Maria Island Gateway

Great ferry service - on time, clean, modern and efficient.
The crew were really friendly and the embarkation and disembarkation was simple and quick.
Great views on the way there and back and a really nice little cafe on board.
I got back to Darlington earlier than expected and was able to change my booking very easily with a phone call.

We stayed at the former penitentiary, There is no electricity in the rooms, but there is in the shared kitchen.
It was a wonderful weekend, with short and long tracks around the island. You can either walk or bring your bike (or rent one there too). It's full of wildlife; you can easily spot wombats. Enjoy your time there!

Absolutely a must come place! The view is very different from the rest of the Australia, especially at the Painted Rocks and and port.
You can only walk or ride a bike there which both are quite fun to be honest, but obviously the bike can take you further into the island and see more things. You can also camp on the island overnight.

An hour drive from Hobart and 40 mins ferry and we can go from one peice of heaven to the other .
Highly recommended hiring bikes or taking your own bikes to go around the island .
Toilets are super clean , and if you are camping , there are campground available with functioning kitchen .
On a beautiful sunny day , the water is amazing for a swim .
Plenty wombats , paddy melons and cape barren goose during our visit - but remember don’t go too close to them .
Things to see :
Painted cliff , fossil cliff are naturally formed with patterns . Haunted bay - if you staying over night you can hear the fairy penguins calling each other . Hence the name .

We didn’t use the facilities there , but a few options available for stays .

Must visit !

This is the perfect way to start your adventure to Maria Island, all the staff and so friendly and professional. Your gear if you are.camping and even your bikes if you are taking them are all transported on and off the boat for you with care. There are sandwiches, snacks, coffee...even wine and beer onboard, we were really impressed! The kind staff even bring your coffee to you up on the deck! On my way back over to the mainland I realised I had left a pair of my shoes on the island and one of the Maria Encounter staff members drove them to me in Hobart!! Talk about customer service! I was so grateful and very impressed in every way with this experience.

The ferry was running late; waiting for passengers delayed by a road accident. We were at risk of missing the 10:05am bus. The ww.encountermaria.com.au crew were fantastic in getting us back on time. These are seamen you have to see man! (Oh and the onboard long-black's not bad either)

We were onboard to & from Maria Island on 30.07.2023 & wow what a professional crew! It was a really windy day & the waves were not in their favour but wow did they handle that so well but not only that, they made sure each passenger got on carefully & SAFELY! The first I’ve seen crew members focus on the care of their passengers! I applaud you men and was grateful to experience your service. Cannot recommend them enough! 120% amazing as well as Maria Island itself, rich history and still historical buildings standing as-well as the wildlife. You won’t regret it!

Definitely go to Maria Island with these guys. You see so many wombats. You can also hire bikes to get around the island easier. I would recommend the e bikes because the island is quite hilly

Worth seeing! The island is rich in history as orginally a penal colony for the worst public offenders of a Penal Continent. The kangaroos are abundent as are wombats. The hikes are vigorous if you want, or not. You can choose.

We travelled to maria island on the ferry from Triabunna, the staff were very friendly and efficient. The boat is clean, and very smart. It's a great start to a short holiday.. what a fabulous experience.

My family traveled to Tasmania in November, and my partner’s car keys were dropped on Maria Island! Got great help from Encounter maria island. Thanks a lot.

Great boat, friendly staff, delicious food on board. Best scallop pie in Tassie and very good muffins.

great wheelchair access. thanks to the awesome team at "encounter maria", we had a fabulous day 👌

Oh wow! Words cannot express the pleasure. The walking required moderate fitness.

The sailors are proper seamen. And the ship is a well oiled machine

Beautiful nature and wildlife! 100% worth a trip

If you love wombats this is the place to see them

Pre-book of ferry to Maria Island National Park is recommended, have to arrive half an hour before departure

Great place to visit spent the day loved the painted cliffs must see at low tide, and the fossil cliffs were great

Triabunna Visitor centre was a very pleasant place to check in