Orford Tas: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Maria Island lies twenty minutes offshore and has no cars, no shops and no permanent residents, only rangers, wombats and the ruins of two convict eras and two failed businesses. It is a national park, reached by a passenger ferry from Triabunna, ten minutes north of Orford. This route is a full day on foot or by bike from the jetty at Darlington. Bring all food and water, check the tide for the Painted Cliffs, and do not miss the last ferry back — there is no other way off.

The ten best sights in Orford Tas

1
Commissariat Store, Darlington
The first building you meet off the ferry; it is the island's visitor centre
2
Spring Bay Mill
A former woodchip mill turned venue; check what is on before going
3
Spiky Bridge
Fifty minutes north, just off the highway before Swansea; a five-minute stop
4
Bark Mill Museum
In Swansea; how a whole coast lived off wattle bark
5
East Coast Heritage Museum
Small local museum in Swansea; an hour on a grey day
6
Old Convict Road
Walk it from town along the Prosser River gorge; flat and shady
7
Painted Cliffs
Reachable on foot only at low tide; check the tide table before the ferry
8
Fossil Cliffs
An easy loop from Darlington; look down at the rock, not only at the sea
9
Bishop and Clerk
A long climb with a boulder scramble at the top; start on the first ferry
10
Maria Island National Park
No cars and no shops: bring food, water and a bike if you can

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Tours in Orford Tas →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Orford Tas:

Free walking tours in Orford Tas

The island without cars

Maria Island Ferry · Abel Tasman sailed past in 1642 and named the island after Maria van Diemen, the wife of the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, Anthony van Diemen.
Commissariat Store, Darlington · Darlington was a convict station twice, first in the 1820s and 1830s and again in the 1840s, and it is one of the eleven Australian Convict Sites on the UNESCO list. The store dates from the first period, which makes it one of the oldest buildings on the island.
Fossil Cliffs · The limestone is packed with the shells of sea creatures from the Permian, some 290 million years ago. In the 1920s the same rock was quarried for a cement works at Darlington, which closed in the Depression.
Bishop and Clerk · The peak is a cap of dolerite, the hard volcanic rock that tops most Tasmanian mountains, broken into columns. From the summit you look straight down a sheer drop to the sea and across to the Freycinet Peninsula.
Painted Cliffs · Groundwater carrying iron oxides seeped through the sandstone and stained it in rings, swirls and stripes of orange and brown. The sea then polished the lower cliff smooth, so the patterns show best right at the waterline.
Maria Island National Park · In 2012 Tasmanian devils free of the facial tumour disease were released on the island as an insurance population. Forester kangaroos and Cape Barren geese had been brought here in the 1960s and 1970s for the same reason: a safe place away from the main island.

Orford on the Prosser

Orford is a holiday village where the Prosser River runs out of a gorge into a bay sheltered by Maria Island. Most of the houses are weekend shacks of Hobart families, which is why it is busy in January and very quiet the rest of the year. This route stays close: the convicts' road up the river, a string of sandy beaches, a lookout, and the forest road south. Half a day, mostly on foot, and a good one for the evening you arrive.

Old Convict Road · In the 1840s convicts cut a road along the north side of the Prosser River gorge, part of the route from Hobart to the east coast. The modern highway runs on the other bank, and the old road is now a walking track.
Raspins Beach · The beach lies on the north side of the Prosser River mouth, where the river's sandbar shifts with the floods. Shorebirds nest on Tasmanian beaches like this in spring and summer, so keep dogs and feet away from the dunes.
Shelly Beach · As the name suggests, the small beach is strewn with broken shell. A coastal path from East Shelly Beach runs on to Spring Beach along the low cliffs.
Spring Beach · Spring Beach faces Maria Island across the Mercury Passage, and the island blocks much of the ocean swell. The water is usually gentler than on the open coast, though rarely warm.
Three Thumbs Lookout · The three rocky knobs on the ridge gave the lookout its name. From the platform the whole length of Maria Island lies across the water, with the Bishop and Clerk at its northern end.
Wielangta Forest · In the mid-2000s Wielangta was at the centre of a long court fight over logging and threatened species, brought by the Greens senator Bob Brown. Much of the forest is now in a reserve, crossed by a gravel road with picnic spots on the Sandspit River.

North along the bay to Swansea

North of Orford the Tasman Highway follows the coast of Great Oyster Bay, with Freycinet's granite peaks growing across the water as you go. The convicts left their mark here too, in the bridges they built for this road. The route is about an hour of driving from Orford to Swansea with stops, a gentle half day that fits well on the way to Freycinet or back. Fill up in Triabunna or Swansea; there is little in between.

Spring Bay Mill · For decades this was a woodchip mill, and its closure in 2011 was a turning point in Tasmania's fight over native forests. The Wotif founder Graeme Wood and Jan Cameron bought it and turned the site into a venue for events and gatherings.
Mayfield Bay · Beside the beach the highway crosses a creek on the Three Arch Bridge, another of the stone bridges built by convicts on this coast road in the 1840s.
Spiky Bridge · Convicts from the Rocky Hills probation station built the bridge in the 1840s, and set the stones of its parapets on end so they stick up like spikes. No one knows for sure why; the most common guess is to stop cattle from falling over the side.
Kate's Berry Farm · The farm sits on a slope above Great Oyster Bay, and from the deck you look across the water to the Hazards, the pink granite peaks of Freycinet.
Bark Mill Museum · Bark from black wattle trees was ground here to extract tannin, which tanneries used to turn hides into leather. For years the mill was one of the main employers on the coast.
Swansea · Swansea began as Great Swanport, one of the oldest settlements on the east coast. The town stands on Great Oyster Bay, sheltered by the Freycinet Peninsula, so the water in front of it is usually calm.

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Getting to Orford Tas and getting around

Hobart Airport · About an hour and a quarter by car, over the hills through Buckland
Maria Island Ferry · Passengers and bikes only, about half an hour; book ahead in summer

Cheap eats in Orford Tas

Orford is a village of holiday shacks, and the food matches: a couple of cafés, a pub bistro and a supermarket, with more choice half an hour away in Triabunna and an hour away in Swansea. The local treats are fish and chips at the ferry wharf, oysters from the east-coast farms and berries in summer. Maria Island has no food at all, so lunch for the island is bought on the mainland the day before or on the morning.

The Fish Van · Fish and chips by the Triabunna ferry wharf, about A$15-25
Scorchers by the River · Café and pizza on the Prosser in Orford, about A$15-28
Wattlebanks Coastal Cafe · Coffee and breakfast in Orford before the ferry, about A$10-22
Kate's Berry Farm · Berry ice cream and pancakes near Swansea, about A$8-18
Bark Mill Tavern and Bakery · Pies and bread by day, pub meals at night, in Swansea; about A$6-30
Melshell oyster shack · Fresh oysters from the farm gate past Swansea, about A$15-25 a dozen

Museums in Orford Tas

Commissariat Store, Darlington · Displays on the island's convicts, settlers and wildlife; free with the park pass
Bark Mill Museum · The old wattle-bark mill in Swansea, with its machinery
East Coast Heritage Museum · Local history of Swansea and the coast in a small museum
Spring Bay Mill · Former woodchip mill, now a venue; open for events and some tours

Nature and day trips near Orford Tas

Painted Cliffs · About two hours return on foot from the jetty; only at low tide
Fossil Cliffs · An easy loop from Darlington with views of the north of the island
Bishop and Clerk · About five hours return; not on a windy day
Wielangta Forest · Tall wet forest and picnic spots on a gravel road south of Orford
Three Thumbs Lookout · The view over Mercury Passage and the whole island

Things to do in Orford Tas with kids

Maria Island National Park · Wombats graze on the lawns of Darlington, close enough to photograph
Spiky Bridge · A five-minute stop with a mystery to solve
Spring Beach · Calm water and sand, sheltered by the island
Kate's Berry Farm · Ice cream with a view on the Swansea day
Raspins Beach · A long walk on the sand and shells to collect

Where to eat in Orford Tas

Orford Blue Waters · The pub bistro near the river mouth; steaks, fish and parmas
Scorchers by the River · Pizza on the river in the evening; check opening days out of season
Piermont Retreat and Restaurant · A proper dinner out near Swansea, an hour north; book ahead
Bark Mill Tavern and Bakery · Pub dinner in Swansea if you are there late

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Frequently asked questions about Orford Tas

What is there to see in Orford Tas?

The top sights in Orford Tas are Commissariat Store, Darlington, Spring Bay Mill and Spiky Bridge. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Orford Tas?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Orford Tas without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Orford Tas?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Orford Tas, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The island without cars.

How do you get to Orford Tas and get around?

The main ways are Hobart Airport and Maria Island Ferry. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Orford Tas, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Orford Tas that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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