I am not sure what it is about the Northwest of Tassie but having lived on the East Coast in Coles Bay, I find myself mesmerised by the Northwest. Pristine white sandy beaches and the Hazards have given way to temperate native forests, giant trees, and rivers. I believe this partly might have to do with my concern for climate change, deforestation, and the protests I have witnessed outside parliament house, but I think more importantly it’s also because of my newfound appreciation for giant trees and conservation. I seem to always be on the lookout for these ‘big Tasmanian beasts’ when I go for a drive anywhere outside Hobart city.
In October-November, I had my family visit from Peru and wanted to share something unique, and I’ve written about Corinna before, and it was probably a well-kept secret till I decided to share it with all the visitors that come through our centre (or so my wife tells me). Tasmanians do like to keep some things a secret and I guess it is also out of good intention as ‘over tourism’ has had some detrimental consequences to popular destinations across the world. However, I believe if a person wants to get to a particular place – they will. Social media nowadays gives away “secrets” anyway. I like to “share the love” in the hope that visitors can not only contribute to the local economy but perhaps help to regenerate beautiful places or at the very least help to maintain them.
Mt Donaldson (Credit: Adi Munshi)
Corinna – a gem in takayna or the Tarkine (in English) – a little township is how I’d describe it. There’s the main lodge and restaurant area, accommodation units, camping and that’s about it. Whilst I’ve been there now about 4 times, in November we finally got to stay for a couple of nights. You can hike a fair few trails or take the Pieman river cruise or if you’re a little more adventurous or active the kayaking is sublime. Imagine a calm tannin filled river which just reflects the tall trees on the bank of the river, the blue skies, clouds and give you the opportunity to listen to native bird calls – this is my idea of “nature immersion”. There is no television nor any mobile phone network in Corinna Wilderness Village (you can drive 7 minutes on the highway to get network), so for those looking to truly disconnect - this is paradise.
We did the kayak trip again to Lover’s Falls and since we actually had more than 4 hours on this occasion even went for a fantastic hike up Mount Donaldson. The trail head is about 9km away and provides some spectacular views of takayna. It’s a good solid hike, not difficult, not easy, well-marked and certainly I’d highly recommend to anyone wanting a panoramic view of the region. The accommodation was very comfortable and the meals were good too. There are bbq options and you can bring your own food to cook in the accommodation. If you’re searching for wilderness or even if you’re doing some soul searching, then look no further – the Western Wilds route will eventually lead you to this slice of paradise. I can’t wait to go back once summer is over.
If you liked this story and want some more Tassie travel tips, give us a call on 03 6238 4222 and speak to one of our local Travel Advisors.
Adi Munshi - Manager
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre
