Berowra Waters Marina relaunches after big investment

The site of the very first hire boat operation in Australia harking back to the early 1900s, Berowra Waters is surrounded by verdant National Park bushland where wallabies bound along the shores and sea eagles glide on the wing. These steep hills afford weather protection for the fetching waterfront homes along the stream and the scores of visiting and local boaters who cast the lines here all year round.

In order to improve the boating experience some more, marina owner and businessman David Hazlett has invested considerable sums into his local boating amenity. Beowra Waters Marina in Dusthole Bay is the hub and heart of the community and the centrepiece in this vast recreational playground and unspoilt waterway.

Besides better and bigger berths, the new marina development includes roadworks, breakwalls, gardens, parklands, secure parking, and an upgraded commuter pontoon to service the local community.

Berowra Waters Marina is now being pitched as a more than just a marina — it's a desirable public destination for a weekend trip. The boatless can get afloat via the local tinny hire, barbecue boat and kayak fleets. Supplies include bait, ammo (tackle) and ice, plus free Wi-Fi, a gourmet deli, ATM and bottle shop.

Atop the marina building is the Berowra Waters Penthouse that accommodates up to 10 people and works well for corporate pow-wows without many of the distractions of other locations. With Wi-Fi you can stay connected with the outside world in this otherwise sleepy settlement.

THE TWIN MARINAS
For boaters, there are actually two marinas at Berowra Waters. The marinas are on opposing sides of the stream where the car ferry crosses.

Upstream or downstream from this cable ferry is a lot of estuary water for fishing, crabbing, cruising, exploring, even camping (Twin Beaches and Marramarra Creek), plus waterskiiing and towsports near the mouth (mind the jellyfish).

While the water isn't as clear as other tributaries to the Hawkesbury, Berowra Waters has less boat traffic and its own unique charm. The fishing can be excellent in the deeper holes, too.

Security in this quiet area includes an undercover parking area near the main marina on the western side, as well as gated marina fingers and berths overlooked by camera.

$2 MILLION MAKEOVER
As a result of the $2 million makeover completed in 2016, the main marina on the western shore now boasts 79 berths and is available to larger vessels up to 35 metres in length.

The east marina on the Hornsby side of Berowra Creek offers berths for vessels up to 18 metres and is more of a working marina. There are 16 swing moorings here as well.

The marinas service the wider boating community — which often launches at the local ramp — via a fuel wharf with unleaded and diesel, chandlery, LPG gas exchange, mechanical workshop, shipwright, slipway and detailing.

Just an hour out of Sydney, Berowra Waters is miles from care, with easy nearby cruising to the mighty Hawkesbury River and all her glorious tributaries.

But for all this, Berowra Waters has long been regarded as a bona fide destination in its own right. The new marina enhances the experience.

With jewfish, big bream, mud crabs, plus Aussie bass and Estuary perch upstream, it's a great waterways for safe family fishing and relaxation.

More at Berowra Waters Marina.