Join Lauren and her partner Jess as they hike, swim, and camp their way around Maria Island, having some of the best wildlife encounters of their lives!


We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Puthikwilayti people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

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Quick Overview

Frenchs Farm Circuit is a 49km, four-day intermediate hike that explores some of the best terrain Maria Island has to offer. The island is famous for its wildlife so don’t forget to pack your binoculars!

 

Want to see the Pinnacles? Head to the top of the Bishop and Clerk for the best view

Quick Facts Maria Island Loop Hike

Distance: 49km
Duration: 4 days
Elevation: 550m

About Maria Island

Maria Island, or Wukaluwikiwayna, is a popular destination for day trippers from Tassie but it offers an even better adventure for those staying longer. This multi-day adventure takes you from the north to the south of the island and back, through dense forests, up to a breathtaking summit, along coastlines, and to remote sandy beaches. To really enjoy all Maria Island has to offer, give yourself at least four days here.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Bonus hiking buddies

History of Maria Island

For more than 40,000 years the Puthikwilayti people called this island and surrounding waters home. But as the small ferry pulls into Darlington Harbour the first thing you see are the colonial scars that litter the landscape.

Old prison buildings stand like ghosts along the coast, all built on land taken from the Puthikwilayti people and members of the Oyster Bay tribe. A number of various groups occupied the island from then until it was declared a national park in 1972. Now it provides a peaceful home for wildlife.

How To Get to Maria Island

The island is located a short, 30-minute ferry ride from Triabunna, and the only modes of transport allowed are powered by your feet (walking and cycling). Triabunna can be reached by car from Hobart and the drive takes between 90 minutes and two hours.

 

The ferry runs on a tight schedule so make sure you’re on time

 

There’s a popular shuttle that runs between Hobart and Triabunna, so book well in advance if you’ll be relying on that to get to the ferry.

A national parks pass and ferry ticket are also needed and can be purchased online. On arrival at the ferry terminal, log your intended route at the information centre.

Where To Stay on Maria Island

There are campsites dotted across the island but for this route we stayed one night at Darlington Harbour campground – for a small fee – and two nights at the free Frenchs Farm campground. There are toilets at both, no showers, and covered communal areas to store food overnight. This is important because animals are everywhere, and they’ll happily eat your entire food supply if you leave it where they can access it.

 

Super cute, but also super partial to muesli bars and packet soup

Skill Level

Intermediate

There are trails to suit pretty much every fitness level on the island but the Frenchs Farm Circuit is for intermediate hikers and isn’t wheelchair accessible. There’s no phone service after leaving Darlington so a PLB is essential. 

The route passes through coastal areas where swimming is possible. We stuck to the sheltered bay just before the Painted Cliffs as the currents are unpredictable and there are no lifeguards. If you’re not confident in the water, please enjoy the beaches from the sand.

 

That’s not even a compromise – the sand here is primo

Distance / Duration / Elevation Gain

49km/4 days/550m

The loop is roughly 49km and averages 12-13km per day. Elevation on the first day is roughly 550m and the other three days average between 50m-80m.

Quiet forest en route to Frenchs Farm

Essential Gear for Frenchs Farm Circuit

Read more: Comparing Different Methods of Treating and Purifying Water on the Trail

What It’s Like To Hike the Frenchs Farm Circuit

Day 1: Darlington Harbour – Bishop and Clerk Summit – Darlington Harbour

Distance: 13km
Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes (round trip)

We haul our packs out of the luggage crates on the ferry and make our way to the campground in Darlington. The short walk is a breeze with heavy packs and fresh legs. We pitch our tent but it takes considerably longer than normal thanks to the many distracting wallabies and wombats. 

We then set off to summit Bishop and Clerk in the northeast of the island.

And so began the age-old battle of where to look – the scenery or your feet?

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The track takes us through bush which quickly turns into a coastal path. Next it transitions through gum forests that become denser the higher we climb.

Three quarters of the way to the top we hit a large patch of scree and continue to follow the markers. Every other step disturbs a lizard.

 

Watch out little dudes!

 

We finally break the tree line and start the upwards scramble.

The Bishop and Clerk Summit is known for the Pinnacles visible from the top but to get there you have to navigate some bouldering. Caution advised!

Looking across the island from the summit of Bishop and Clerk

We’re chasing the last light of the day as we head back down. In the distance we catch a glimpse of what looks like a large figure seated on the edge of the cliff. Confused, we confirm that neither of us remember passing a bench or any people. As we get closer we realise it’s actually two huge Wedge-tailed eagles feasting on the wallaby they’d (presumably!) just killed. 

Guided by our head torches, we finally arrive at camp and make dinner with the help of a tame potoroo and some overly friendly mosquitos.

Day 2: Darlington Campground – Frenchs Farm

Distance: 11.5km
Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

We woke to the sound of birds and the sight of a Bull ant climbing out of the hood of my sleeping bag. Great. After a good breakfast we set off south. Our next destination is Frenchs Farm, 12.5km away.

But after less than 20 minutes we stop just short of the Painted Cliffs and tentatively wade into the chilly ocean. We can’t pass up a good swim spot, despite how ridiculously early it is!

Read more: Staying Safe on Coastal Rock Platforms

Stay in too long and you’ll be as blue as the beautiful surroundings

We dry off, have a second breakfast, and continue walking. Apart from a few cyclists we barely see a soul all day, it’s absolute bliss. We entertain ourselves by playing rock or wombat and make it into a quiet camp mid-afternoon.

 

Mmm pretty sure that one’s a wombat

 

Frenchs Farm is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy nature. Wombats potter around the campsite, Bennett’s wallabies and kangaroos bounce across the field, and the tallest mountain on the island sits tall on the horizon. It’s a magical place to be.

The rangers wear fur at Frenchs Farm Campground

Mount Maria standing tall like the queen that she is

Day 3 – Frenchs Farm – Haunted Bay – Frenchs Farm

Distance: 12.5km
Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes

Our day starts walking along the centre of the strip connecting the north and south of the island, just south of Frenchs Farm campsite. The dusty trail from the day before seems like a dream as we trudge slowly through the sandy path.

We stop for a break on the beach just a stone’s throw from the path. Sea eagles and gulls perform aerial acrobatics while a small group of Pied oystercatchers chat among themselves as they busily comb the wet sand for food. 

 

Does sand come in a lighter shade? I think not

 

After a considerable amount of crackers, hummus, and sweaty cheese, we head on knowing we’re behind schedule. Still shuffling across the sandy paths we finally make it to the southern part of the island. We reach a sign pointing both left and right, and head left towards Haunted Bay.

The terrain suddenly changes and the paths are no longer well trodden – is this why it’s called Haunted Bay? Ferns and grasses fill our eyeline. 

Eeny meeny miny moe

The paths in the south are decidedly less maintained than up north

We walk and walk but eventually reach a point where we know if we don’t turn back we’ll run out of daylight. It’s a tough decision – especially because we never reach the bay – but the right one.

We start heading back, a little tired. About three metres ahead of me I notice what looks like an odd looking stick on the path. Two metres ahead now and I can see the stick is shiny. Closing in on one metre I realise the shiny stick has an eye and it’s not a stick at all, it’s a Lowland copperhead snake laying perfectly still across the path.

Copperhead road? More like copperhead trail

These moments are always a good reminder of the importance of carrying a PLB! 

That night back at Frenchs Farm, the air is buzzing with mosquitos and we wrap up while we cook to avoid being an evening meal ourselves.

 

Nothing beats a clear night under the stars

Day 4 – Frenchs Farm – Darlington Harbour

Distance: 12.3km
Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

We’re up early to catch our ferry but we’re not ready to leave and it’s a sad walk back to Darlington via the same route from day two. We were planning on taking the alternative inland route to mix it up, but we ran out of time. 

 

When you see the colonial buildings, you know you’re almost back in Darlington

 

It’s been a beautiful trip for so many reasons but most of all to be in the wilderness. By now our hips have stopped aching against our packs and we’re only concerned with walking, eating, and counting wombats.

As the ferry pulls away an Australasian gannet flies overhead and I take a deep breath, making a deliberate effort to remember my emotions from the last few days. These feelings will carry me through the nine to five that awaits me when I return home. They’ll remind me that there are plenty of adventures waiting in the great outdoors – and sometimes they’re just a ferry ride away.

Read more: Sunrise to Sunset on Tassie’s Maria Island

Until next time

FAQs Maria Island

What else can you do on Maria Island?

Take your bike on the ferry and you can easily spend an enjoyable long weekend bikepacking the island. Or you can while away a day or two wombat-watching, interspersed with some swimming, snorkelling, and short walks. Enjoy the peace and serenity in whatever way you like!

How long is the Frenchs Farm Circuit Hike?

The Frenchs Farm Circuit on Maria Island is 49km long. It takes the average hiker around four days to complete.

Can you fly to Maria Island?

No. The only way to get to Maria Island is by using the ferry service from Triabunna.

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The stories we share are written by real human beings who felt the wind in their hair and described their adventure in their own words. This is because we rate authenticity and the sharing of great experiences in the natural world – it’s all part of our ethos here at We Are Explorers. You can read more about it in our Editorial Standards.