 20 kilometres top to bottom and 13 kilometres across, you can take in much of Maria (pronounced “Mariah”, as in Carey) in one day. Take the short ferry ride from the town of Triabunna, about 70 minutes north-east of Hobart, and find yourself in the island National Park. Car-free by design, it’s best explored by bike or your own two feet.
(image: Liam Neal)
Thanks to its lack of cars, shops and hordes of tourists, you’ll be saying “How’s the serenity?” all day, but Maria Island hasn’t always been uninhabited.
Originally known as Wukaluwikiwayna, the island was the home of the Puthikwilayti people for more than 40,000 years, and used by the Tyreddeme people for seasonal fishing. Following its colonisation, Maria Island – as it was named by Abel Tasman in 1642 – housed a number of convict outposts in the mid-1800s.
While those days may be over, the remnants of the convict era, like the Darlington Probation Station, the Commissariat Store, the Coffee Palace Museum and the old penitentiary, are still standing for you to stickybeak.
(image: Stu Gibson)
Despite its small size, there’s so much to see on Maria Island. Keep an eye out for Cape Barren geese, Tasmanian devils, wallabies, kangaroos, and even rare birds like the endangered Swift parrot and forty-spotted pardalote. Wombats come out at dusk to nibble at the grass, and your camera roll will be full of adorable four-legged inhabitatants by the time you catch the ferry back to the big smoke.
Wildlife aside, this is an island for walkers (and cyclists). If you’ve got time and energy, go for a challenging trek like the Bishop and Clerk summit hike with its magnificent clifftop and ocean views, or do an overnighter: the Haunted Bay Walk sprawls 40 kilometres, and will take you to the far south of the island. During the warmer months, enjoy a dip at the pristine white sand Hopground Beach before you explore the Painted Cliffs.
Painted Cliffs (image: Stu Gibson)
Armed with a Parks Pass, a picnic lunch and plenty of drinking water, an adventure on Maria Island is yours for the taking. Once you’ve been, you’ll be itching to get back for that hit of tranquility. It’s tough to find it anywhere else.
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