Maria Island

A forty-five-minute (less in calm seas) ferry ride from Triabunna on Tasmania’s south-east coast, Maria Island is an idyllic place to spend a day or two, wandering on foot or a bicycle, taking on the strenuous Bishop and Clerk ascent if you feel energetic.

The island used to be a penal settlement in the 1800s, a less harsh one than Port Arthur. The only permanent inhabitants these days are wildlife. We saw wallabies, wombats, rabbits, Cape Barren geese, and bandicoots.

How long you want to stay will depend on how long you can manage without a hot shower, how long you can be bothered boiling your drinking water after the water you take to the island runs out, and what arrangements you have made for food. There are no food shops or restaurants on Maria Island; you have to take your food for the duration of your stay from the mainland. You may be able to arrange for the ferry to bring you food parcels purchased in Triabunna online or over the phone (4G coverage exists on the island). How long you stay also could depend on the nature of your accommodation. We spent two nights in our small two-person tent because the permanent accommodation was booked out.

Despite the rain that saturated our tent and soaked and muddied our walks, we never failed to be struck by Maria island’s peaceful charm and beauty. Definitely a place to re-visit.