Maria Island National Park

Maria Island was originally a penal colony and now a national park.

The sheltered beaches on the west coast of the island (Mercury Passage) are popular with swimmers, snorkellers and scuba divers. The hills rise sharply up from the coast, and on the summits it can be disagreeably cool. The hillsides are covered with dry eucalyptus forest, and there are expanses of heathland and depressions full of ferns.

Must-see attractions nearby:

There is a rich fauna, including the rare Cape Barren geese, Forester kangaroos and even wallabies. On Mount Maria (709m) there are beautiful walking trails and good climbing routes. From the tops of the hills there are fine views of the island and the east coast of Tasmania. There are interesting caves in the rock faces with ancient marine sediments.

Address

Maria Island National Park
Maria Island, TAS 7190
Australia

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3495

Cost

Admission Cost	$ 22.00
Adult	$ 11.00

All values are in Australia Dollars

Tips

There is a passenger ferry between the resort of Louisville and Darlington, and there are air taxis between Triabunna and Darlington. There are no shops on the island. Admission cost is per vehicle per day up to a maximum of eight people.

Related Attractions

Darlington

There are remains of the penal village to which prisoners convicted of serious offences and particularly troublesome convicts were sent before the establishment of the penal colony of Port Arthur. Later this became a probation center. No further convicts were sent to Maria Island after the middle of the 19th C.

A few ruined buildings dating from around 1880 are relics of 19th C attempts to develop silk production and cement manufacture on the island.