Tour 1 - Ile Des Phoques / Maria Island
The stunning Ile Des Phoques has been our favourite place to cruise, swim, dive and explore ever since we began in 2006. The Ile Des Phoques (French for Island of Seals) is an absolute haven for marine life and has been declared one of the best cold water dives in the world.
Your cruise to the Ile Des Phoques will capture the stunning views of Maria Island, including famous landmarks such as the Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs, spring-fed waterfalls, limestone sea caves, cliff-top stalactites, Bishop & Clerk mountain range and the stunning granite cliffs of Maria Island's east coast. At the northern tip of Maria Island the cruise will head north to the Ile Des Phoques, a 30 minute boat ride from Maria Island. On the way to this remarkable granite island you can see albatross, dolphins, fur seals and whales (depending on the time of year) as well as majestic panoramic views of Maria Island and the Freycinet Peninsula.
Tour 2 - Circumnavigation
Our Circumnavigation cruise around Maria Island is like theatre on the water, a totally immersive and educational experience! The east coast of Maria Island showcases world class geology, mountain fed waterfalls, secluded bays, sea caves and beaches of pure white sand. Enjoy expert commentary from our professional scientific crew as you cruise to the renowned Riedle Bay and Shoal Bay at Maria Island's isthmus for a lunch stop on anchor. En route around Maria Island we stop to showcase many famous landmarks including the Fossil Cliffs and Painted Cliffs.
One tour ... but two cruises? What's the difference?
After touring to Maria Island for over 20 years, we have developed a unique cruise and walk day tour with two cruise options. The difference between each is the destination of the cruise. The circumnavigation cruise will take you on a journey around the entire coastline of Maria Island and you can't possibly see any more of Maria Island in a single day than this tour! The Ile Des Phoques (Island of Seals) cruise will head north to a remote granite island where we visit the most playful Australian fur seals and explore the inside of the biggest granite seas caves in Tasmania, possibly Australia. These caves are world class natural wonders and leave everyone totally speechless when viewed from inside on the boat. Upon returning from Ile Des Phoques to Maria Island, we visit the famous Fossil Cliffs and Painted Cliffs before docking at Darlington.
Each cruise will return to Maria Island for a relaxed afternoon guided walk of the Darlington convict settlement, exploring history and the island's friendly wildlife.
Click Here to view a map of the cruise route
Which cruise is scheduled?
Ile Des Phoques /Maria Island Day Tour - Monday / Tuesday
Maria Island Circumnavigation Day Tour - Wednesday / Thursday
Lunch
Lunch is provided on the tour from our cafe as a large healthy salad bowl and home made quiche. A variety of salad lunch options include; chicken breast in pesto aioli, smoked salmon, roast beef, leg ham or vegetarian/vegan. You can add a home made bacon & cheese quiche or pumpkin and feta quiche to you lunch and switch to a half salad. Please let us know before you tour if you would like a half salad option with a quiche. If a salad bowl is not for your liking, please let us know and you may choose anything else from our cafe to the value of $10pp (cash refunds not given if under $10). You may use this credit to purchase salad rolls or select from our range of freshly made sandwiches for children if you wish. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch on the day. Lunch is enjoyed on the boat whilst at anchor in an idyllic remote location at Maria Island.
Our guarantee to you
Each of our tours to Maria Island is especially designed to provide an exciting, informative and unforgettable day. Our professional staff are 100% committed to your enjoyment, comfort and safety and we pride ourselves on delivering the very best experience for each and every tour. We will guarantee that if we do not meet or exceed your expectation, we will refund your money no questions asked.
Minimum Numbers
Due to the high operational costs of our tours, we do require a minimum of 6 adult passengers for each tour. If we have not yet met the requirement within 48hrs days of the tour date, we will contact you to discuss the flexibility and options of moving to a different day.
Payments
Payments are taken upfront with confirmation of your booking. Maria Island Cruises accepts credit cards (Visa or Mastercard), PayPal or Direct Deposit (EFT) payments with each booking. We do not accept cash on the day. Credit card details are stored in a secure online booking system and are removed after the completion of your tour. Adjustments to bookings paid via credit cards or PayPal can be made at anytime without extra charges. Refunds do not incur any fees or charges..
Cancelling your tour
If you would like to cancel the booking, we simply ask that you notify us outside of 24hrs before the tour departure time. Cancellations or changes to the booking date made the day before (within 24hrs) will incur a 50% payment fee. We do not accept cancellations on the day. Credit cards will be charged if you cancel on the day or do not show up without notifying our office. Please note (important) we do not cancel tours because of rain. We only cancel tours if strong wind and swell prevent us from safely and comfortably cruising around Maria Island. If you wake up to rain on the day of your tour, please note that unless conditions on the water are rough, we will still be cruising and will not accept cancellations on the day because of rainy or overcast conditions. Please feel free to call our office on 0362571300 (8am-6pm) if you would like to discuss the weather or your booking.
Refunds
If you have cancelled and are required a refund, we are happy to do so without additional charges. Refunds can be given back to you credit cards, be made by EFT or via PayPal. Refunds will be given to customers who cancel outside of 24hrs from the departure date. If cancellations are made inside 24hrs (the day before) our staff will have already begun to cater for your tour. In this case, we will offer a 50% refund on the total booking cost. No refunds will be given for cancellations made by customers on the day of travel. Cancellations made by our business will allow for full refunds at any time with no extra charges.
December 25th and 26th
Unfortunately our tours will not operate on December 25th or December 26th this season.
Children
Our tours are PERFECT for children! In fact, our tours are so much fun they bring out the child in all of us! The friendly wildlife at Maria Island capture the imagination of children and adults alike. Although each tour is packed full of adventure, they are different and we often recommend visiting Ile Des Phoques (French for the "Island Of Seals") for young children if you have the choice. We have provided concessions for children between 3yo - 12yo and families (2A + 2Ch). Infants under 3yo travel for free.
Alcoholic drinks
Our tours are licensed to provide alcoholic drinks with lunch. A complimentary serve of wine or beer is provided with your lunch. Our selection of Darlington Vineyard wines ($6 per additional serve) include: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Our selection of Tasmanian beer include Boags Premium Larger or Boags Premium Light ($6 per bottle). Soft drinks, juice, water, tea and coffee are provided free of charge on the boat. Additional drinks can also be purchased on the boat during lunch and added to your order (applicable to orders booked direct to us by credit card. Please bring a payment method with you if you have paid for your tour by PayPal, direct deposit or via a tourism agent).
On board Toilet
Our custom built vessel Spirit Of Maria has a very comfortable, full-sized toilet. It also has the BEST view imaginable! The toilet is electronic flushing (no pumps or vales) and offers easy access and doubles as a private change room.
Weather
As you would expect, sometimes the weather does effect our plan for cruising at short notice. If the weather does not allow for a cruise to Ile Des Phoques, the cruise will be changed to circumnavigate Maria Island. If we cannot circumnavigate the island, we will construct the next best cruise itinerary to ensure you remain safe and comfortable. We have a very good idea of the weather 7 days before the cruise date. If there are any concerns about changing the plan of the tour, or cancelling we will let you know. If you have your own concerns about the weather, PLEASE give us a call. Our staff are trained to read the local weather conditions at Maria Island with our cruise in mind. We only operate the tours in gentle weather. Please also note, we do not cancel tours because of rain. We only cancel tours if strong wind and swell prevent us from safely and comfortably cruising around Maria Island. If you wake up to rain on the day of your tour, please note that unless conditions on the water are rough, we will still be cruising and will not accept cancellations on the day because of rainy or overcast conditions. Rain is a good thing here as we typically have the least rainfall in Tasmania! The mountains, cliffs and waterfalls of Maria Island all look amazing with mist and cloud around them and we are equally excited to tour on wet and rainy days!
Travel Sickness
If you are concerned about sea sickness, there is a pharmacy in Triabunna where you can purchase motion sickness medication. Please inform our boat staff if you are susceptible to motion sickness and they will allow you onto the boat first and allocate you the last row of seats (at the rear of the boat). This is where we advise people to sit if they are prone to motion sickness. Please do not choose to sit at the bow (front) of the boat. We also have ginger tablets and wrist bands (they work!) so please also ask for these before we depart. It is not common to feel motion sick on our boat, but always best to take precautions.
General Booking Terms
Maria Island Cruises reserves the right to cancel departures at anytime and will refund the full amount of any monies paid by the customer. Bookings must be confirmed by East Coast Cruises before the commencement of the cruise. Cancellations by the customer must be made 24 hours prior to the cruise departure to avoid cancellation fees. Cancellations by the customer within 24 hours of the tour departure will attract a cancellation fee of fifty percent of the total tour cost. Customers who cancel on the day of their cruise or tour booking or who fail to attend will be charged the full amount and not be entitled to a refund. Prices may be subject to change at anytime.
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