Little Swanport >> Maria Island >> Hobart

It rained all night. After our breakfast, the host told us that the water level in the river was increasing fast. We needed to leave the house soon before the river overflowed.

It was still drizzling when we reached the jetty at Triabunna. We were the first to arrive. We had reserved our seats for the first departure of the day to Maria Island before arriving in Tasmania.

We embarked on the ferry and got a seat right at the front of it. It was a mistake for the ride. The ferry was crossing on a pretty rough sea. I got seasick due to the rocking and tossing on the ferry.

After an adventure 30-minute ride, we finally arrived at Maria Island.

Maria Island is a car-free National Park island. Walking or cycling is the only option to explore this island, which is full of wildlife. There is no shop or cafe on the island, and thus we need to bring our food and drink.

The Visitor Information Centre is just meters away from the jetty. The building is known as the Commissariat Store, which was built in 1825 and is the oldest building on the island.

It was raining, but we decided to start the hike as the weather in Tasmania changes fast. But that was not the case for today.

• Fossil Cliffs Circuit ~ 4.5km loop ~ 2hr 30mins

Due to the rain, the grassland is flooded. We could see kangaroos and wallabies in the open space. Two crazy continue the walk on the unseen flooded path.

The strong waves hit the shore. The wind was strong, and the rain continued. Due to the bad weather, we were unable to see the fossils.

Continue the walk back to Darlington.

Rest and lunch in the Darlington area. By noon, the weather was clear. Finally, the wombats were out munching the grass.

• Painted Cliffs Circuit ~ 4.3km return ~ 2hr 30mins

Stroll to the south of the island. Spot many wombats on both sides of the grassland. The scenery is different from the morning hike.
We were amazed by the colors and the swirling patterns on the sandstone rock formations of the impressive Painted Cliffs.
Please note that the cliffs are only accessible at low tide. On the day of the visit, the tide is not low enough for us to access all of the cliffs.

• Lookout for the Wombats

On board the last ferry of the day back to the mainland.

We drove back to Hobart and stayed in the city center for the night. We treat ourselves to a good dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Overnight at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hobart

We drove to the airport the following day and brought home with good memories of our 23 days of holiday in Tasmania.