Hike Maria Island
4 days – Easy to Medium Grade – $2150
Sitting just off the East Coast of Tasmania, you will discover the amazing and intriguing Maria Island National Park – a “Tasmanian Garden of Eden”
We invite you to join our expertly guided 4 day walk, where you’ll experience close encounters with the local wildlife, walk along pristine beaches, enjoy many swims, view spectacular scenery and be told captivating stories of Maria’s aboriginal and convict past – “Every Step a Story”
Your 4 day tour starts with a picturesque drive from Hobart to Triabunna, where we catch Osprey 2 for our 30 minute ferry ride Maria Island. Once on Maria Island your guides will immerse you in the islands history and lead you on an amazing 4 day exploration.
The walking each day is gentle, but good walking fitness is required to manage the daily distances. With 12 years tour experience on the island, our itinerary is well researched, and we cover and see more of the island than any other tour operator.
Tasmanian Hikes has made one of the ‘Worlds Greatest Walks’ greater! Our Interpretive Guides are also specialist lecturers and are chosen for their specific local knowledge.
Your pack will be light and you are only required to carry your personal belongings for 2 out of the 4 days. If you are unable to carry your pack, we can carry it for you.
Your accommodation will be in large twin share Safari Tents with comfortable stretcher beds for 2 nights and 1 night in the converted Penitentiary Cell shared accommodation, at the World Heritage convict site in Darlington.
Grade: Easy/Medium
Our Itinerary
The main settlement of Darlington and its surrounding coastline is unique and intriguing. Your guides will retell the tales of Maria’s past inhabitants as you walk from one historic building to the next. Today we have 2 options, a short Northern circuit walk that will give you stunning views of the Fossil Cliffs and the Freycinet Peninsula. You will also have the option of climbing Mt Bishop and Clerk for even more spectacular vistas.
Maria Island has many layers of history. From 1825 – 1850 Maria Island became home to up to 900 convicts. From 1884 – 1925 the island had an industrial era, 1884 – 1968 farmers took up leases and in 1972 to the present day, Maria Island is a Wildlife Reserve. Today we head south to our camp at French’s Farm. We will pass by the famous Painted Cliffs for a look and then onto Four Mile Beach for lunch. After lunch we leave the 4WD track and walk 2 stunning beaches ending at Bloodstone Point. From Bloodstone Point we will visit the convict site at Point Lesueur, which was established in the second convict period of 1842 – 1850.
Today we hav e 3 options, we can walk to either Haunted Bay (19km) or Robey’s Farm (16km) depending on your fitness. Alternatively you can walk along Shoal Bay to the Isthmus then cross to Reidle Bay and return to French's Farm (approx 8km) You’ll walk along kilometres of stunning beaches so beautiful and remote, it gives you that feeling of total relaxation and escape. Oyster Catchers and Hooded Plovers dance along the beach in front of you and Pacific Gulls and Black Swans float restfully in the bay. Trip Distance: 8km for the 2 short walk or 16km – 19km for the Robey’s Farm / Haunted Bay option. Medium effort 5 hours
Today you’ll walk back to Darlington via the inland track through a majestic forest of Stringy Barks and White Peppermints. The track undulates through the foothills of Mount Maria and over the upper reaches of Four Mile Creek. En-route to Darlington you’ll visit the Oast House, built in 1844 by convict labour, and believed to be the oldest in Australia. During the many eras of Maria Island’s history, the Oast House was not only for drying hops, but it also served as a wine making facility as well as a abattoir in farming times. After visiting the Oast House, it is a short walk into Darlington for lunch. At 2:30pm we board our Ferry ride back to Triabunna.
How To Book
To make a booking, select the departure date from the calendar, click on the BOOK NOW button, fill out your details, and submit.
Our booking platform is 100% secure. You can choose to pay for your tour in full when you book, or pay a deposit. Deposits are $500 per guest.
Final payments are due 8 weeks before the departure date.
Please note: If any of our tours are showing “sold out” or if there is not enough availability on your preferred departure date from our calendar, please get in touch, as there maybe cancellations being processed.
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I recently had the absolute pleasure of being part of the Maria Island tour guided by Senna & Tim. The guides were wonderful & always ready to go the extra mile for us. The scenery and wildlife were superb. It was a great cohesive group and really one of the best guided walks I’ve done!
– Alex B. (Maria Island)
Frequently Asked Questions
Staff stay at The Astor Private Hotel on Macquarie St, Hobart. It is centrally located in the CBD, close to the Docks and Salamanca. It has 'Old World Charm' and very good room rates. Check it out here www.astorprivatehotel.com.au P: (03) 6234 6611
In our Vehicles – Free face-masks and hand sanitiser are available for all guests. Temperature checks will be conducted as guests enter the bus and the Check in App must be scanned. Masks will be carried on the tour and used if required. Group Sizes – Our maximum group size is 10 and on average the group size is 8. These small group sizes carry less inherent risk of COVID 19 Social Distancing – Our groups camps are well away from the general public campsites and we follow the recommended 1.5m distancing rule whist in camp and on the walk. Vaccinations – Currently most of the Leaders / Guides in our employ are fully vaccinated, or have had at least 1 jab. Sharing Tents – Our hikes are based on twin share. Should there be a high percentage of couples or family members that can share a twin tent on any given tour, we will supply a single person tent to the remaining independent travellers. Campsite sizes and single person tent availability may impact this offer. Self Isolating – We are able to receive COVID 19 updates / alerts via our satellite phones and local networks. If a guest on a tour has originated or visited a LGA of concern, and is required to isolate, we can accommodate that guest at a safe distance away from our camp. This guest will walk independently from the main group for the remainder of the tour, accompanied by a guide. Evacuation – Should a guest develop COVID 19 symptoms on tour, that guest will be evacuated via the nearest evacuation route by a guide, and then taken to the nearest hospital or testing clinic.
You will need to arrive in Hobart the day before your tour. Guests will be collected @ 0745am from their accommodation provider on day 1. Please be ready 10 minutes before this time outside your Hotel. Guests who have their own vehicles/transportation are welcome to meet us at the Triabunna Wharf no later than 0930am. The ferry departs at 10:00am. Allow a One hour and 30 minute drive from Hobart.
The weight of your pack is limited to what you bring to the island but typically around 7kg. Should you not be able to carry your pack during the tour, don’t worry, we can carry it for you!
Yes, we can cater for most diets including, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free & Coeliac. Other diets, for example: Keto may attract a surcharge. Please contact us about your dietary needs.
We have designed the tour, so that you only have to bring, your clothing, toiletries and personal items. We will supply the rest. A gear list will be emailed to all guests at the booking stage. What is listed on the gear list, is all that you will need to bring. The equipment that we supply you, will be allocated to you once we are on the island.
We have to be mostly, self sufficient. At our camp we have de-composting toilets but no power. On the last night/day, in Darlington there are flushing toilets and power to charge small items, phones etc. There is no WIFI.
If your Hotel in Hobart cannot store your excess luggage whilst you are on the island, we can store your bags for you. Have the items that you wish to bring to the island ready in a seperate tote bag or small pack [not a shopping bag]. You main suitcase will remain on our bus.
Included in the tour price is: 2 x Mountain Guides, transfers to the start and from the finish of the tour back to your Hotel in Hobart, all food & return ferry service to Maria Island, accommodation, emergency communication equipment and 1st aid kits, group gear [pots and pans, cutlery, bowls, stove fuel and stoves], and National Park fees.
In most areas you can get reception.
Typically we arrive back in Hobart no later than @ 5:00pm on the last day.