Arthur River to Corinna

The Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area stretches along the north-west coast of Tasmania, covering over 100,000 hectares between Arthur River to the north, the Pieman River to the south and the Franklin and Donaldson Rivers to the east. As you begin to journey through the Tarkine wilderness of tall eucalypt forests and rainforests, you start to appreciate how dynamic this landscape is - continually reshaped by wind, fire and water.

A good, all weather road that does not require four wheel drive vehicles connects Arthur River to Corinna. This is known as the Western Explorer, which has just been reopened after a 6 month closure (August 2013 - April 2014), due a major landslip. The road remains unsealed for the most part and is narrow with some tight bends and steep climbs, although many steeper sections have been sealed.

Arthur River - being the starting point of this trek, is a small coastal town renown for its beautiful river cruises and nature walks - and not to mention - its famous ‘The Edge of the World’ beaches. Slightly south of Arthur River are potential side trips (not featured in this trek) that extends coastward towards attractions such as: Sundown Point, and the fishing villages of Sarah Anne Rocks and Couta Rocks. Beyond Arthur River is the Western Explorer route, an adventurous journey on gravel roads to reach Corinna on the Pieman River. The gravel road for the remainder of this route can at times get somewhat deteriorated, so drive carefully especially approaching the narrow, steep and winding sections of the road.

Corinna is a picturesque town on the northern side of the Pieman River. It offers a unique and intimate rainforest experience. Being surrounded by thousands of hectares of pristine Tarkine wilderness, most of which has been untouched by fire. Corinna seems to have its own microclimate and it tends to be a couple of degrees warmer than Strahan. There are a range of walks near Corinna, from a 20 minute Huon Pine walk, the Whyte River walk and a more challenging four hour walk to Mount Donaldson.

Environment

The northern section of the Arthur–Pieman Conservation Area has a very rich Aboriginal heritage which has left markers in the landscape, such as middens, hut depressions, artefact scatters and rock art. If you stumble across any Aboriginal heritage sites, please appreciate and respect the area. These special places and their associated cultural landscapes show that Aboriginal people in the past had a special relationship with the land - a relationship which continues with Aboriginal people today.

The coastline along the conservation area is known to be among the most scenic and wild in Tasmania. The ‘Roaring 40s’ often pound the west coast, creating an almost lunar-type landscape of sand dunes and lichen-painted rocks. Vegetation near the coast consists of heath and scrublands, whilst buttongrass dominates the poorly drained moorlands. Numerous wildflowers and orchid species dot the coast and plains during specific times of the year. The closer you get towards Corinna, eucalypt forests and thick rainforests start to dominate the landscape.

As for fauna species, the extensive grasslands allow for nature spotters to find Bennetts wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons and wombats. During dusk, you may be lucky to see Tasmanian devils, brushtail possums and spotted-tailed quolls. The conservation area is home to a rich variety of birds including the yellow-tailed black cockatoo, white-breasted sea eagle, currawong, blue-winged parrot, striated pardalote, superb blue wren, swallows and honeyeaters. Along the coast, you may see the red-capped plover, fairy tern, pacific gull, ruddy turnstone, raptors, and pied and sooty oyster catchers. In the plateau country, bird watchers will be thrilled to find ground parrots, hooded plovers and the rare orange-bellied parrot.

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The last fuel stop is at Marrawah so make sure you have plenty of fuel the journey and beyond because there is no fuel available at Corinna - only at Waratah to the northeast or Zeehan to the southeast of Corinna. Please obtain travel permits if considering driving off the designated roads/tracks or onto beaches. Also, if you are considering camping within the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area, then camping permits will need to be sought.

Take adequate food supplies for the journey - available at Arthur River and at Corinna. It's a good idea to take warm clothing and wet weather gear since the weather especially near the coast can become very windy, cold and wet without too much notice. Check the weather and road conditions before venturing southeast towards Corinna. Take caution when driving on the gravel roads as the roads can get narrow and windy.

Permits

Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (APCA) is a Conservation Area - national park entry fees do not apply. That said, however, if you are considering driving off designated roads/tracks or onto some beaches, then a permit is required. To obtain a permit or information on road/track conditions, please contact the ranger station at Arthur River or phone Parks and Wildlife Service, Arthur River on: (03) 6457 1225.

Fees need to be paid for camping - for more information, please click: Camping in Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area

For further information on permits, off-road tracks and camping - please contact the:

Arthur River Field Office

c/o PWS Smithton Office
PO Box 715
Smithton 7330 TAS
Phone: (03) 6457 1225
Fax: (03) 6457 1277

For public information on the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area and the Western Explorer Road, please click: Track - Campsite and Reserve Closures

Fuel Usage

Nearest and last fuel location is at Marrawah, which is around 16kms north of Arthur River. There is no fuel at Corinna, although there is fuel at Waratah to the northeast and Zeehan to the southeast.

Diesel	ULP	LPG
4cyl 18 litres	4cyl 21 litres	4cyl 26 litres
6cyl 20 litres	6cyl 23 litres	6cyl 23 litres
8cyl 20 litres	8cyl 21 litres

Best Time To Visit

The warmer summer months is the best time to travel since the weather can get rather wet and cold during the winter months.

Where to Stay

Services & Supplies