The Painted Cliffs are one of Maria Island's best-known landmarks: sandstone at the southern end of Hopground Beach stained into swirling patterns by iron oxide. Wikipedia describes them as a favoured coastal walking destination. Under water the sandstone continues as a shallow reef and weed beds, making it a pleasant snorkel from the beach inside the marine reserve.

Expect sandstone ledges and boulders with brown algae, wrasse, leatherjackets, magpie perch and schools of small fish, with sand patches holding stingarees. The reserve's no-take status means fish are relatively tame.

The Troy D artificial reef was deliberately scuttled 1.7 km west-south-west of the Painted Cliffs, outside the marine section of the national park, but it is a deep boat dive and unrelated to the shore snorkel here.

The Painted Cliffs suit snorkellers and divers on a day trip who want a gentle look at the reserve after the walk from Darlington. Carrying tanks from the ferry is a long haul, so a snorkel set is the practical choice.

Maria Island is a national park with no permanent residents apart from rangers, and the Darlington settlement preserves convict-era buildings from 1825 onwards. The marine reserve along the island's northern and western shores has been no-take since 1991 and has been used for long-term studies of how protection affects rock lobster and fish numbers, so reef life inside it is noticeably richer than outside.

Triabunna, on the Tasman Highway 1 hr 15 min (85 km) north-east of Hobart, is the gateway. The Maria Island passenger ferry (Encounter Maria Island) runs several times daily from Triabunna to the Darlington jetty, about 16 km and roughly 30-45 minutes; it carries people and small amounts of luggage but not vehicles, and dive cylinders should be cleared with the operator first. Private boats launch at the Triabunna ramp (best), Saltworks Road ramp, or Orford (shallow bar at the Prosser River mouth - difficult at low tide).

From the Darlington jetty walk south about 2.5 km (roughly 40 minutes) along the track to Hopground Beach and the Painted Cliffs; the rock platform at the southern end of the beach is best visited at low tide. Carrying scuba gear this far is hard work, so most people snorkel here or come by boat from Triabunna (about 30 minutes).

Maria Island's western and northern shores (Darlington, Fossil Cliffs, Painted Cliffs) are sheltered from easterly ocean swell but exposed to strong westerlies and north-westerlies blowing across Mercury Passage, which are common in winter and spring. The eastern side (Mistaken Cape, Bunker Bay) faces the open Tasman Sea and needs westerly weather and small swell. Southerly swell wraps around Cape Peron and the southern end.

Visibility drops after rain as runoff flows from the Prosser River into Mercury Passage. The Painted Cliffs face west across Mercury Passage and are exposed to westerlies; calm easterly or light-wind days are best. Low tide exposes the rock platform for walkers; snorkel at mid to high tide.

Enter from the beach at the southern end, snorkel or dive along the base of the sandstone at 2-6 m and out over the weed beds, then return to the beach. Keep the cliff on one side for navigation. Turn the dive at half gas (thirds where current or overhead sections are involved), deploy an SMB before surfacing for the live-boat pick-up, and complete a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m where depth allows.

No operator based on Maria Island. Hobart shops run occasional trips: Go Dive Tasmania has offered Ile des Phoques seal dives and filmed Troy D dives; Tasmanian Scuba Diving Club and Tas Uni Dive Club run club trips from Triabunna. Most diving is from private boats.