Hawkesbury River guide, from source to sea

The Hawkesbury first made its name as the food bowl of Sydney, following its discovery in 1789 by Governor Arthur Phillip. With the Port Jackson penal colony facing famine, the Hawkesbury flood plains proved a saviour.

Windsor, in fact, was established as the farthest point where ships could safely berth to load wheat and grain. Today, the basin continues to yield vegetables, fruits and nuts, along with succulent Sydney rock oysters, school prawns and blue swimmer crabs.

The upper freshwater reaches from Richmond to Windsor belong to Australian bass. Not-so-secret hotspots include Yarramundi (kayak), Richmond Bridge, Windsor and Cattai Creek. Locals reckon that surface lures are the go, or you can give deep-diving hardbodies or spinnerbaits a crack.

The deep, briny waters from Wisemans Ferry onwards are legendary for large mulloway and yellowtail kingfish caught on live Hawkesbury squid or yakkas. Soft plastic paddle-tail lures can also deliver.

You’ll see boats loitering in the drop-offs around Wisemans Ferry but also farther downstream near Bar Point, the Hawkesbury River Bridge pylons at Brooklyn, or Flint and Steel on Broken Bay.

Wisemans Ferry and Sackville/Lower Portland are arguably the spiritual heartlands of performance skiing, offering expansive sections and a wealth of holiday parks and riverside ranches boasting private ramps and ski beaches.

Wakeboarding has established a competition stronghold at Windsor Reach, with the 2025 Malibu Wakeboard Australian Nationals being run from Governor Phillip Park.

Formed in 1938 at Windsor, the Upper Hawkesbury Power Boat Club is Australia’s oldest continually running powerboat club. Cambridge Reach at Lower Portland is also something of a Hawkesbury holy grail, providing a natural amphitheatre for the Dargle Valley Boat Club to hold major circuit events including the National Drivers Championship.

Between Windsor and Brooklyn, easily the best ramp is at Wisemans Ferry, which has a new three-lane ramp, large pontoon, plus 163 car/trailer parking spaces.

Brooklyn’s Parsley Bay offers a multi-lane ramp and pontoon but parking can be an issue. If so, try Deerubbin ramp west of the M1 motorway bridge.

Up Windsor way, there’s a ramp at Governor Phillip Park. Lower Portland Ramp will suffice if you don’t want to try Wisemans Ferry or Windsor. For quick access from Cowan Creek to Broken Bay, there’s a handy ramp next to d’Albora Akuna Bay Marina.

Other marinas servicing the waterway include Berowra Waters Marina, Empire Marina Bobbin Head and the Hawkesbury River Marina next to Brooklyn train station. There are more along the Brooklyn waterfront as well.

With your own accommodation, there’s really no single base along the Hawkesbury from where you can cover everything. I booked our first night at Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, Windsor – it’s not on the river but affords ample parking for cars with trailers.

To do the river full justice, though, there’s nothing better than staying in a cottage or shack only reachable by boat. I Googled my way to boutique provider Hawkesbury River Accommodation and they quickly sorted two nights at the three-bedroom River Cottage in Milsons Passage.

Just 10 minutes from Deerubbin ramp, the home offers an all-tide floating pontoon, a spacious deck and all the comforts and quaintness you could want.

There are too many ski lodgings to mention but Torrens Water Ski Gardens, the NSW Water Ski Federation’s Ski Gardens, Del Rio Riverside Resort, Carinya Ski Ranch, Cliftonville Lodge, Riverside Ski Park and Sackville Gardens all have prominent profiles.

Fittingly for a region that saved the colony’s bacon, the Hawkesbury’s foodie scene is thriving. And as with the accommodation, some of the best eateries can only be reached by boat, water taxi, seaplane or helicopter.

Peats Bite is one such place, having been a Hawkesbury dining institution since opening at Sunny Corner in 1982. It takes around four very pleasant hours to graze through the multiple courses on Peats Bite’s seasonal long-lunch menu.

Equally renowned is Cottage Point Inn, where a degustation tasting menu awaits. Other notables include Berowra Waters Inn along with ACS (A Chef Secrets) at Berowra which describes itself as Gastronomia Italiana.

Want laid back? Try Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed at Mooney Mooney, where you can eat straight from the source or even shuck a few yourself. All-day breakfast and lunch with local produce is on offer at Dangar Island Depot.

To kick-start our lazy Sunday we grabbed some take-away coffees before heading to Refuge Bay in Cowan Creek for a swim at its sandy beach and a refreshing shower at the famed waterfall. Our arrival was heralded by a brown-coloured snake casually swimming its way across the anchorage.

A few flicks of a lure produced nothing of substance so we cruised to d’Albora Akuna Bay for a light lunch and some chilled music.

Therein lies the beauty of the Hawkesbury. There are just so many ways to spend your days, from watching racing powerboats to angling for mulloway, dining delightfully or slowly doing nothing at all on a mooring.

And perhaps that’s the point. The Hawkesbury doesn’t need a bold beginning or flashy finale because it keeps revealing another reach, another beach or a hideaway along the way.