|
|
The Pieman River Cruise is regarded highly by our guests. Many have commented that it is the best river cruise they have taken. It offers at least as much as people would experience on the Gordon, with excellent commentary, stunning reflections, freedom from other vessels and a truly personal experience with the river and rainforest. The cruise passes close to the wreck of the SS Croydon at the mouth of the Savage River and to Lover’s Falls near the mouth of the Donaldson. This is an uplifting and authentic experience, rich in history, nature and personal anecdotes.
The Arcadia II is a magnificent 17m craft built of Huon pine in 1939. She has a leisurely cruising speed of 9 knots. Originally a luxury pleasure craft based in Hobart, it was requisitioned to serve in the Second World War in New Guinea as a supply ship. After some seasons as a scallop fishing boat on the East coast working from the Coles Bay area, the Arcadia was commissioned as a cruise boat on Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River in 1961. In 1970 she moved to Pieman River where she faithfully served her new owners, the Ellis brothers, who introduced the first regular cruises on the Pieman River.
The Arcadia II has recently returned from Launceston, where she was refurbished , refitted and returned to her original pristine condition. The journey out of the Heads and back , was the first since 1970. The Arcadia II is the only Huon Pine river cruiser still operating anywhere in the world.
The Pieman River was named after Thomas Kent, “the pieman”, a baker transported to Macquarie Harbour as a convict. The Pieman has a long history. The river was originally called the Retreat and was renamed the Pieman in 1823 by James Lucas, after he had re-captured Kent.
There was a time when schooners laden with Huon pine left the river through the Heads , and when steamships, not much bigger than the Arcadia II, came up the river and discharged their cargoes at Corinna and the nearby Donaldson’s Landing.
The Pieman Heads Adventure Tour is a unique experience where guests can travel between Granville Harbour and Pieman Heads in all terrain, all weather vehicles. Guests taking the downstream Arcadia cruise from Corinna to Pieman Heads, can then take in the coastal adventure to Granville Harbour. This is a day in heaven, experiencing both the tropical rainforest on a breathtaking 20km cruise, and 23km of coastal dunes, amazing beaches and rock formations, tannin stained creeks flowing over golden sands into the Southern Ocean, and tea tree scrub and button grass plains along the track between Granville Harbour and the Heads.
The coastal transect on the wild west coast between Granville harbor and Pieman Head presents a pristine coastal system seen by very few people in the world.
The Arcadia trip costs $79 and the Pieman Heads adventure tour a further $90 with transfers to and from Corinna. Together, there are no better value experiences in the world. For all guests who take the journey on the Arcadia II to Pieman Head, the return trip is an unforgettable experience. The skipper provides commentary on the unique history, flora and fauna, and takes the Arcadia close enough to the banks for guests to actually touch the ancient rainforest, including many specimens of huon pine. On the journey, it is not uncommon to see platypus and sea eagles, and always possible to see the rare and endangered slender tree fern.
|