OPENING OF TARKINE HOTEL AT CORINNA

In the late 1890s, the remaining hotel on the south bank of the Pieman River poured final drinks for a thirsty pioneer. The spirit of those pioneers is honoured with the opening of the Tarkine Hotel and Tannin Restaurant at Corinna on Tasmania’s west coast some 110 years later.

Corinna, the old mining town that once boasted more people than Hobart, has undergone a transformation over the last three years. The opening of the Tarkine Hotel follows a period of refurbishment – of miner’s cottages and the famous river cruiser, Arcadia II – and the construction of 14 new luxury wilderness retreats.

Corinna is a new eco tourism destination in some of the oldest, untouched wilderness in the world. The new hotel and restaurant complete the transformation, which will see guests coming to experience the wonders of the temperate Tarkine rainforest, and the majestic rivers that flow into the Southern Ocean.

Corinna welcomes special guests for the opening on September 19. These include Kevin Hyland (Mayor Waratah Wynyard Shire); Heather Bartlett MP; Rob Purves (International WWF Board member); and the Ellis Brothers. Mort and Alec Ellis brought the Arcadia to Corinna in 1970 and built the famous Whyte River Walk.

These special guests reflect the interest in the Tarkine, the potential for sustainable eco tourism on the west coast, the amazing indigenous and pioneering history of the region, and the increasing global significance of this special part of Tasmania.

The owners recognise the support of the Tasmanian Government in assistance with the construction of the Tarkine Hotel, and the many local people that have supported the renaissance of a significant part of Tasmania’s past.

The new Tarkine Hotel and Tannin Restaurant will be important enablers in attracting interstate and international visitors to this special part of Tasmania

Corinna Wilderness Experience is fully open for business. The Managers at Corinna, Garry Sullivan and Letitia Wilkie, look forward to welcoming people interested in nature in the raw, an escape from mass tourism.

Corinna website: www.corinna.com.au

Contact: sales@corinna.com.au Phone: 03 64461170

SOME USEFUL FACTS ABOUT CORINNA WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

* Corinna is an old mining town which boasted more people than Hobart during the gold rush of the 1880’s. From 1901 until 2005, only one person or family had stewardship of the town
* Australia’s first feature film, “Jewelled Nights” written by Marie Bjelke Petersen, was filmed at Corinna and Savage River in 1925
* Corinna is part of the Arthur Pieman Conservation area at the southern gateway to the Tarkine. The new owner, Tarkine Wilderness, has leased the town from Parks and Wildlife, Tasmania since 2005
* Over the last 3 years the town has been transformed from a run-down settlement, to an eco tourism destination that is poised to become an icon. Corinna Wilderness experience has a zero footprint, using solar power, rainwater, and removal of all waste from the site. It is mobile phone, television and plastic free.
* Corinna is set in 60 million year old temperate rainforest, untouched since dinosaurs roamed. The majestic rivers, myrtle forests, button grass plains and the wild Southern Ocean offer a unique combination of natural assets like nowhere else on earth.
* Tarkine Wilderness believes that the way to attract people to this globally significant area is by offering holidays and responsible access. Corinna is a comfortable oasis in the remote west coast wilderness.
* The opening of the Tarkine Hotel and Tannin Restaurant will encourage tourists to break their journey between Strahan and Cradle Mountain. It also enables targeted marketing to interstate and international guests for an unforgettable nature based and learning experience.
* Corinna has 20 wilderness retreats and the capacity to sleep 50 people. There are three wilderness walks that start and finish at Corinna, daily cruises on the Pieman River aboard the Arcadia II, together with canoeing, guided activities and exploring.
* Wilderness retreats are available at $175 (one bedroom) and $225 (two bedroom). Pieman River return cruises to Pieman Head are $79 each
* Corinna offers accessible remoteness. It lies on the banks of the Pieman River, about 3.5 hours drive from Launceston Airport or 2.7 hours from the Spirit of Tasmania dock at Devonport. Corinna is about 60 km north of Strahan and 70 km west of Cradle Mountain, as the sea eagle flies