Bishop and Clerk high country
Guide updated · not walked — verify Parks Tasmania and the ferry
Grade 4 dolerite summit (~620 m) and the Fossil Cliffs approach country. Flagship walk. Last-ferry clock is the hard stop.
- Best for: Fit walkers with a verified ferry buffer and low wind
- Time: 4–5 hours walking plus ferry buffers
- On foot (or bike to the signed limit) from Darlington. No visitor cars.
Verify conditions on Parks Tasmania → · Park alerts
Ferry buffer
Published 4–5 hours is walking time. Add scramble caution and a last-ferry buffer. A late Hobart leave is how people invent an overnight they did not pack for.
Drive 75–90 minutes to Triabunna, Gateway check-in, ~45 minutes on the water. The walk starts at Darlington, not at the car park. Encounter Maria Island: bookings essential.
Be back at the jetty in daylight with time to spare. The last sailing is not a suggestion. Unplanned overnight needs food and a legal bed you already arranged.
What this high country actually is
Parks Tasmania publishes Bishop and Clerk as 11 km return, Grade 4, one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. Bushwalking experience recommended; the track may be long, rough and steep; signage may be limited. Summit about 620 m. Confirm live notes.
Day shape: grassland and woodland, cliff-line country near Fossil Cliffs / Skipping Ridge, then scree and an exposed dolerite scramble. Freycinet can show on a clear day. Return the same way.
Not walked for this URL. Named for a bishop in a mitre followed by a clergyman — that is published resemblance, not a reason to treat the columns as a casual lookout.
Wind, cliffs, scramble
Unfenced cliffs, unprotected edges, steep boulders, rock scree, wind gusts on the summit. Parks Tasmania: do not attempt the steep summit route in high winds.
Turn around before the scramble if energy, weather or the clock fails. That is still a legitimate Maria Island day — Fossil Cliffs or Darlington afternoon if buffer remains.
Supervise children as if the edge is the whole problem — because it is. This is not a family default. Older, cliff-sensible walkers only with adult ratios that actually work.
Pairing and clock
Do not pair Bishop and Clerk with Mount Maria on the same calendar day. Different starts, different energy budgets. Mount Maria is an 8-hour-class day from Counsel Creek.
Do not pair a full summit with a missed Painted Cliffs tide “while we wait.” Painted Cliffs at a verified low-tide window is the honest extra only if you finish early and still have a last-ferry buffer.
Fossil Cliffs is the neighbour walk and the honest Plan B when wind kills the summit. It is not a warm-up that still leaves five hours for the scramble on a tight ferry.
Bikes, pass, no extra walk permit
Bikes are allowed only to a signed point about 2 km past the Fossil Cliffs junction. Leave bikes; continue on foot. There is no visitor-car shortcut.
Parks Pass required, including private boat or plane. Ferry is a separate commercial ticket. No extra walk permit for this day walk. Camping and Penitentiary are a third fee system if you overnight.
Pack for an exposed day even if the jetty is mild. Treat or carry water. There is no café bail-out on the ridge.
Highlights at a glance
- Dolerite columns
- Cliff-top ocean views
- Fossil Cliffs as a shorter neighbour
Practical tips
- Wind layer at the jetty. The summit is colder than Darlington.
- Turn around before the scree if the clock fails.
- Leave Hobart early. A 10am CBD departure is how this walk eats the last ferry.
- Check Parks Tasmania alerts and encountermaria.com.au the morning you go.
- Screenshot the timetable. Limited mobile. 000 needs reception; Emergency+ when you have signal.
- If the forecast is a gale on the East Coast, walk Fossil Cliffs instead.
Facilities & services
- None on the summit
- Toilets at Darlington start — not on the ridge
- No drinking water on the walk — treat or carry
- Signed bike limit (leave bikes, continue on foot)
- No shelter on the scramble or columns
Confirm toilets, water, ferry timetable and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage. There are no public vehicles on the island.
Walks nearby
Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Parks Tasmania before you go. The last ferry is a hard stop.
Bishop and Clerk
hardThere-and-back from Darlington Settlement: grassland, woodland, Skipping Ridge / Fossil Cliffs country, then scree and an exposed dolerite scramble to about 620 m. One of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. Parks Pass plus a ferry booking. Not walked for this guide — planning from Parks Tasmania.
- Grade
- Grade 4 — bushwalking experience recommended; track may be long, rough and steep
- Time
- 4–5 hours walk (3–5 hours by bike to the signed bike limit, then on foot)
- Distance
- 11 km return
View guide →
Fossil Cliffs
moderateFrom the Commissariat / ferry precinct north past industrial ruins to fossil-bearing limestone cliffs. Often combined with wildlife on the grasslands. Not the Bishop and Clerk summit. Not walked for this guide.
- Grade
- Grade 3 — coastal circuit from Darlington (verify signed grade)
- Time
- Allow 1.5–2.5 hours
- Distance
- About 4.5 km circuit / return (verify signs)
View guide →
Itineraries that use this area
Map
Orientation only — confirm trailheads and the ferry timetable before you leave Triabunna.
Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
FAQ — Bishop and Clerk
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Is this one of the 60 Great Short Walks?
Yes — Bishop and Clerk is listed that way in Parks Tasmania material. Still Grade 4. Verify live notes.
Can I take a bike to the summit?
No. Leave bikes at the signed point about 2 km past the Fossil Cliffs junction and continue on foot.
Can I do Mount Maria the same day?
No. Different start, longer day, still a scramble. Pick one. Mount Maria is not a first day-return.
Do I need an extra walk permit?
No extra walk permit for established day walks. You still need a Parks Pass and a ferry booking.
What if the wind is up?
Skip the steep summit route. Fossil Cliffs is the neighbour Plan B. Darlington township still counts as a Maria Island day.
Stays & tours near Bishop and Clerk
Optional next steps after you plan this area. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Parks Pass, official camping, Penitentiary and ferry bookings are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Triabunna (primary) · Orford · Hobart
- Stays at TriabunnaFerry town — closest beds to Maria Island Gateway check-in
- OrfordNext coastal town south — still a short drive to the ferry
- HobartDay-trip base — about 75–90 minutes each way to Triabunna plus the ferry
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official Parks Tasmania camping, Penitentiary bookings, Parks Pass fees and the ferry are never affiliated.
Guided tours
Optional Hobart day tours that include the ferry — read inclusions
A tour does not replace checking Parks Tasmania alerts, the ferry timetable, or packing food yourself.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, official camping, Penitentiary bookings and the Encounter Maria Island ferry are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy