Maria Island sits just off Tasmania’s east coast. It’s a quick 30-minute ferry ride from a small town called Triabunna.
The whole island is a national park. No shops, no cafés, no cars.
What you get instead? Wombats walking past your tent. Kangaroos eating grass at sunset. Painted sandstone cliffs that look like someone brushed them by hand. And an old convict town called Darlington, still standing.
It’s one of the most peaceful places in Tasmania. A lot of our customers come for a day trip and wish they had booked overnight.
A few quick heads-ups that catch most first time visitors:
Triabunna is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Hobart. Take your time as the coast is beautiful and there are a few nice coffee stops on the way!
When you arrive, park at the Triabunna car park. It’s free, safe to leave overnight, and just there where the ferry terminal is.
No car? Encounter Maria runs a shuttle bus from Hobart, so you can still get there easily.
Just one thing to keep in mind: if you’re renting our camping gear, it won’t fit into a backpack to take on the bus. Our standard gear is packed for the ferry crates and trolleys, not for carrying on your back. If you really need a lightweight setup, send us an email and we’ll see what we can do 🙂
The trip takes about 30 minutes. The ferry has indoor seats, an outdoor deck, and sells coffee, snacks and basic food on board.
Ferry prices (2026): always double-check on encountermaria.com.au because they change from time to time.
Day ticket:
Adult $56.50
Concession $45.00
Student $34.50
Child (4–16) $34.50
Baby (0–3) Free.
Overnight ticket:
Adult $67.00
Concession $56.50
Student $45.00
Child (4–16) $41.00
Baby (0–3) Free.
Summer timetable (September to April): Ferries leave Triabunna at 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am and 3:15pm. Return ferries leave the island at 9:15am, 10:45am, 2:30pm and 4:15pm.
Winter timetable (May to August): Fewer ferries, and no service on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Departures from Triabunna at 10:00am, 11:30am and 3:15pm.
Luggage: Day-trip tickets include one small carry-on bag (up to 7kg). Overnight tickets include the carry-on plus two bigger bags (up to 17kg each). Plenty of room for a full camping setup.
This part is confusing for a lot of first-time visitors. Here’s how it actually works:
You never have to carry everything on your back. The whole system is built for the crates and the trolleys. Easy 
If you have an overnight ferry ticket, your camping spot at Darlington is included. You don’t need to book it separately. Just pick a spot when you arrive.
The campground has:
It’s the only campground on the island, and it’s surrounded by wildlife. Your neighbours will be wombats, kangaroos, pademelons, and Cape Barren geese 
The most important tip in this whole guideThis is the one thing we tell every Maria Island customer in person. The one thing that ruins people’s trips when they don’t listen:
Never leave food inside your tent at night.
The animals on Maria Island are very relaxed around people. They’ve grown up with no predators and lots of human visitors, so they’re curious and not shy at all. If they smell food in your tent, the possums and pademelons will come over to check it out, and they can be pretty determined about it.
A few of our customers have had a long night because of this (busy little visitors trying to get to their snacks).
What to do: keep all your food, even snacks, inside the cooking box or cooler we give you. Leave the box outside your tent, on the picnic table or underneath it. The animals can’t get into the box. Your tent stays peaceful, and you sleep well 🙂
There’s more to see than you’d expect for a small island. The classics are:
The Painted Cliffs: beautiful sandstone cliffs with orange, yellow and white patterns. Pretty at any time, but best around late morning (the rangers usually say around 11am) because of the light and the tides. At high tide you can’t walk along the bottom of the cliffs, so keep an eye on the time. About 45 minutes’ walk from Darlington.
The Fossil Cliffs: Cliffs full of ancient fossils stuck in the rock. About 25 minutes’ walk from Darlington in the other direction. The view from the top is amazing!.
Darlington Convict Town: A UNESCO World Heritage site right next to the campground. The old Commissariat Store has a small museum inside. You can walk around the old buildings for free.
Wildlife everywhere: Keep your distance, don’t feed the animals, and you’ll see more wildlife in one day than you would in any zoo.
Swimming and beaches: Darlington Bay is right next to the campground. Painted Cliffs has a small beach too. The water is cold, but the sand is beautiful.
Longer hikes: Mt Maria summit, Bishop and Clerk, and the Isthmus to Riedle Bay. These are full-day walks for people who like a challenge.
Walking times and distances are marked on signs all over the island. There’s also a free map you can pick up at the Gateway building in Triabunna, or grab one at the pier. You can also download the official map here.
Maria Island is perfect for cycling. Flat roads, no traffic, and you cover way more ground than walking. Encounter Maria runs the bike hire from a little shed next to the penitentiary in Darlington.
Prices (2026):
Book at least 24 hours before your ferry, through the same site where you book the ferry. There are sometimes a few bikes available on the day, but don’t count on it.
You can also bring your own bike on the ferry. There’s a small extra charge for that.
Heads up: you can only ride on roads, vehicle tracks, and some open paddocks. No riding on the walking tracks.
The pack is made for one thing: getting on and off the ferry without stress. Everything fits into the ferry crates and the trolleys at the campground.
Tent: Easy to set up, with pegs and a hammer.
Sleeping gear: Warm sleeping bags, sleeping mats, blanket, and pillows with covers.
Lighting: Rechargeable headlamps.
Cooking gear in a sealed box (animal-proof at night): Portable stove, fuel, pot, pan, utensils, plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, thermos, tea towel, and a cooler for your food.
Carry bags: Big, sturdy bags made to fit the ferry crates.
The whole setup is made for the trolleys, not for your back. If you want a lightweight backpacking setup instead (for multi-day hikes), just let us know!
If anything’s not clear, send us a message. We answer fast. We’ve been doing Maria Island trips with our customers since 2021. There’s no question we haven’t been asked 😊
Enjoy Tasmania 🌿
