The wind whips across the Tasman Sea, carrying whispers of a grand, if ultimately doomed, vision. On Maria Island, a remote speck off Tasmania’s east coast, the echoes of Diego Bernacchi’s ambition are still palpable, particularly within the restored heritage house that now serves as a beacon of comfort for weary walkers. Portraits adorning the dining room walls offer a glimpse into this past – Diego, the dark-eyed optimist, consumed by a fantastical dream to forge an empire from this isolated outpost. Beside him, his petite Belgian bride, Barbe, her expression a portrait of weary forbearance, stranded at the edge of the world, likely pondering the eventual fate of their grand experiment.
We know the outcome now. The mulberry trees failed, the grapes withered on the vine, and the ambitious cement works crumbled. Yet, it’s precisely because of Bernacchi’s legendary enterprise in the late 1800s that we find ourselves with a roof over our heads, a welcome respite after days spent traversing this wild landscape. For the past two nights, our accommodation has been a step up from roughing it. Zipped into safari tents pitched in meadows of shady bracken, we’ve enjoyed the simple luxury of sleeping under the stars, punctuated by invigorating bush showers and gourmet three-course meals expertly paired with local Tasmanian wines. This is the essence of the Maria Island Walk, a unique blend of solitude and curated comfort.
Our journey has brought us, a group of six strangers seeking the contradictory gifts of both solitude and companionship, to Bernacchi’s house in Darlington. Located on the island’s north-western tip, it marks the end of our four-day trek, having covered approximately 40 kilometres. Our guides, a testament to their dedication and skill, have outdone themselves once again, conjuring a final supper of exquisite blue-eyed trevalla, served with roasted garlic and watercress mash. As we savour the meal, they share fascinating details about the newly recovered 19th-century oil paintings that now grace the walls.
These very portraits were returned to Maria Island by Diego’s descendant, Clare Bernacchi, who made her first pilgrimage to the island last year. These cherished family heirlooms, now on permanent loan, offer a tangible link to the past. “My children thought they were kind of creepy because their eyes follow you around the room,” Clare shared from her home in Auckland. “That trip, bringing them to the island, was one of the most incredible things I’ve done in my entire life: I mean, who gets to stay in the house that their great-great-grandparents built and lived in?”
Clare’s journey to Darlington mirrors our own, a short sea voyage from the quaint fishing village of Triabunna, a mere hour’s drive north-east of Hobart. As our boat cuts through the grey-green swell of the Tasman Sea, we feel the proximity to the elements, the scrubby dolerite peaks of Maria Island rising dramatically before us. Our arrival on day one is a barefoot landing at Riedle Bay, a gentle introduction to the island’s rugged beauty. The afternoon finds us navigating a steep descent onto pink granite boulders at Haunted Bay, their surfaces daubed with vivid orange lichen. The water below gleams like sapphires, and the vastness of the Tasman Peninsula stretches out to the distant horizon, a reminder of our isolation.
As twilight descends, we find solace in a candlelit dinner at our coastal scrub camp on Casuarina Beach. The netted canvas sides of our tents are rolled up, allowing the soothing rhythm of breaking waves to lull us. We marvel at the resourcefulness of our guides, who, after leading us along this jagged coastline all day, transform into bush chefs, conjuring a delectable saffron risotto with Tasmanian scallops and fresh asparagus.
The following morning offers a leisurely start, but soon we are immersed in the island’s history, encountering the red-brick remnants of a convict probation station at Point Lesueur. Further along, Bloodstone Point presents dramatic cliffs that glow like embers at the water’s edge, a stark reminder of the island’s penal past.
On our third day, our path winds towards Darlington, passing a century-old quarry and the Painted Cliffs, their swirling patterns resembling caramel ice-cream, fringed by beaches as pale as ash. The forests of blue gum, dark against the sky, offer a sanctuary where shy pademelons skitter through the undergrowth. Cape Barren geese graze in abundance as we approach the Darlington settlement, originally founded in 1825, then revived for another failed convict experiment in 1842.
Diego Bernacchi, though his industrial ventures ultimately failed, remains an enduring presence on Maria Island. He faded into relative obscurity after his death in Melbourne in 1925, with attention shifting to his son, Louis, a pioneering polar scientist who accompanied Scott on the Discovery Expedition to Antarctica. “After seeing how beautiful the island is, you think: Oh my gosh, why would you not want to live there?” Clare muses. She’s right; Maria Island is an exceptional place. Its profound isolation has, in modern times, become an exploitable natural resource in its own right. “I can understand why my ancestor tried for the vast majority of his adult life to make industry work on Maria Island.”
Our final day’s adventure culminates in a climb to a peak known as Bishop and Clerk. This ascent, perhaps more than any other, offers insight into Bernacchi’s unyielding persistence, even into his seventies, pursuing schemes that most pragmatic individuals would have long since abandoned. From the summit, the panoramic view unfolds, revealing the sparkling sea, the dramatic Freycinet Peninsula, and an endless horizon. If Bernacchi ever reached this vantage point, it’s from here that he must have truly grasped the immense potential of this wondrous place, a place where dreams, however ambitious, might just be possible, even inevitable.
Planning Your Maria Island Adventure
For those inspired to follow in the footsteps of Bernacchi and modern-day adventurers, the Maria Island Walk offers a truly immersive experience.
- Duration: The four-day guided walk is available during the Australian spring and summer months, typically from October to April.
- Pricing:
- $3350 per person, based on twin-share accommodation.
- $5850 for single occupancy.
- Inclusions: The guided journey encompasses all accommodation, all meals with accompanying beverages, and return transfers from Hobart. Optional loan of essential equipment, such as 50-litre backpacks, is also provided.
- Pack-Free Options: For those who prefer to travel lighter, pack-free options are available.
- More Information: Visit mariaislandwalk.com for detailed itineraries and booking information.
The writer experienced this journey as a guest of the Maria Island Walk.
