Paradise found, off Tasmania’s east coast.
Maria Island is a destination of pristine untouched beaches, lapped by crystal clear waters, and with a surrounding Marine Reserve. Its scenery is incredibly majestic, with vantage points like the magnificent Mt Maria and Bishop and Clerk peaks that can be summited for a view that is guaranteed to take your breath away.
On The Maria Island Walk, you’ll wander through forests of magnificent blue and white gums, some of them over 400 years old and unique to Maria Island.
You’ll step back in time and tread where the early convicts and explorers have walked before you.
At the Fossils Cliffs you’ll see shellfish fossil beds unlike any other in the world, and across the island – spot a variety of wildlife including the rare and endangered species like the Swift Parrot and Cape Barron Goose and of course, the Tasmanian Devil.
The Wildlife of Maria Island
An island sanctuary, referred to as
Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark.
Maria Island has always been home to a variety of rare and unusual birds and animals, and when a number of threatened species were released on the island in the 1970s to ensure their survival, the destination was nicknamed Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark.
Today, it’s an island sanctuary and one of the best places in Australia to observe 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.
Found only in Tasmania they are the world’s largest marsupial carnivore. In 2013 a group of 28 healthy devils were released on to the island as an ‘island insurance” breeding program safeguard from the facial tumour disease currently affecting 90% of the population. It has been such a success that devils are now being removed for reintroduction to disease free areas in Tasmania. Its closest relative is the kangaroo and its spine-chilling screeches and reputed bad-temper led the early European settlers to call it The Devil. However apart from stealing guests’ unguarded walking boots at night, they are a generally shy around people.
Maria Island is one of the hotspots in Australia to view the Common wombat. Growing to 20-30kg the wombat is the world’s largest burrowing mammal. It is a marsupial and the mother’s pouch faces backward to protect the baby from flying dirt as she digs her burrow. The wombat’s closest relative is in fact the koala. With its short tail and legs, characteristic waddle and ‘cuddly’ appearance the wombat is one of Australia’s most endearing native animals.
Standing over 2m tall and weighing over 60kg these superb kangaroos are the second largest kangaroo in Australia. They were introduced to Maria in the 1970s and are easy to spot on the airstrip and pastures at Darlington where one can see baby “joeys” climbing in and out of their mothers pouches as they graze. Forester kangaroos live gregariously in groups of up to 10 and females form close kinship bonds with their female relatives.
Maria is home to two species of wallabies which are now found in abundance on the island. The small, stocky Tasmanian Pademelon lives in thick forest undergrowth by day and ventures out into clearings in the evening. They are now only found only in Tasmania and their unusual name is of Aboriginal derivation. They are browsers and often seen eating our heritage lavender at Bernacchi House.
The Bennett’s Wallaby which is found throughout in Tasmania and southeast Australia was introduced in the 1970s. Standing around 1metre tall and 15kg they are larger than the Pademelon and can be distinguished by their black nose and paws and a white strip on their lip. Babies called joeys live in the mother’s pouch for 9 months.
These majestic birds were once the second rarest goose in the world. Their traditional stronghold is the islands of Bass Strait but they are found all the way to Western Australia. Large and regal goose honks like a pig, rarely goes in the water and is absolutely gracefully in flight. They are vigorous grass eaters and have become synonymous with Maria Island since being introduced in the 1970s.
One of the largest eagles in the world with wingspan of 2.3m these impressive birds nest and live on Maria Island and are often seen soaring in pairs around the island’s peaks. After 10,000 years of isolation the Tasmanian wedge-tailed Eagles have developed into a larger and separate subspecies to their mainland Australia relatives. They are endangered with only 200 pairs breeding in Tasmania.
The second largest bird of prey found in Australia and a wingspan of 2m these beautiful big birds are not true eagles but large members of the kite family. They are frequently seen roosting in their favourite gum tree overlooking Mercury Passage or silently soaring over the beaches and cliff edges on Maria. They feed mainly on fish but will attack land mammals and birds as big as a swan. They are expert hunters and can spy prey on the water from up to 1km away! Maria Island is home to a number of breeding pairs.
Made extinct by dingos and increasing aridity on mainland Australia 4700 years ago these Tasmanian endemics are entertaining to watch and full of character. Nick-named “turbo chooks” by the locals these flightless chicken-like birds can run up to 50km/hr and when threatened flick their tail to warn others. They are very social and often join in unison with their rasping “see-saw” call. The word Triabunna where we start our boat trip is derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning native hen. The females often breed with harem of male, a rare practice in the animal kingdom called polyandry.
There are number of beautiful parrots on Maria including the critically endangered Swift parrot which migrates to Tasmania each summer and nests and feeds on the island’s flowering Blue Gums. The other parrots include Yellow-tailed black cockatoo and Green rosella.
The island is great place to see Hooded plovers, Oystercatchers, Shy albatross, Pelicans and migrating Muttonbirds.
The boat trip to Maria is a fantastic opportunity to see some of our marine life. Dolphins (common and bottlenose) are frequently sighted in the Mercury Passage. Whales (humpbacks and southern right whales) migrate past Maria when heading north in May/June and again as they head south Oct/Nov. Australian fur seals are frequently seen and there is a significant colony of seals on a nearby island that in 1802 the French Baudin expedition named Ile des Phoques (Island of the Seals).
A Land Rich in History
Maria Island is one of the richest heritage sites in Australia.
Many cultures have stories interwoven with the island’s history, including the Puthikwilayti Aboriginals, Dutch, English, French and Italians.
The Aboriginal name for Maria Island is Wukaluwikiwayna.
Maria Island has been home to explorers, whalers, sealers, convicts, fishermen, farmers and industrialists. This varied influence on Maria Island is still very visible today.
A UNESCO World Heritage-listed Convict Site, Darlington settlement on the island is beautifully preserved and is one of the best examples of Probation Convict Settlements in the world. The Darlington convict settlement pre-dates the more widely known Port Arthur.
Declared a National Park in 1972, there are no permanent residents on Maria Island except the Tasmanian Parks rangers that care for the island.
The island has a unique and fascinating history, shared by the guides as our guest walk the island from south to north and unravel its early history and bring it to life.
The Maria Island Walk acknowledges the Aboriginal Communities and Traditional Custodians of country throughout Tasmania and we recognise their continued connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, as we seek to understand their history and learn from their knowledge.
