pieman river cruise

There are very few real wilderness experiences available so this one is not to be missed. From the time we crossed the river on the "Fatman" barge and had excellent coffee on the restaurant verandah, we knew we were in for a treat. As the Arcadia II made her way to the treacherous heads of the Pieman River we were treated to a first hand experience of what grows in the temperate rainforest as well as many engaging tales of how the loggers of the past lived in this remote place harvesting the Huon Pine. The lunch provided is no gourmet delight, but more than adequate and in keeping with the experience. Morning tea is provided and many enjoyed a glass of wine or beer on the way back to Corinna.

We stayed at Corinna resort for 2 nights. After reading all the reviews about the Pieman cruise we thought it a must. We boarded with 32 other patrons & wondered why there was not enough seating on the "observation" deck for everyone? There was a deck below that was small, diesel smell effected & not where one would expect to sit for this cruise. So some of us had to stand. There were too many adults for the seating. At the cost of $90 or $80 for seniors one would expect something special. The 2 cabin crew were excellent but this is the only very positive part of the trip. The cruise had been compared to the Franklin - this is completely untrue. It is an attractive waterway but no better than an average river cruise anywhere. The lunch supplied was a cold wrap with a store bought muffin & apple - which lacks imagination & quality. All over it was a nice trip but to us, not worth the money. I would leave it to the Franklin when visiting.

The Pieman River is one of the most wonderful (original) wilderness experiences that still exist in a relatively accessible area.. The river cruise on the Arcadia is a real joy to experience the slow cruise in an intimate atmosphere with the crew and your fellow travellers. You have the ability to get up 'close and personal' with the river and its many colours. A simply wonderful experience!

If you love the theatre of the Gordon River Cruise you may find this a bit tame, but for my money we prefer the low-key, small group experience of travelling on this lovely Huon pine vessel, Arcadia II, in the Tarkine. Norm & Lorraine are a very down-to-earth & likeable couple who made us feel very welcome and happily shared their knowledge & love of the river and its interesting history, and the often cold & sometimes rainy day was relaxing and free of fuss & drama.I was fascinated and somewhat horrified at the amount of timber lying abandoned at the head of the river, exposed more than other times by the strong winds blowing off-shore - it made for a somewhat eerie scene on the beach.Just two of us transferred to the smaller Sweetwater after a coffee break in the Tarkine Hotel, and Norm took us up to Lovers Falls for a walk and then upriver and into the Savage River, over the wreck of the SS Croydon and close to a sea eagle perched high over the bank. Some late-afternoon drifting on the Donaldson River in search of the elusive platypus was unsuccessful but very beautiful & peaceful. A lovely day in a very special part of the world.

Corrina is a very long way from most places....a deliberate detour to enjoy the wonderful unspoiled natural beauty and while you are visiting Corrina you really might as well budget for the additional river cruise on the Arcadia 2 along the Pieman River ...after all what are the chances that you'll be visiting again?The tour takes about 4 hours along 20 km of river to the mouth where visitors disembark for a wander around the beautiful beaches and a bite of lunch before heading back the same way . If you're very lucky it will be very calm on the river and it'll be like a mirror reflecting the forests down to the waters edge...maybe you'll be incredibly lucky as we were and glide underneath a pair of resting sea eagles perched on a bare branch high over the water . Even without those things the trip would be worthwhile ...the boat captain gives a well informed commentary - allowing plenty of time for the wilderness to speak for itself and there's plenty to see. Take a jacket ( if not a coat, hat and mittens ) ...most of the little boat is open and the West Coast is a cool and damp place , even at the boats leisurely cruising speed the wind chill is - well, chilling! If you've visited Strahan and the rather posh river cruises there - this is NOT like those and if thats what you're expecting you'd likely be disappointed. The Arcadia cruise is 'quaint' ...a little old restored vessel , a very simple lunch of wraps, homemade cake and instant coffee- definitely no gourmet fare here but then this trip isn't about the food - the interest is all quite rightly outside the boat. I'd highly recommend it - don't forget your camera!!

We were fortunate to pick a great day which accentuated the wilderness and wonderful reflections along the winding river out to the Pieman Heads. The friendly Arcadia II skipper and his 1st Mate were very knowledgeable on the area history, the wildlife and the environment. They went out of their way to ensure the safety and comfort of the travellers and to ensure a great experience was had by all.

The day broke overcast but we were going on the Arcadia 2 Pieman River cruise this morning. A leisurely stroll from the Corinna wilderness cabins to this gorgeous steam powered, Huron pine boat. Skippered on our day by Norm and his lovely wife Louise, they worked as a great team. They so obviously love and enjoy what they do. We chugged up the Pieman river at a snails pace but allowed us to take in the absolute awesomeness of this part of Tasmania. Incredibly unspoilt with an interesting history as well. Norm was available for all questions as was his wife. We wandered around the boat in between showers and sporadic sunlight and sat at the bow transfixed on the tranquility of it all. Morning tea was available as were refills of tea & coffee. We finally reached Pieman Heads and disembarked the boat with our picnic bags in hand. We then enjoyed a 15 min or so walk to the beach. What a sight, logs strewn all over the beach, huge pieces of driftwood everywhere. The water rolling in was that tea coloured tanin stained water. Interesting walk through the shacks at the heads, some shackles friendly, others value their privacy I guess. Nevertheless and interesting visit. This cruise is value for money too.

This is a great part of the world and I think that the cruise on the Pieman River in Arcadia II is even better than the Gordon River Cruise. In this part of the Tarkine you have have to expect some inclement weather. We had a wet day punctuated by periods of sunshine and thankfully dry when we walked to the mouth of the Pieman to see the great ocean swell of the Southern ocean.The Arcadia II is a lovely old huon pine vessel with a great history including military service during the war.The informed commentary by skipper Dale was excellent as was the hosting of the guests by the gorgeous Tegan, a young lady of many talents which we had already experienced at the Tarkine hotel.Don't miss the wilderness experience of Corinna and the Arcadia II cruise, plan at least two days here.

Corinna is a beautiful place and well worth the visit if you have time. We went on the Sweetwater cruise which is a smaller vessel that goes into the Savage river. We were able to moor at the board walk to Lover’s Falls and experience this amazing tranquil place. Hot chocolate and gorgeous muffins were provided to warm us, on a cold, rainy day. Got some brilliant photo's despite the weather.

Excellent value trip with very friendly informative crew on board the Arcadia to the mouth of the Pieman River with time to walk out to the heads and enjoy the wild west coast .Thank you for a great day.

The Arcadia II is a beautiful boat and the Pieman River Cruise was enjoyable. But read on to see why I think you should do the Sweetwater Cruise instead, or do both if you have the time.Early on, a lot of the Pieman River had a glassy surface with beautiful reflections of the trees bordering the river. The commentary by the captain was informative about the history of the area and the trees we were seeing, without being intrusive. There were stretches where no commentary was given and it allowed us to enjoy the view. We had 1.5 hours at the Pieman Heads to enjoy the boxed lunch provided. It was a simple but tasty lunch of a wrap, a muffin, an apple and a fruit box drink. We didn't realise it was easier to walk along the beach itself, so we walked through the sand dunes to reach the Heads and a place to sit. The cruise lasted 4.5 hours and cost $90.We also did a Sweetwater Cruise. The Arcadia II is beautiful, but the same can't be said for the vessel used for the Sweetwater. However, we loved the Sweetwater cruise more than the Pieman. It was great to be up close with the wreck of the SS Croydon. We travelled a stretch of the Pieman that duplicated our Arcadia II cruise before turning up the spectacular Donaldson River. We were told that a huge tree had blocked passage up a long portion of the river for several years, but that tree had disintegrated during winter so we were able to travel up to the first set of rapids. The Donaldson is smaller than the Pieman and the cruise feels more intimate as a result. Our cruise was for 2 hours and was well worth $50. While the boat can carry a maximum of 8 people, our group of three were the only passengers. If you can only do one cruise, do the Sweetwater! Or do both if you have the time but do the Pieman cruise first.

The cruise from Corinna to the Pieman Heads in the Arcadia is memorable! The whole trip takes about 4 1/2 to 5 hours including one and a half hours walking from the jetty around Pieman Heads. The staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the history, geology, flora and fauna. The boat slowed down to look at specific native trees or a waterfall or a geological feature. It was a most relaxing and exhilarating experience!

We stayed at the Tarkine Hotel in Corinna (the only option) in a wonderful cabin. No TV, no phone, limited electricity (they use solar panels, supplemented by a generator). They have a really good (Scottish) chef at the moment, so the restaurant is first class. The cruise down the Pieman was a wonderful experience, and very well organised. The old Arcadia 2 (a 1939 huon pine 53 footer) is a wonderful boat. The walks around Corinna are plentiful, and fascinating. The road in is now mostly asphalt, and the short gravel sections are very good to drive on. We approached from Strahan, and left via Waratah - no problems at all. Unfortunately the Western Explorer road from Corinna to Arthur River is closed at the moment due to a landslip, and will be for some time. Best check if you intend to go this way. It is all a bit expensive. Still a place this isolated, run to this high standard, is never going to be cheap.

Just magical. The cruise on the Pieman River is far better than the Gordon River. Greater variety of vegetation. More peaceful - no phones or TV which means your holiday is totally undisturbed by those modern nuisances so sit back and just enjoy. More walks into the surrounding areas as well. On a rough day the Pieman River head would be wild. It was calm on our day, only 4 to 5 metre swells but they get really big at times. Next time we'd go back on a rough day to see it at its wildest. We should have spent 3 or 4 days there. Next time.

The cruise was amazing with a very knowledgable commentary from the skipper which really enhances the experience enabling us to identify and learn more about the wonderful native trees. There were many photo opportunities and we were able to leave the Arcadia and explore Pieman Heads. We stayed in an Eco Cabin and did several of the bushwalks. We want to return and visit the shipwreck.