Bishop and Clerk Hike – Maria Island, Tasmania

If didn’t already know it, Tasmania is the best place in the world for hiking and bushwalking.

Maria Island is a little gem, and we think this Bishop and Clerk hike is one of the best reward-for-effort walks in Tasmania!


How to get to the Bishop and Clerk hike on Maria Island?

This Bishop and Clerk hike takes a little bit more effort than your average jaunt through the Tasmanian wilderness!

Maria Island is exactly that…an island.

If you’ve got the cash to burn then you can catch a charter flight across. If you’ve got the forearms of Popeye and sinews of steel then you can kayak across the Mercury Passage. However most ‘normal’ people will take the ferry from Triabunna.

Triabunna is only an hour’s drive from Hobart so before you know it you’ll be standing on the jetty ready to board the ferry run by Encounter Maria.

It costs $45 return for an adult and $28 for children, and after a 30-40min ferry ride you’ll find yourself docking at the gorgeous Darlington jetty on the northern tip of Maria Island.

For more information on getting to Maria Island, camping options, and other attractions on the island, click here to read about our amazing 4 days camping on Maria Island!

The bottom of the hill, Bishop and Clerk in the distance


The hike to Bishop and Clerk

From the main campground, simply follow the main track north past the registration building (making sure you have your Parks Pass with you!) until you see the sign at the top of the hill directing you to the left (east).

Following this dirt road for just under 1.5km you’ll find yourself at the edge of an absolutely epic cliff face looking north across the water towards Freycinet National Park, with a large grassy hill to your right (see the photo above).

Following the dirt track up the steep hill – cliff and stunning water views to your left – after 10-20mins you’ll find yourself at the start of the track proper. All along the way you’ll see the jagged profile of your destination, Bishop and Clerk, in the distance.

The start of the Bishop and Clerk track

If you were really fit you could have ridden your bike to this point and continued on for some way up the track, but most leave their bikes at the bottom of the hill.

Stepping into the trees, the broad path continues for around 1.5km before narrowing. For us, other than the summit this was our favourite part of the walk. The views through the trees to the left are amazing, with Freycinet and the deep blue water making regular appearances. It was blowing a gale as we climbed the hill at the start of the walk, yet the scattered trees acted as a baffle, resulting in a delicate breeze that cooled us down as we worked up a sweat.

After narrowing, the trail continues through the bush before eventually opening up again at the base of a large section of jumbled dolerite boulders. I’m guessing that from the time we passed the blue sign it took us around 45 minutes to get here.

A short rest and a drink of water later and we were off again, scrambling over the rocks on all fours on some occasions, following the occasional rock cairns to ensure we didn’t go off track.

Looking back over our shoulder the  views were becoming better and better with each gain in altitude.

Looking back towards Darlington and Triabunna

The last 50 metres or so proved to be surprisingly difficult.

The boulders by this stage were absolutely massive, with some sections requiring a high level of agility to clamber up, over, between and around the monoliths. One ledge in particular I recall was particularly difficult, with very few hand holds available to pull yourself up over the edge of the rock shelf, and a fairly long drop if you happened to slip. In the wet this would be downright dangerous!!

After two hours of hiking we eventually hauled ourselves up the last few dolerite steps, to be greeted by sensational 360-degree views around Maria Island.

Freycinet in the distance…

 

Freycinet in blue

Finding a sheltered little nook behind one of the rocks, we enjoying a well earned lunch before relaxing under the warm sun and eventually making our way back down the way we came.

Our final thoughts on the Bishop and Clerk walk?

This Maria Island walk has plenty for everyone!

Those with limited fitness may feel a great sense of accomplishment simply reaching the top of the grassy hill, or perhaps pushing on until the track narrows.

If you are unsure on your feet when rock-hopping or suffer from a touch of vertigo then you may like to stop at the base of the boulder slope.

And if you enjoy a good, yet not overly difficult hike, then you’ll be thoroughly satisfied with the incredible views at the top of Bishop and Clerk. While it was tough towards the top, the fact that a bunch of school children had ascended the peak half an hour before us was enough to keep our confidence levels high!

In total this walk took us around three and a half hours. If you haven’t hired a bike you will need to add on perhaps another 30 minutes each way to get to and from Darlington. It’s the perfect length for anyone visiting the island as a day trip, with the ferry typically leaving around 4:00pm.

We loved this walk, and the reward to effort ratio was massive!

Reward-to-effort ratio = 10/10
Leech count = 0
Snake count = 0


Looking for more articles about Maria Island?

If you’d like to read more about our adventures on the island – across two visits – you’ll love these articles…

Are you planning a road trip down Tasmania’s East Coast? Our friends at the Lap of Tasmania have all the info you need to plan and experience the ultimate Aussie road trip!

Happy travels!

Andrew and Karen.