Posted on August 7, By voahangy And this is how we find ourselves on this cold winter morning, motoring off Sydney Heads up north to Broken Bay for a 3-days cruise exploring the Hawkesbury River, NSW. The sunshine I was expecting is distinctly lacking, and we spend the 2-hour trip skirting rain clouds and chasing blue skies ahead. I feel cold and damp but at least the seas are flat, so no seasickness and we make good speed, passing iconic Sydney beaches like Bondi and Manly.
Broken Bay is the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. From here, you can cruise along the river all the way to Windsor, approximately km inland. This could take weeks though, as the region includes several tributaries, such as Cowan Creek, Smiths Creek and Berowra Creek. Much of it is surrounded by national parks, with a few settlements dotted along the shore. One look at the map, and we realise that with limited time, we will not see it all.
There are so many bays to explore in that creek alone which by the way, is more of a large arm than a creek , each and everyone as serene and beautiful as the other.
We make it all the way to the end, Bobbin Head, intending to check out what was the home of the classic Halvorsen cruisers from to Boat builder Lars Halvorsen, emigrated from Norway via South Africa and started manufacturing timber cruising boats from the late s. The family business built around hire boats and operated what is said to have been the largest privately owned hire fleet at the time.
We still find a few examples in the area and Mr T wanted to see if there was anything left of the business. There is a nice marina, across a quiet park, and a tavern but sadly, no sign of the former heydays. They are yellow, with a tag attached, therefor easy to spot. Modern technology makes the exercise even easier, by allowing us to download a map on our phone, which shows the exact location of said moorings and how many are available.
They are to be used for a 24h period only, which is not an issue in the middle of winter, with not much traffic around. I am sure it would be a different story in summer however, as there are surely more than 54 boats staying overnight. For now, our main concern is to find a suitable spot where we can get phone and internet coverage, as Mr T is expecting business calls.
We have the anchorage to ourselves, surrounded by old forest and a tiny tidal beach. We could not be any more socially distant! Add the customary chilled drinks, and all is good in the world. The next morning sees us waking up in heavy fog, which takes a couple of hours to completely lift.
I do yoga on the back deck, surrounded by a surreal and beautiful mist, and listening to the calls of whatever birds are around. It feels like another world, a million miles from the city which is, remarkably, only 1 hour away. Once the fog dissipates, we make our way to the entrance of the Hawkesbury river, the small village of Brooklyn.
It seems to be the main centre of the hire boat trade and where most of the river cruises start Nsw Maritime Boating Maps Code from. It also happens to be the only place to refuel and provision on the water, before the Hawkesbury so we tie up at the fuel dock and while Mr T fills up, I run up the grocery store. Leaving Cronulla in a hurry, I had only grabbed enough for one meal and snacks, so I stock up on sausages, a sourdough loaf, salad mix, biscuits, a pie and more beer just in case.
This will be the only time we will step ashore. All set to go, we head upstream towards Berowra Creek for the day. The weather has turned gloriously sunny for us and we check out a few settlements along the way, many of which are only accessible by boat. This is due to steep and rugged terrain, inhibiting road construction as well as some communities being located on the edge of National Parks. It is the case of Peats Bite, a waterfront property where we were booked for an overnight stay earlier, but now temporarily closed due to COVID19 restrictions.
Berowra Waters, at the head of Berowra Creek, is one of the many villages dotting the foreshore. It is the home of iconic Berowra Waters Inn, a restaurant I have been wanting to go for ages. I was hoping for a long gastronomic lunch in the sun, but it turns out we are showing up on the wrong day Thursday as it only opens from Friday to Sunday.
Still, we do a reconnaissance past the wharf, checking out the mooring situation for next time. So we continue our leisurely cruise up the extensive creek which like Cowan Creek, is anything but. The river is super calm with no wind at all and hardly any boat traffic. We end up picking a public mooring in a lovely cove called Joe Crafts Bay for the rest of the day.
Once again we are on our own, facing a small settlement across the river but otherwise surrounded by moss covered trees and rocky outcrops. This time we have no phone, internet or TV coverage. I mention fishing to Mr T, as it looks like an ideal spot for it, but neither of us can get enough enthusiasm. We find distraction in testing the BBQ for the first time. Dinner is a simple affair really, Mr T is in charge of grilling the sausages, while I plate up the salad and slice the fresh bread.
Another ethereal morning starting in heavy fog and replaced with very overcast skies. The cruising is spectacular, with stunning scenery. I am actually surprised to see so much mangroves at the bottom of the sandstone cliffs. The birdlife is also quite prolific, as we spot a few white bellied sea eagles perched up high.
If only the skies were blue�. Small prawn trawlers are parked at jetties, waiting for the season to start school prawns for which the Hawkesbury is famous for. We could anchor anywhere, I guess, but the river is quite muddy. Unfortunately, people are fishing off it and Mr T worries that there may be water taxis or other boats wanting to use the space I doubt it, there is no one out there.
There is one public mooring though, just before the ferry crossing, so we decide to grab it and stop for lunch. Over a sandwich and coffee, we watch the ferry cross back and forth and debate the possibility of launching the dinghy to explore ashore.
However it is drizzling rain and cold, and we decide to make our way back down river and try to secure an overnight mooring in Cowan Creek again instead. There are 4 public moorings, and only 3 boats including us that Nsw Maritime Boating Maps Vietnam night. This is the most crowded anchorage so far! We crank up the generator to run the heater and the oven. This is the perfect opportunity to test the oven, which performs quite well, though it pushes the generator to its limit. Once again, we Nsw Maritime Boating Maps Usa have no internet or phone coverage, it seems to be the price to pay for seclusion.
Our last day and we had plans to spend it exploring this section of Pittwater and visiting some friends in Lovett Bay before heading home in the evening.
However the weather is really playing against us. We wake up to yet another blanket of fog and as beautiful as it is, we are both getting over the cold, grey and misty mornings. We are in luck, there is no wind and no swell, so besides the rain, it is a very smooth ride. Conditions improve dramatically once we pass Sydney Heads, as the rain stops and we spot a few whales splashing along.
I am now calling this trip a whale watching adventure, and things get even better as we approach Cronulla with the sun finally peaking behind the clouds. By the time we tie up at the dock, it is mid afternoon. As it turns out, it will take another 48 hours before the weather turned bad, having me cursing the Bureau of Meteorology for unreliable forecast that led us to cut our adventure short. But I guess, it is better to be safe than sorry. And that provides us with another reason to visit the Hawkesbury River again.
In much warmer weather. Category: Cruising life , Home Tags: getaway , hawkesbury river , river cruise , sydney. Wow what a lovely few days. It looks very peaceful. We had some solitude recently without any internet. I had 1 bar on 3G and it was torture.
Occassionally it would flip to 1 bar 4G where I could quickly do some things. I have tried to find the app to download to my ihone that shows the free mooring buoys. So far i have not had success. Thanks Dennis Smith. The latter will have a number next to it, showing the number of moorings available.
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Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Email Address:. Or making the most of what you have, wherever you are Menu About me Home Recipes Cruising life. Pittwater and the Hawkesbury River? Motoring past Coogee beach Day 1: The sunshine I was expecting is distinctly lacking, and we spend the 2-hour trip skirting rain clouds and chasing blue skies ahead. Spectacular sandstone outcrops in the Ku-ring-gai chase NP One look at the map, and we realise that with limited time, we will not see it all.
Approaching Bobbin Head We make it all the way to the end, Bobbin Head, intending to check out what was the home of the classic Halvorsen cruisers from to Disappointed, we turn around, looking for a mooring for the night. One of the 54 NSWNP yellow buoys For now, our main concern is to find a suitable spot where we can get phone and internet coverage, as Mr T is expecting business calls.
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