Name: Maria Island Highlights Walking Tour - Full Day
Price: 215.00 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

Highlights

Explore Maria Island National Park (5 - 6hrs)
Walk to the amazing â€œPainted Cliffsâ€� and wander amongst the unusual rock formation
Enjoy spectacular views as we walk to the â€œFossil Cliffsâ€�
Explore and discover the geological history among the exposed fossils
Discover the convict history at the Darlington World Heritage convict site
Be amazed at the abundant wildlife enjoying life on their extraordinary island
30 min ferry ride each way
A small group limit of 20 people per tour

Spend the day exploring a remote, rugged and remarkable island via a network of walking trails. No cars, no roads and wombats galore!

What's included?

National Park entrance fee
Return ferry crossing fee
Friendly and knowledgeable tour guides
Informative tours and guided walks
Pick-up and drop off from selected hotels

Just one hour’s drive from Hobart to the ferry and 30 minutes across the water, brings us to Maria Island - a stunning island National Park. An island, off an island, off an island! This is a tour for the active traveller who is keen to walk and enjoy this unique island. There are no cars on Maria Island and the only way across is on the passenger ferry. The main highlights are the Painted Cliffs, the Fossil Cliffs, and of course the wildlife, history, and amazing scenery. Many cultures have once been to the island, including the Tyreddeme Aboriginals, Dutch, English, French and Italians. The World Heritage listed Darlington settlement is beautifully preserved and is one of the best examples of Probation Convict Settlements in the world. The island was declared a National Park in 1972.

We enjoy a series of easy-moderate walks exploring the history and the main highlights of the island. Setting out on foot we have 2 main walking trails for the day, covering a total distance of almost 10 kilometres. From Darlington we walk the Fossil Cliffs trail and return. Then we walk the Painted Cliffs trail and return. The walk to the Painted Cliffs is gentle, mostly flat and leads us to Hopground Beach with the Painted Cliffs at the far end. We have plenty of time to explore the cliffs, photograph the unique features, and discover the many rock pools and beautiful nature in the area.

The Fossil Cliffs Walk takes us to dramatic cliff tops that drop sheer into the ocean. The views from the top are spectacular. Even the non-avid geological fan, will be fascinated by the sheer abundance of the various shell fossils exposed in the cliff face. It offers a fascinating insight into the past environments of Maria Island along with expansive views of the Freycinet Peninsula. The island is a haven for wildlife, and one of the best places in Australia for viewing wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Cape Barren geese, kangaroos, and wallabies. The bird life is also an attraction with 125 species including all of Tasmania’s endemics including the endangered Forty-spotted pardalote and Swift parrot. While on the island, you have an opportunity to swim, photograph, observe the wildlife, and soak up the island life as Maria works its magic on you. Join us on this day of discovery rich in environmental and cultural history, the perfect island playground for an adventurous day out.

Important information

Session Length

Please allow a full day for this experience
Departs Hobart at 6:45am and returns at around 5.00pm
Available Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 1 Oct and 30 April
Not available on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day

Guidelines

Minimum age for this experience is eight years
This is a fast paced, active day tour. There is no maximum age, however, good physical health and mobility is important
There are no shops on Maria, and limited drinking water, so make sure you bring enough water and food for your day out. There will be a brief stop on the way to the Ferry for some last minute food purchases

Cancellation

Change your booking up to 48 hours before the start time of your experience
Changes are not permitted within 48 hours of your experience
Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience

Numbers on the Day

This experience requires a minimum number of participants to go ahead. Maximum of 20 participants.

Weather

All tour participants will be participating in outdoor, active activities and therefore subject to the outdoor weather conditions of the day.

Dress Code

• Comfortable trail walking/ running shoes suitable for outdoor active activity • Clothes to suit outdoor conditions (warm layers are a good idea) • Waterproof jacket (just in case) • Hat for the sun, beanie for the cold (sometimes you need both in one day!) • Water Bottle, Snacks, Lunch (or buy it on the day) • Day pack with everything you will need for the day • Sense of adventure • Swimwear and towel

Other Info

Due to the tight timeline to reach the ferry we recommend you bring your own food supplies for the day ahead. There are no shops on Maria, so make sure you bring enough food and a large refillable water bottle for your day out. We do provide a quick stop along the drive at a local Bakery for you to purchase lunch/sandwhiches/rolls to take with you. There is coffee and snacks available on the ferry, and a fish and chips van available as we depart the ferry at the end of the day.

Location

Maria Island is a special, beautiful, and wild island National Park accessible by boat. There are no cars, shops, charging stations for devices etc. on the island. Facilities are limited. Please ensure you are able to carry everything you will need for the day. You will need a day pack to carry warm clothing as necessary. A jacket suitable for walking in light rain conditions. Equally, you will need adequate sun protection should it be a warm sunny day. Please ensure you have a large water bottle. You will have an opportunity to purchase lunch/sandwiches in the morning but we recommend you buy your snacks prior to the day if you prefer a wider choice or have special dietary requirements to consider. Please ensure you wear comfortable footwear for walking. The walking on Maria Island is graded as easy walking. However, we are on the island for around 6 hours, with around 10 km’s of walking trails to explore. Please ensure your clothing and footwear is adequate for this type of

Reviews

5.0

1 review

5 stars 1

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1 star 0

Great way to explore Maria Island & see wildlife

Melissa 1 January 2021

So glad I booked this tour, it was a great way to learn about the history of the island and well as about the flora and fauna living on it. our guide was very professional and knowledgeable. The walks were easy and appropriate pace for everyone in the group to be able to complete them. we saw so many wombats, kangaroos and pademelons! just wish people would respect the 2 m distance you are supposed to keep and not go too close to take photos. all in all, absolutrly stunning place and you definitely get so much more out of the day by joining a tour rather than exploring on your own. highly recommend!