Hawkesbury River moments.

1.preparing for launch - Parsley Bay
2.Hawkesbury river
3.Spencer - river side hamlet
4.riverside post office
5.colourful postboxes
6.Dangar island café
7.where we collected pure drinking water - The Tanks
8. view out towards Hawkesbury river and Danger island
9.Hawkesbury river
10. A most friendly Aussie

bogranjac1 said:

1.preparing for launch - Parsley Bay
2.Hawkesbury river
3.Spencer - river side hamlet
4.riverside post office
5.colourful postboxes
6.Dangar island café
7.where we collected pure drinking water - The Tanks
8. view out towards Hawkesbury river and Danger island
9.Hawkesbury river
10. A most friendly Aussie

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11. Woy Woy jetty
12. A fellow T F'ers backyard
13. deserves a closer look
14.interesting rock formations
15.sunset
16.rail bridge at Brooklyn
17.where the Hawkesbury meets the Pacific ocean - Broken Bay
18. heading for New Zealand....just joking !!

Now you're just rubbing it in. You guys have some really nice areas down there. Makes me want to pack a bag and buy a ticket.

Beautiful. Thanks for posting.

Nice! - Thanks for sharing.

I'd love to cruise over to the east coast and do some exploring. You've got the perfect solution for bypassing some of the rough seas.

That looks great. Thanks for posting, will have to do the big trip South in the not too distant future.

AusCan said:

Nice! - Thanks for sharing.
I'd love to cruise over to the east coast and do some exploring. You've got the perfect solution for bypassing some of the rough seas.

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Bypassing rough seas is on point. Off Broken Bay, where the Hawkesbury river meets the sea is Pittwater, one of its first bays is called "Coasters Retreat". A little deeper in are the twin bays, "Refuge Bay" and "Americas Bay". All 3 were/are used by vessels seeking respite from the Pacific Ocean.
Refuge has a freshwater waterfall, a number of other bays have fresh water creeks entering at the head, the water comes from within Ku ring Gai National Park and is usually potable.
Great pics,bogranjac1, thank you. The tranquility offered by some of the more remote bays, often with 3-4 well maintained free 24 hour National Parks moorings in deep water, is amazing,and the "neighbours" are almost always nice people. We usually have Christmas tucked away in a quiet bay.

BruceK said:

Bypassing rough seas is on point. Off Broken Bay, where the Hawkesbury river meets the sea is Pittwater, one of its first bays is called "Coasters Retreat". A little deeper in are the twin bays, "Refuge Bay" and "Americas Bay". All 3 were/are used by vessels seeking respite from the Pacific Ocean.
Refuge has a freshwater waterfall, a number of other bays have fresh water creeks entering at the head, the water comes from within Ku ring Gai National Park and is usually potable.
Great pics,bogranjac1, thank you. The tranquility offered by some of the more remote bays, often with 3-4 well maintained free 24 hour National Parks moorings in deep water, is amazing,and the "neighbours" are almost always nice people. We usually have Christmas tucked away in a quiet bay.

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Spent a happy 2 weeks over Easter this year in those parts. Great to see those pics to bring back the memories.

Some beautiful shots!

Here are some Hawkesbury River/Broken Bay pics. The depth reading shows meters.

Nice thread and Pics.
I have sailed there quite a few times and must now find a way to return soon



Thanks

Ian

Some fine pics gentlemen, thanks for posting.
These waters are very picturesque, you could be deeply remote from first glance, but not far behind the hills is a city with 5 million people.

The Hawkesbury River system is complex and difficult to describe, so the map may help. Often referred to as Broken Bay/Hawkesbury River system, it includes Pittwater, Cowan Waters, Akuna Bay,Smiths Creek (16M deep!), Berowra Waters, and Bobbin Head(not a headland but a head of a waterway), the old home of Halvorsen and it`s long defunct hire fleet. The river itself extends well inland to Richmond, it`s tidal, fiercely so in parts. The lower sections which have more a "Broken Bay' feel are in deep fjord like valleys, seemingly untouched, surrounded by Ku ring Gai National Park. National Parks provides free 24hr moorings in some beautiful seemingly remote places, though sometimes a traffic hum reminds there is a highway not so distant. In many areas depth makes anchoring difficult so the moorings are popular, and in some places,even prized. It`s easy to spend a week or more, exploring and relaxing.

Thanks! The map really helps to visualize it and allows for some "exploring."

Coba Point, Berowra Waters

Have lived at Coba Point for the last 5 years so know the area quite well.

We are on the left hand side of BruceK's map with no road access only boat, solar power and septic tank and loving every minute of it - even the all too frequent early morning fog

Great pictures posted on this thread and the area is every bit as good as they show.

We get around using two small commuter boats and a barge. My biggish boat (8m so small for some of you guys) is a Markline 800 and hoping it will be back in the water this summer.

Cheers

Len

Lengale1 said:

Have lived at Coba Point for the last 5 years so know the area quite well.

We are on the left hand side of BruceK's map with no road access only boat, solar power and septic tank and loving every minute of it - even the all too frequent early morning fog

Great pictures posted on this thread and the area is every bit as good as they show.

We get around using two small commuter boats and a barge. My biggish boat (8m so small for some of you guys) is a Markline 800 and hoping it will be back in the water this summer.

Cheers

Len

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Welcome Aboard! We`re berthed in Brooklyn, our previous neighbour had a house upriver. Another neighbour, Paul, house upriver, uses his berth to work on his boat. Just now we can visit/check our boat, that`s about all.

For those who watch YouTube boating channels, Dangar Marine (Stu) is located on Dangar Island, pretty much right in the centre of Bruce’s chart/map, and slightly up the Hawkesbury River.

Dangar youtube

Yes I have watched quite a few of the youtube videos by Dangar, especially around fuel problems

This one is for bogranjac1,he started the thread, who has not posted for a little while. It`s Nina, a Finn 8 on our marina, with mast. Looks well kept, usually out on a swing mooring, currently alongside and easy to photograph.

Enjoyed the photos and meeting bogranjac1 when he was up our way!
Grew up on Cowan in the fifties and sixties. We moored at Apple Tree Bay at Woodnutt's which became Lagden's.
Still remember the first fiberglass motor cruiser.
Many changes but still a beautiful place and so close to a major city.

Thanks everyone for the reminder.
I purchased my Clipper 34 from Brooklyn almost 3 years ago and although I live only 100 km North by road (Lake Macquarie) - (sadly a 6 hour sea trip), I haven't been back since.
I still plan to of course as it is a wonderful area. I used to take my Trailer Sailer there about every six months for a week or so and have found many wonderful anchorages.
May get back soon if Covid relaxes her grip on us a bit.

Fortunately for me Lake Mac is also a wonderful sailing area and I am often on the water at least.
The detailed list of bays and inlets as well at the photos included above have definitely reminded me of the need to return.
Cheers

Locked down and bored, I went looking for info about sea eagles in the area, hoping to find stories of the sea eagles we often see in Jerusalem Bay. Nothing as specific, but I did find this, some of the pics, both birds and bays, seem worth sharing. I hope you like them and the memories of better times they bring:
https://berowrabackyard.com/tag/white-bellied-sea-eagle/

BruceK said:

Locked down and bored, I went looking for info about sea eagles in the area, hoping to find stories of the sea eagles we often see in Jerusalem Bay. Nothing as specific, but I did find this, some of the pics, both birds and bays, seem worth sharing. I hope you like them and the memories of better times they bring:
https://berowrabackyard.com/tag/white-bellied-sea-eagle/

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Thanks for the link Bruce, our eagles are amazing creatures, both Wedgetails and Sea Eagles, as well as the huge variety of waterfowl frequenting the coastal waterways.
I think the most memorable sounds for me of your waterways are the cicada’s on those hot summer days.

[B said:

BruceK;1034800]Locked down and bored, I went looking for info about sea eagles in the area, hoping to find stories of the sea eagles we often see in Jerusalem Bay. Nothing as specific, but I did find this, some of the pics, both birds and bays, seem worth sharing. I hope you like them and the memories of better times they bring:
https://berowrabackyard.com/tag/white-bellied-sea-eagle/

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[/B]

That's a terrific blog you happened upon Bruce. I have been traversing this area for years and it is great to see it from another perspective.

Peats Bite Restaurant Burns

Fire has destroyed Peats Bite Restaurant on the Hawkesbury River. A high end restaurant, with water only access,a drop off/pickup wharf, and moorings for customers. Popular with the boating fraternity, the restaurant had recently been renovated. I`m guessing patronage was down due to Covid related boat use restrictions, so it was probably a good time to renovate.
Let`s hope they are back up and running soon.

Bruce, You are locked down - but I have virtually been locked out of N.S.W. !!
My heart cried when I saw the pics of Nimiane again.
Twice now Covid has reared its ugly beast of a head and spoiled my plans of returning to New South Wales. Nimiane is in storage at Brielle? just up the hill from Berowra Waters waiting waiting.
P.S. Looking forward to seeing you both and a few drinks on the 'new boat'

bogranjac1 said:

Bruce, You are locked down - but I have virtually been locked out of N.S.W. !!
My heart cried when I saw the pics of Nimiane again.
Twice now Covid has reared its ugly beast of a head and spoiled my plans of returning to New South Wales. Nimiane is in storage at Brielle? just up the hill from Berowra Waters waiting waiting.
P.S. Looking forward to seeing you both and a few drinks on the 'new boat'

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I`m surprised NSW won`t let you in from WA. I thought the issue would be returning to WA, we`re banned from there, maybe you couldn`t go back after being exposed to contamination here. Maybe 2 weeks quarantine on arrival? Whatever it is, I hope it gets resolved soon. Thought it`s suggested,at Christmas it will be easier to fly to USA,UK,Europe, Singapore,than Sydney to Perth.

ABC TV "Back to Nature"Hawkesbury/Dyarubbin Episode

Hawkesbury aficionados might enjoy this 29 minute episode devoted to the waterways and nearby areas. The aboriginal name for the river is Dyarubbin, slightly different to the name used by the Powell`s in their guidebook published by "Deerubbin Press". The presenters find aboriginal symbols on walls in overhanging caves near the waters edge, and other features related to use of the river. I`ll have to look for wall art by the waterside, surprised me, they don`t say where it was,I won`t reveal my guess. Definitely worth a look in my humble opinion, we enjoyed it. The untouched beauty of the area, deep in a national park, despite its proximity to civilization, is remarkable.That some cave art survives is truly surprising,may it stay that way.
Select Episode 7 when the link comes up.

https://iview.abc.net.au/video/DO1909H007S00