The Minister for Tourism
The Premier of Tasmania
The Honorable Sue Napier
The Editor of the Examiner
The Sale of Cora Lynn
Dear Sir
Canoe Tasmania is highly concerned at the proposed sale of Cora Lynn. This particular site provides the ideal egress for kayaking and rafting trips down the North Esk for the nationally acclaimed “White Hills to Cora Lynn” section of the river.
The North Esk is considered throughout Australia as one of the great canoeing rivers due to its quality of rapids (up to grade 4), its beauty, its closeness to a major city and the ease with which it can be entered and left. All serious paddlers and rafters in Australia long to paddle this river in winter when it is running. It frequently hosts up to 50 paddlers in a winter weekend. The river represents a major recreational “extreme” venue for exercise, training and assessment.
The river bridges the difficulties of the Upper Mersey slalom site and Cataract Gorge. It is used by Tasmanian paddlers as an essential trip to be mastered if one is to be a paddler of a National or International standard, such as Justin Boocock.
Rivers, fortunately, in Tasmania are available to the public as they are state owned property in the greater number of cases. This makes them invaluable as recreational facilities. However, to ensure that rivers can be used by the public in a nondestructive manner, public access is essential. Cora Lynn is an essential point on the river for finishing advanced trips on the rapids above the site and starting beginners’ trips to the park in St Leonards.
This river is a most significant attraction amongst paddlers, fishermen and rock climbers both local and national. It is a major attraction to tourists who we paddlers often see coming to the Cora Lynn site because of its restful beauty.
Selling Cora Lynn and depriving this public access to a public river is of the highest concern.
Yours sincerely
Jason Dicker
Chairman of Canoe Tasmania
Chairman of Australian Canoeing Committee of Education and Safety
