Boating Guide: The Hawkesbury River

Just 40km from the Sydney CBD, the Hawkesbury is one of the biggest and best rivers in Australia to explore in your boat. Surrounded by at least seven national parks, the magnificent river is navigable for more than 54 nautical miles or 100km from its entrance in Broken Bay to the road bridge at Windsor.

En route, you can swing by tributaries including Berowra, Cowan, Mangrove, Mooney Mooney and Marramarra Creeks. But the river itself offers a great journey, cutting through alluvial flood plains, vertical sandstone gorges, passing historic towns such as Brooklyn, Spencer, Wisemans Ferry and Windsor.

En route from the saltwater to the freshwater, you will see everything from abundant fish and crabs to, if you're lucky, giant jewfish; kites and sea eagles on the wing; bounding wallabies, goannas and grazing cows.

The further west you range, the more the river becomes a freshwater playground where ski parks and wake boats set the theme of "let's have summer family fun." Then there are the ski race boats...

Averaging more than 170km/h, the Merc Force team of driver Don
Gulley, skiers Kris Knights and Jake Tegart, and observer Kevin Boylan,
needed just 37 minutes and 34 seconds to cover the famous 112km Bridge
to Bridge course from Dangar Island to Windsor on the Hawkesbury River on November 19,
2017.

But our tip is to take it slow, ride the tides and take in the glorious scenery on a big Hawkesbury Holiday river trip. The mouth of the Colo River offers good overnighting on the anchor after a long day of wending your way upstream.

CRUISING GUIDES AND RAMPS
There is plenty to do on the Hawkesbury — outstanding fishing, crabbing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, cruising, family boating, foreshore camping, exploring and gadding about.

To appreciate the history do yourself a favour and get a copy of John and Jocelyn Powell's Cruising Guide to the Hawkesbury River, Cowan, Broken Bay and Pittwater, and, of course, Alan Lucas' Cruising the NSW Coast. Boat Books has both these popular references.

There are boat ramps right along the length of the Hawkesbury from Apple Tree Bay at Brooklyn to Wiseman’s Ferry and right up to Governor Phillip Reserve Boat Ramp at Windsor. Search Roads and Maritime’s website for “Roads and Maritime Boat Ramp Locator”

10 PLACES OF INTEREST
Here are some places of interest, heading west from near the entrance, as you encounter them heading upstream.

1. Dangar Island is car free, locals use wheelbarrows, there’s a café and bowling club. It’s a great spot to visit with kids.

2. Brooklyn is a departure point for houseboats with a great ramp at Apple tree Bay. There is some very nice seafood available from the fishmongers here.

3. Boaters can visit the Mooney Mooney Club in the namesake creek for a seafood nosh-up and club grub. Best access is at the top of the tide.

4. Just above Berowra Creek and on the opposing shore is the famous township of Spencer. Anchor in the mouth of Mangrove Creek and visit the Spencer Village Store for breakfast.

5. The Dunkirk Hotel is nothing more than a tree opposite the Spencer general store where locals sip cold beers in the shade.  Stralya!

6. Gentleman’s Halt on the opposite side to Spencer has a little-known campground you can access by trailerboat. Anchor off the main channel.

7. Historic townships, settlements and places of interest from our colonial past dot the riverbanks all the way to Wiseman’s Ferry and beyond.

8. Between Wiseman’s Ferry and Sackville, there are oodles of ski parks and some caravan parks where the family can stay, you can launch your boat, and enjoy long days of play, especially all the tow sports on the river. It can be very busy in summer, so know your towing rules.

9. You can access food and a pub at Wiseman’s Ferry, but the Paradise Pizza Café at Lower Portland is a great trip and destination. Beaches Powersports hosts jet ski ride days here for Sea-Doo owners.

10. Tizzana Winery near Sackville can be reached and visited by boat. See the website for access details.

FISHING TIPS
You need local knowledge to catch fish in the Hawkesbury.

In the tidal reaches, fish the outside of the bends, where the water is deepest. If there are rock walls in these deep reaches you will find jewfish. Otherwise, bream and flathead are around the mangroves and drop-offs.

There are mud crabs at Spencer. Wiseman’s Ferry and beyond is Aussie bass country. You need a canoe or small tinnie and a stealthy approach with lures cast around the snags in the quieter creeks and rivers like the McDonald and Colo.

THE RIVER WRAP
The height of the Hawkesbury Road and Rail bridges is 11.5m. So only powerboats and trainable yachts can fit under. You The river adventure is pretty much the domain of cruisers. But you don't need a fast boat. Ride the tides.

Wisemans Ferry, about 70km upstream, has brackish water. The tides are 2.5 hours later at Wisemans Ferry than Fort Denison. Above here, the river changes character into a popular waterski, wakeboarding and wakesurfing playground.

The water is fresh by the time you reach the Colo River at Lower Portland. Then it’s onto Ebenezer, Cattai and Windsor. What an adventure!

You can take a 40-foot cruiser all the way from the entrance to the Colo and many do just that in summer to escape the madding crowds. Otherwise, it’s watersports and towsports central.

The Hawkesbury is a mighty river and it’s been a popular boating conduit for more than 200 years.

Further reading at Boating Guide: Pittwater has it all.
Further reading at
Boating Guide: Cowan Creek.