Hidden treasure: Discover Tasmania's ultimate wilderness retreat

The riverside township soon boasted more than 30 buildings and a population of 2500, but the crowds departed when the gold ran out. Several of those historic buildings remain in use.

For most of us, the small town of Strahan on Tasmania's wild west coast is remote enough. To get to Corinna, you drive half an hour north to the sleepy village of Zeehan, then continue through forests to the Pieman River where a small cable-driven barge will take you across to the village.

This is true wilderness - ancient forest walks begin at the hotel and pademelons (small wallabies) graze around your cottage and quolls make occasional appearances behind the pub. The river rules: its high tannin content makes it a burnished mirror framed with mist in the early morning and reflecting the ancient huon pines and sassafras of the World Heritage area.

Rustic comfort with warm country hospitality is the welcoming mood of Corinna. And peace: there's no phone signal, no internet and no television so your phone is purely a camera. Our cabin offers privacy from the neighbours, with front and back decks where you can sit and appreciate the serenity.

Instructions ask you to leave muddy hiking boots outside but take them in at night as Tasmanian devils regard them as leathery snacks. The Tarkine Hotel is the social centre with a large open-plan area embracing the tiny shop and reception, the well-stocked bar and the restaurant.

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The "village" is built around a circular road, with 12 one-bedroom cottages, six two-bedroom cottages, two heritage cottages and 10 unpowered campsites. The cottages are warm and comfortable with good linen, towels and toiletries, and welcome hot showers (one with disabled access), and most have gas-powered fireplaces. The resort runs on solar so cabins have refrigerators but no ovens or microwaves.

While the cabins of the village have kitchenettes if you wish to self-cater, the Tarkine Hotel has the convivial Ahrberg Bar and Tannin Restaurant serving very good meals that belie the remote location.

Tasmanian scallops and regional lamb rump feature, and a saffron linguine with local seafood. Lunch is more simple fare - fish and chips, steak sandwiches and the like. To self-cater, it's best to bring any provisions you'll need.

The village is more than its accommodation - there's a boat ramp, river cruises, kayak hire and communal gas barbecues. Reception has a map of local walking trails ranging from a 20-minute riverside stroll to a four-hour return climb of Mount Donaldson.

A must-do is the one-hour-plus Whyte River trail that mixes wonderful river views with moss-draped forest and a rich world of fungi, especially in autumn. Summer is the time to rent a kayak to paddle to waterfalls - even a shipwreck.

Corinna's showstopper is a cruise to the mouth of the Pieman River on the 1939 Huon pine vessel Arcadia II. Along the way, the river reflects all that is around it, and at its mouth we eat a boxed lunch on the sandy beach overlooking the wild Indian Ocean surf.

The writer was a guest of Corinna Wilderness Village.