Sent in by charterer December 23, 1999

The following article deals with the general aspects of cruising the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater, which are approximately 40 mins drive north of Sydney. I wrote that article back in 1997, and its content still holds true today as I have recently returned from another nine days cruising the same waters.

Sent in by charterer December 23, 1997

Just north of Sydney is the Hawkesbury River system and Pittwater (for this article, I use the term Hawkesbury River system to include the Hawkesbury River itself as well as it "tributaries" such as Cowan Creek and Berowra Creek). I have holidayed on the Hawkesbury River system and Pittwater three times over the past nine years, in self-drive (30' and 34') Clipper cruisers, the last being in December 1997. Each holiday has been at least eight days on the water, with the longest stretch being 3 weeks!

With the cruisers, everything except food is supplied. Nowadays, you have to pay for fuel by the "engine hour", otherwise everything is included in the price. You don't need a license to handle the cruisers, as the engines are governed to not exceed the 8 knots restriction placed on unlicensed drivers. Handling the cruisers is easy - if you can drive a car, you can steer a cruiser - in fact, it is so easy, you don't even need to know how to drive a car! Start the engine, bring in the anchor (usually by an electric winch) or simply unhook the rope from a mooring buoy, push the control lever forward, and away you go. When you want to stop, slip the control lever into neutral, then into reverse to stop forward motion and then back into neutral, drop anchor (or hook up to a mooring buoy), and engine off. If you're a little rusty, there are plenty of secluded little bays with mooring buoys where you can practise to iron out any bugs.

What do the cruisers have? Well, I can only tell you about the Clipper models which I have hired, but I'm certain that they all have the basics described below, whether they be a cruiser or houseboat. They have a fully stocked kitchen - cutlery and crockery, stove, oven, fridge and ice boxes, as well as accessories such as tea-towels, washing up liquid, etc. The toilet and shower (the 34' has two) occupy a small room, towels supplied. Two beds in the bow are usually single bunks. A double bed on the 30' is midships, whereas on the 34' two double beds are at the stern, with all with linen and pillows supplied. You can steer from within the cabin (on those windy, rainy or cold days), or from the flybridge on those warm days, with the breeze blowing in your hair. A dinghy is supplied, which is towed behind - an extra-cost option is a small motor, but you really would never have to row far (see below), and besides it's more fun rowing than getting some cranky two-stroke to fire up. There is a AM/FM radio, and a maritime CB radio for use in emergencies. The 34' comes with TV, video and sometimes a CD player, and a cellular phone. Everything runs off DC voltage, supplied by a battery bank which is recharged by the engine. Ample lights at night is no problem. Hot and cold water is supplied by electric pump from the 600 litre storage tank. There is amble storage for clothes and such in closets and cupboards.

You are not allowed to tie-up at a wharf but you can pull up alongside a floating pontoon. You will have to anchor (or moor) away from the wharf and use the dingy to row to the wharf or ashore. Easy! You would also use the dingy to row to that lovely sandy beach for a bbq, or into some secluded cove for some bushwalking, or simply to glide peacefully up the small creek at the top of Smiths Creek as you take in the peace and quiet, broken only the gentle plop of the oars - secluded small creeks are a great place to practise your rowing technique too! One thing to remember - when reversing in the cruiser, pull the dingy to the side of the cruiser and don't leave it tethered behind the cruiser, otherwise you could find that the propellers of the cruiser will make short work of the dingy! Embarrassing and costly.

Both the Hawkesbury River system and Pittwater offer excellent and diverse anchorages. Houseboats can not journey from the Hawkesbury River into Pittwater, which is the main reason we prefer cruisers over a houseboat. The water can be quite deep in the creeks off the Hawkesbury (up to 27 metres), but the cruisers are provided with ample rope and chain. In most large and small bays or coves, you will find adequate mooring buoys. The public buoys are painted yellow and anyone can use these. The white buoys are "privately owned" with the license number or boat name painted on the side. If there are no public buoys remaining, you could always moor at a private one, but be prepared to be politely asked to move on if the registered owner should arrive to moor (as yet to happen to me, but I've found most boaties to be friendly and polite). In the small coves you will find only a handful of public buoys, and if these are all taken you simply drop anchor. Easy!

Pittwater, with the suburban sprawl and many open-water marinas on the east side is quite different to the Hawkesbury River system environment. Take a cruise around Scotland Island, or slowly dodge in and out of the open-water moored cruisers and yachts, marvelling at the size of some of them. Moor off Palm Beach and row ashore to visit the cafes or simply stroll over to the ocean side of the suburb. A couple of quiet coves are on the west side - visit Towlers Bay, with its great sandy beach, or take a bushwalk up Coasters Retreat.

The majority of the lower Hawkesbury River system is flanked by national parks - Ku-ring-gai Chase NP on the south and Brisbane NP on the north. Off Cowan Creek, there is Coal and Candle Creek (home of Akuna Bay) and Smiths Creek. Smiths Creek is peaceful, with a smaller creek on the right a few hundred metres in from the mouth, which leads up to a quiet mangroved area - row boats only here. At the end of Smiths Creek is a shallow area leading to another mangroved area, which features a deep swimming hole. At low tide you can walk along the river bed up to the swimming hole. Further along Cowan Creek is Lords Bay (our favourite), which is a small cove flanked by tall trees and a low-tide beach. An excellent and easy walking track follows the creek. Look at the northern side of the cove to see a large flat rock, which is frequented by Lyrebirds. Further up Cowan Creek is Bobbin Head, where you can stop for a picnic in the park.

Back towards Pittwater, there is Refuge Bay and America Bay. Refuge Bay's best attraction is the waterfall on its southern edge. Here you'll find amble moorings, and you'll soon discover why this is a favourite place for boaties. A track to the right of the waterfall takes you above and behind the waterfall. America Bay is the northern part of Refuge Bay. Back out into the River and you'll pass Flint and Steel Bay. Across the River is Patonga Beach, and some great flathead fishing in-between.

Heading upriver, you'll pass Eleanor Beach and Gunyah Beach, both safe beaches, ideal for swimming and a bbq. Head up to the rail bridge at Brooklyn or veer off to circumnavigate Dangar Island, past the towering cliffs atop Little Wobby Beach. Continue upriver past the rail bridge and on to the road bridge (Princes Freeway) and then veer right along the northern shore of Milson Island to view another waterfall and the wreckage of the HMAS Parramatta. Further along we come to the mouth of Berowra Creek. Peats Bight is on the left shore - you can only get to this restaurant by boat or chartered seaplane. A few small coves along Berowra Creek make this a nice spot, with the small town of Berorwa Waters at the headwaters. This, and Cottage Point, is another place to keep an eye out for landing seaplanes.

For a leisurely cruise amongst some breathtaking scenery, continue up the Hawkesbury River from Berowra Creek, to eventually reach Wisemans Ferry, some four hours cruise. An overnight stay here will allow you to visit this scenic town at your own pace. You must not pass the ferry, so anchor near the wharf just down from the ferry. It's an easy walk to town - this is a relaxed holiday, so you're in no hurry.

Heading on back downriver, past Berowra Creek, veer right, to pass Milson Island on its southern side. Please observe the speed restrictions in this narrow passage, which in any case allows you to wave to the locals and say hi!

As with most holidays of this type, asking the charter company and locals about current conditions, restrictions and rules is a must! Oysters abound on the rocks along the banks of the lower reaches of the river and creeks, but ask before you set off if there has been any adverse weather or local conditions which may have affected the oysters before helping yourself (the best oysters are near Cottage Rock, in Cowan Creek itself). When booking, ask to be sent a brochure or map of the area. These maps are usually supplied with the boat, but getting one weeks ahead allows you to study and plan your cruise. Once you arrive, you can then enquire with the charter company about something in the brochure which you fancy, and not be disappointed when you cruise there to find it not open on Mondays, for example. Also of particular note is that where some places on the river system can be up to 27 meters deep, other places can be as shallow as 1/2 metre, so observe the "no go" areas on the maps provided.

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