into the Wilderness

As I have been on the Gordon River Cruise from Strahan I wanted a completely different experience so booked the last seat on the Pieman River Cruise from Corinna. Corinna is at the southern end of the Tarkine, perhaps the last true Tasmania wilderness and it is  under threat.  

Queenstown is around 2 hours drive from Corinna so I left at 7.20 anticipating slow and narrow roads not to mention wildlife.

The morning began well but I quickly ran into fog, mist and rain but absolutely no traffic. Turning onto the Corinna road shortly after Zeehan, sad, empty and seemingly deserted, the road narrowed ( generally there are no verges in Tassie) and the Bush closed in. As if things couldn't get worse, the bitumin  became potholed and corregated white gravel.

               Note time not K's to get there!

Still no other cars! I reached the river and "the punt" - the last cable operated car ferry in Tas. After parting with $28 I was guided onto the 2 car ferry by a young man who said "My "office" is the best in the world" - he may be right!

   This van nearly exceeded the weight limit!

Corinna began as a gold town and in the 1860s quite a lot of gold was mined. It is a very remote, adventure and bushwalking centre now offering camping and the Arcadia II  cruise to the mouth of the Pieman.

            Licensed for 35 passengers only.

The river today was very still, reflecting the rainforest to the north and the euclalypt forest to the south - a division caused by the angle of the sun and the rainfall to the north.

The only word is pristine! Water in the West coast is peat coloured because of the tannins washing.out of the Buttongrass plains which are everywhere. The rainforest, thick and impenetrable reaches right to the water edge. It certainly impeded surveyors, development and settlement  initially.

Along the river edge is Tasmanian Ribbon grass: so enticing to the wallabies they will swim out to get it.

After 1.5 hours we disembarked, collecting a lunch bag, at the heads. Today the ocean swell is only 3 metres but this very dangerous bar has recorded 29 metres!

There's a number of fishing "shacks" here and as the ocean is far away there are several tractors , some very venerable, to drag the boat trailers across the sand.

                     This is a "gum" tree!

The mouth of the river is littered with huge tree trunks and driftwood - generally washed down river in flood.

This is true wilderness -  access is for the determined,  narrow, slow roads, little accommodation and very basic facilities. The  Weather is harsh and unforgiving, changing by the minute, the nearest petrol kilometres away and emergency services even further. But it is so beautiful - untouched, clean, bursting with life, every turn a visual treat. 

With my little lunch bag, Park Care beanie and rainjacket - sunny one moment and wet the next!
Still no cars on the way back!