Bordered by the Arthur River in the north and the Pieman River to the south, the Tarkine sprawls across 450,000 hectares in the state's northwest. An unspoiled wilderness of breathtaking beauty, it is regarded as one of the most significant temperate rainforests on the planet.

Spectacular vistas of the Tarkine are one of the highlights of a visit to Corinna, nestled on the banks of the slowly flowing Pieman River.

A busy settlement of hopeful prospectors during a short-lived gold boom in the late 19th century, the speck in the wilderness boasted a population of around 2,500 in the 1880s. But by 1899 it had become a ghost town, home to a lone ferryman who skippered a barge across the Pieman - the only road link between the Arthur River and the west coast - for the next 38 years.

The remains of the town - which once boasted two pubs, a post office, butcher and bakery - were leased to a variety of people, and most of its old buildings collapsed or became enmeshed in a tangle of blackberries. Although the river punt was re-established and a river cruise started up in the 1980s, Corinna remained largely neglected until last year, when it was transformed into a wilderness getaway.

Corinna's six remaining cabins and old guesthouse have been restored and another 14 rustic cabins built amid the wilderness, allowing an up-close glimpse of the Tarkine's glorious rainforest and incredible profusion of plant life.

The cottages feature comfy beds, gas log fires and cooking facilities. Our cosy cabin backs onto a dense forest of myrtle, blackwood, sassafras and wattle trees, towering tree ferns and mosses like those in Tierra del Fuego, as Tasmania, a relic from the ancient continent Gondwanaland, has many plants more closely linked to South America than mainland Australia.

Sipping wine on the veranda in the evening, we hear the rustle of wildlife - possibly the wallabies, echidna, possums and pademelons that thrive locally - and hear what we think is the growl of a Tasmanian devil in the undergrowth. Then again, maybe it's a tiger. Leaning across the veranda, we listen again. There's a crunch, then a scary yowl. Whatever it is, we head back inside for another glass of wine.

At 7.30am we're rugged up for a voyage on the Arcadia II, a 70-year-old cruiser built from Huon pine. The river is like a millpond on the upriver journey: ethereal mists drape the trees and the dense forest is reflected in the glassy calmness of the Pieman, which is silent save for the chirping of birds.

The 108km Pieman is home to a profusion of birdlife, including sea eagles, owls, kingfishers and honeyeaters, and platypus make their homes in the river's tributaries.

We're so captivated by the beauty of the river that, back in Corinna two hours later, we decide to postpone our plans to hike in the rainforest and paddle a kayak along the river, and instead opt for a downstream trip to the mouth of the river at Pieman Heads, which spills out into the stormy Southern Ocean.

There's stunning beauty at every turn as the Arcadia - the only boat on the isolated river - chugs slowly along the Pieman on its 11/2 hour journey to the coast. Along the way skipper Tony Purdon gives a fascinating commentary on the history of the Tarkine, which features Aboriginal cave shelters, campsite middens and rock carvings dating back thousands of years.

Tasmanian Aboriginals wore no clothes, except sometimes a roughly tanned animal skin, says Purdon, instead smearing their bodies with animal fat and seal grease for warmth. Swathed in woollies ourselves, we wonder how they coped, naked, in these cool climes, particularly as we approach Pieman Heads and see the raging ocean in the distance.

It's difficult to image how it was possible to navigate the Arcadia through this terrifying stretch of water when she arrived at the Pieman 20 years ago, and again last year when she steamed to Launceston for a refit: the ocean boils across jagged rocks and the beach is pounded by colossal waves that have travelled uninterrupted from Africa.

Wandering along the breathtaking beach, visitors will be as bewitched by the mighty force of the ocean as they are by the awe-inspiring beauty of the place - by its ancient forests, prolific wildlife and wonderfully serene rivers. We haven't spotted a thylacine. But who cares?

Getting there: Qantas (qantas.com) and Virgin Atlantic (virgin-atlantic.com) fly from Hong Kong to Sydney and on to Tasmania using with Jetstar and Virgin Blue.

Where to stay: Cabins at Corinna Wilderness Experience cost from HK$1,101 per couple (tel: 61 3 6446 1170; corinna.com.au).

What to do: Pieman River cruises cost HK$514 (HK$257 for children).