Maria's Island: From the author of the million copy bestseller, The Island

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A subsequent report from the NHC stated that "Life-threatening storm surge is occurring along the coasts of the Isla Marias'. We had always wanted to visit Tasmania, so when we finally made it across the Bass Strait we made the most of it and spent three months driving nearly 10,000km around the island. This historic hop kiln was once used for drying hops, and amongst the ruins you can still see two large brick drying-towers, and the floors of ventilating bricks. It’s actually one of the reasons that makes Maria Island so fantastic to visit, as it’s peaceful for both animals and humans alike.

Maria Island - Wikipedia Maria Island - Wikipedia

As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo! There’s a small number of gas barbecues at Darlington for campers to use, but you need to bring your own cooking equipment. It is such an amazing and special place, and despite its tragic Aboriginal and convict history (which is important to learn), there is also great walks, biking, sightseeing, snorkelling, animal spotting and more to be done on the island. Tasmanians pronounce the name / m ə ˈ r aɪ ə/ mə- RY-ə, as did the early British settlers but the original pronunciation was / m ə ˈ r iː ə/ mə- REE-ə.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. The NHC also reported that "An automated observing site on Las Islas Marias recently reported a sustained wind of 88 mph (142 km/h) with a gust to 112mph (180 km/h)". Even more amazingly, all of Tasmania’s twelve endemic birds live on Maria Island, including the Forty-spotted pardalote, one of the rarest birds in Australia! The island's first convict era took place between 1825 and 1832 and its second - the probation station era - was between 1842 and 1850.

Maria Island - Maria Island Walk Maria Island - Maria Island Walk

After a big day of biking or hiking, you deserve a few hours in the afternoon relaxing on the beach. This area is one of the most intensively studied marine protected areas in Australia and is popular with divers.The collection of buildings are open to the public, some left as they would have appeared back in the day, some empty and some being turned into museums. All water on the island is non-potable, so bring a full water bottle with you, and extra water if staying overnight. Soldiers Beach and Bloodstone Beach on the western side of the island are also well worth the effort that it takes to reach them, as are Shoal Bay and Riedle Bay, the beaches either side of McRaes Isthmus.

Maria Island | Tourist Attractions | Discover Tasmania Maria Island | Tourist Attractions | Discover Tasmania

You do need to bring your own camping and cooking gear as there is none available to rent on the island. The island was named in 1642 by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman after Maria van Diemen (née van Aelst), wife of Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies in Batavia. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Their traditional stronghold is the islands of Bass Strait but they are found all the way to Western Australia.

As part of a tourism industry that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors Tasmania's deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully. If you would prefer to stay in bunk accommodation, you can book a room at the Maria Island Penitentiary at Darlington. From the 1880s, the Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi set up island enterprises, including silk and wine production and a cement factory, quarrying limestone deposits at the Fossil Cliffs for the raw material. With its short tail and legs, characteristic waddle and ‘cuddly’ appearance the wombat is one of Australia’s most endearing native animals. If you really want to get away from the crowds then grab your bike and head to the far tip of south Maria Island.