The township of Corinna sits on the Pieman River in northwest Tasmania. It feels like the middle of nowhere, in a good way… We drove from Hobart to Spreyton to meet with some friends, then on to Corinna from there.
Stopped at Hellyer Gorge to stretch our legs with a nice river walk. I was particularly taken by a mural painted in one of the shelters at the picnic ground.
We also stopped at the mining town of Waratah, famous for its waterfall which was harnessed to process tin mined at nearby Mount Bischoff.
Corinna consists of tourist accommodation in the form of restored buildings and purpose built cottages, a pub serving food and drinks, and a campground. It has a boat ramp and river crossing (by barge), and is the start and end point for a cruise down the Pieman River. It’s a fabulous place to stay for a few days. On our first evening we took a walk along the Pieman to where it’s joined by the Whyte River.
Taking a cruise on an old huon pine steamer down the Pieman River, to where it meets the ocean, is a must do experience.
It was perfectly still as we set off, with great reflections. The Pieman is remarkable for the fact that it has beautiful rainforest along its northern bank, and majestic tall eucalypt forest along its southern bank.
There’s a sense of expectation as you approach the river mouth, at Pieman Heads. The boat stops here for an hour or two so you can explore the beach which is littered with tree trunks. It’s quite a sight. One reason this area has been preserved is that the heads are treacherous to navigate by boat, meaning it wasn’t so easy to exploit.
On our last morning we took a couple of slow walks to explore the rainforest up close. It was very beautiful.
Setting off on the long drive back to Hobart, we put our car on the small, two-vehicle barge called ‘The Fatman’. It pulls back and forth across the river along a cable.
On the south side of the river is a small cemetery, where a couple of rogues are buried.
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