Riverboat Postman
 

OK, I've been all over the archives on this one - and rather than top michi's post from 2004, I'm starting again. So many of you think this is a wonderful excursion we're going to do it, if I can actually figure out how to book it. Train from Sydney - boat from Brooklyn, one per day around 9:30 - but booking? Call from the US (they have no website)? Wait until I hit Tasmania and call? Wait until the day before and book at the local office in the Rocks? Not desperate, not until June 1 or 2, just trying to be organized. Also, Alan, we intend to have a potter around Windsor and Richmond - any do-not-miss suggestions? Many thanks, all.

Hi oliverandharry . If you have to book at all I think you would be safe waiting till you get here. Yes it is an interesting trip and you will see some lovely quiet spots which most tourists ( and for that matter most locals!) don't ever see.All the best!

I think, too it would be fine to book when you arrive, another nice Hawkesbury/Pittwater trip is from Palm Beach Jetty. The ferry takes you around Pittwater and there's a small catamaran to Ettalong. There was plenty of availability without pre-booking a couple of weeks ago and that was still in school holidays. Palm Beach is Sydney's most northern beach, a fine surfing beach on one side, calm waters of Pittwater on the other and great views from Barrenjoey Lighthouse. It's about a 40km bus ride from town, no train service. for times and destinations see www.palmbeachferry.com.au

As Alan may not be tuned in (and because Windsor is my home town) I'll have a stab at the Windsor-Richmond bit.

First, call in to the Hawkesbury Museum in Thompson Square, Windsor, which is open 10:00-16:00 daily to pick up brochures etc. If you're driving from Sydney, ignore the first set of traffic lights as you enter the town, then turn left at the top of the hill (only 200 metres or so). Thompson Square is the first little street you'll see on your right, between the small park and the Macquarie Arms Hotel. The main sites of interest are the museum itself, the Court House, St Matthew's Anglican Church and the nearby rectory (regrettably the ghost of its first rector, Rev. Samuel Marsden, a.k.a. the Flogging Parson, hasn't been seen for some time). The Hawkesbury Gallery is also worth a visit. (BTW, if you're carrying a full Sydney street directory, Windsor should be included).

There's a larger visitors' centre, but you have to drive through Windsor on the road to Richmond - it's opposite the RAAF base.

Where you go next depends on how much time you have, where you're coming from and where you're going to. (Bear in mind that though Brooklyn and Windsor are both on the Hawkesbury River, it's a fairly lengthy drive from one to the other, skirting Sydney's N and NW outskirts.)

One pleasant drive is through Richmond (I may be biased but I can't think of a good reason to stop there) and take Bell's Line of Road towards the mountains. At North Richmond turn left at the traffic lights onto Grose Vale Road, into the Kurrajong Hills, follow it through Kurrajong Village, then take a left when you reconnect with Bell's Line of Road and drive up the hill to Kurrajong Heights (the pub is a good place to take a breather. On a clear day (not as common as it used to be) you can see the city of Sydney on the horizon.

Alternatively, the 40km drive to Wisemans Ferry is worth doing. If you've already done the River Postman bit, though, WF, while a beautiful view at the confluence of the Hawkesbury and Macdonald Rivers, may be overkill. There's a nice old pub at WF too, complete with the obligatory ghost.

NB: the roads to Kurrajong Heights and Wisemans Ferry, like many in the area, are twisty and a little steep in parts, but perfectly safe unless you spend too much time in the pubs.

Background on the region: Windsor was the third area of New South Wales settled by the British arrivals (after Sydney and Parramatta), in 1792, and the alluvial farmlands played a large part in making the colony self-supporting in food. The river used to be the main transport route for shipping produce to Sydney, via Broken Bay, but could not support such traffic these days, partly due to the infestation of its banks by willows, another imported pest.

Despite the usual depredations of succeeding generations there are still some handsome Georgian and Victorian era buildings in the district.

Websites:
www.hawkesbury.net.au www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au

Ah, Neil, I do know you are from Windsor, sorry for the mixup. Thank you all - we are actually coming back from the Blue Mountains (having done an overnight)when we are heading to Windsor. We have driven all over Tas so we understand twisty roads, and I think your suggestions are terrific. Just purchased a very helpful Hema map so I can see where Palm Beach is - I would like to see that lighthouse. Appreciate all the suggestions - will let you know what we decide.

The walk up to the Barrenjoey lighthouse at Palm Beach is very pleasant...on weekends they have guided tours of the keepers cottage and the light.

If you are adventurous and a fan of varied means of public transport you could combine both hawkesbury and pittwater in one day.

-Catch train sydney central-brooklyn
-take a round trip on the Dangar island ferry on the lower Hawkesbury
-take the train brooklyn (the station is called hawkesbury river) to woy woy
-bus/taxi woy woy to ettalong
-ferry ettalong-palm beach
-bus palm beach - manly
-ferry manly-sydney.

See the movie "oyster farmer" first.

Thanks, oliverandharry. If you're coming from Katoomba you can take a shortcut. As you pass Springwood on the way down the Great Western Hwy, there's a left turn which goes through Winmalee, past the Hawkesbury Lookout and down another of those steepish winding roads to Yarramundi, thence Richmond. It's been so long that I can't remember what the signpost says, but with the above you shouldn't have a problem.

If you have the time and inclination you could turn left at Richmond and do that loop I mentioned - the countryside in the Kurrajong Hills is very pretty, and at the moment quite green. Incidentally, if you were to go as far as Kurrajong Heights there's a hairpin curve called "bellbird corner", where you really can hear the distinctive sound of the bellbirds. It's about where your ears pop.

If you don't have much time you could just turn right at Richmond and follow the signs to Windsor, about 6 km. The visitor's centre I mentioned will be about halfway along on your right. As you enter Windsor the second street on your left (at the corner of the park) will take you past St Matthew's Church.

I do have a recollection that Alan spent some time in the Hawkesbury district as a schoolteacher at St Albans - is that right, Alan? St Albans is along the Macdonald River and reached by ferry and road from Wisemans Ferry, about 20 km I think. Instead of bellbirds, up there you hear the distinctive sound of duelling banjos.

Fair go Neil...
last time I was at the St Albans pub they had a jazz band playing.

Hmm, Johnj_au, now I am intrigued. We once did 10 days around Seattle and the St. Juan Islands (yes, there's that Pig War reference again)while refusing to rent a car. Public bus, ferry, seaplane, moped and feet, plus one taxi ride from a hotel we despised in Victoria in the middle of the night. Your itinerary sounds like just the ticket - we shall ruminate - thank you!

well if you have a $ O&H you could get a seaplane back from palm beach to sydney harbour...a great,iconic,sydney flight..down the wonderful northern beaches round the heads ...comes in at rose bay..the old catalina flying boat base...
http://www.sydneyseaplanes.com.au/home.html

just another insight into some of the factors that make sydney the best new world city on the planet.

and let me tell you...the lower hawkesbury and the national parks and pittwater etc are every bit as good as the san juans...with a hell of a lot better weather.

John, are you telling me that intrepid yuppie explorers have penetrated upriver to St Albans? There goes nostalgia.

Confession time: back in the Dark Ages (the '60s) I was the Labor Party state campaign director for the Windsor-Richmond area, which covered a multitude of sins (St Albans included) and required a taste for advanced masochism. The grizzled old hands said "Don't 'ee go up thataway, sonny -it be tiger country!", but being young and foolish I wended my way upriver to the maddening beat of tom-toms, and after my bearers had cleared a path I finally made contact with a local whose name I'd been given as a possible candidate to man the local polling booth. I left him with a box of how-to-vote cards, and no more was ever heard from him. Only rumours that his hide had been found nailed to a barn door. I'm sure Alan will know more.

Seriously, the village did have its own phone directory in those days - about 50 entries, I think, all of which, ominously, shared three surnames. At one stage the ferrymaster was a St Albans lad, who one day came home with his proud new possession, a transistor radio. His father refused to let him bring it into the house, fearing that city germs would make their way through the ether.

Hi Olive&Harry,

Have recently been wowed by a weekend houseboat cruise up the Hawkesbury River from Brooklyn to Wisemans Ferry, the same route of the Riverboat Postman. Before starting our adventure, we enjoyed a great seafood lunch at the cafe opposite Hawkesbury River train station, and right beside the station was the Postman’s departure wharf with a big sign “Riverboat Postman departs this wharf 9.30am Returns approx 1.15pm Mon to Fri, public holidays excepted.” (Took a pic I can email if you’re interested.)

There are a couple of trains from Sydney Central that will get you to Hawkesbury River station in time for the Postman’s departure, about an hour’s train travel.

Will update the “Hawkesbury Riverboat/Sydney” http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=3 thread with a JBR with more details of this stunning and quite breathtaking river, in all its incredible natural beauty. The thought that often flitted through my mind as we chuff-chuffed its snake-like bends and curves with high sandstone cliffs on both sides was “I cannot believe we’re just one hour from Sydney CBD!”

Actually, some of the vistas that unfolded round hidden bends reminded me of the scenery in Lord of the Rings, where the Fellowship travels in small boats and I could so easily image those huge monolithic statues around the next bend!

Hope this helps,
FT

Website: http://www.cityrail.info/timetable/t...dn&page=03
City Rail timetable

O&H I have fond memories of Palm Beach tour conducted by that perennial cricket star john-j. It was the first time I swam in the Pacific facing east.

If hotel accomodations are bad in Victoria, you can now bunk w/ us or if you're flush take the sea p[lane to Seattle or Vancouver, eh

cheers

AndrewDavid

Cross-posted from the Hawkesbury Riverboat/Sydney thread:

"A great article in today's (10Jan 2007)'Sydney Morning Herald' titled "River of Life", written by Bruce Elder, which details life today on the river, it's eccentrics, the Riverboat Postman, a bit of history, and extolling it's unspoiled beauty.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/...105026710.html

Will cross-post this on the Riverboat Postman thread so it's there in the archives for anyone interested in joining the postie.

Reading this article today brought back such vivid memories of our Hawkesbury adventure almost a year ago, so thank you Mr. Elder :)

Jackie"

I've just finished reading Kate Grenville's "The Secret River", which is a novel about early white settlement on the Hawkesbury. It's not a pretty book, but it's beautifully written and evokes the scenery very well. I bought my copy in the UK, though, and the photo on the cover of this edition bears no resemblance to the Hawkesbury at all - I can't understand why they used it.

Suelynne, have just finished it too, Kate Grenville is one of my favourite Australian writers, whilst this one was nominated for Booker Prize, I don't think it holds a candle to her "Idea of Perfection" written a few years back. But maybe am suffering from a surfeit of convict settlement tales. Cover is probably same as yours, could be anywhere; bit of a river scene with old dinghy in foreground, but would be difficult to represent vastness of Hawkesbury in just one shot for a book cover, I feel.

A lot of sentimentalized fluff in this thead and that newspaper article, and a lack of realistic travel info. That departure dock has been about my worst nightmare, having refused to depart on 2 out of 3 of my precious and rare visits. Be sure to call ahead, and be prepared for being packed like sardines with schoolgroups in the case when they actually do run.

Loved Kate Grenville's "Secret River" read just prior to our Hawkesbury houseboat trip, and more recently enjoyed "Idea of Perfection" (thanks Pat) even more - some passages had me rolicking with laughter!

Viking, sorry to hear you missed out on the Riverboat Postman no less than three times, but it should be kept in mind this is a working postal delivery service to isolated communities on the river, and not primarily a sightseeing/tourist based operation. You might care to add some 'realistic travel info' and give the reason why the Postman didn't go on his deliveries on two occasions when you stood waiting on your "worst nightmare departure dock"?
Here's a pic of the wharf.
http://bp3.blogger.com/_DNeUo0sgWeQ/...AAAADE/yfwh3s-
taken during our Hawkesbury adventure; you can see how close Hawkesbury River Train Station is to the wharf, with a glimpse of the Postboat through the small window of the 'office'.

Was good to hear the local schools are taking this trip on field excursions to learn first-hand of the legacy and history of this amazing River.

"Fluffy";)Tiles

Jackie

Ooops, the link worked when I tried it in the 'preview' but comes up Error when posted. Sorry, attempt Mark II

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~larsjack/mypic26.JPG

Need to cut 'n paste it in your browser, as only half the link seems to work.

Back to Computers 101 for me!

Coincidentally, Furry Tiles,last night on TV on Showtime channel I happened to see a little Australian movie made in 2004: "Oyster Farmer" with Kerry Armstrong. "A film about love, fresh oysters and a missing parcel of cash". Its all shot on Hawkesbury with some terrific scenery and clearly shows how close train station is to wharf, as well as featuring the Postboat.

Agree with you that first priority on any postal service which takes tourists should go to mail and other deliveries for those living in remote areas. Up here in North Qld there was a postal service flying thousands of miles over outback to remote stations and taking tourists if space permitted - but one could never guarantee a seat, as priority naturally went to mail, deliveries and those who lived and worked out on the cattle stations.

Hi Pat, yes the "Oyster Farmer" movie was mentioned in the article I posted
......
'The river has always attracted these gentle characters. To live on its banks is to make a statement about your priorities in life just as the characters in Anna Reeves's 2004 movie Oyster Farmer - with names such as Mumbles, Pearl, Brownie, Slug and Skippy - evoked a world little understood by people who are only 15 minutes away by water.

And that is part of the charm. All of the places visited by the riverboat postman can be reached only by water. To go to the Hawkesbury is to excuse yourself, with a knowing smile, from the world of roads, cars and trucks.'
......

Also see the movie is now available for rent from video stores, and also to buy at around Au$23.

Will be renting that next time I pass my local video store, can't wait ... thanks for the tip! (f)

Getting to remote areas with the local postal contractor (often the only way) features in so many books on Oz outback, noticed most recently in reading, would u believe, "Oyster" (1999) by Janet Turner Hospital, set in an outback Queensland opal-mining community. A gripping, dark and exceptionally well-told tale with the main focus on religious nutters.

Jackie

Some years ago, I took an elderly aunt for a trip on the riverboat postman, including a sit-down lunch, which as I remember was fine. But I begrudged having to sit down inside, when I could have been up on deck enjoying the fabulous view and munching sandwiches instead. There are big windows, of course, but it's not the same. So I advise, take your lunch, or buy the bagged version.

Yesterday on the train from Newcastle to Sydney, I passed Hawkesbury River Station, from where the boat leaves. Not all trains stop there. But to come from Sydney by train is a great trip , through Kuringai National Park and the Hawkesbury sandstone country, and along its waterways. On the way down from Newcastle, at about 8.30am, I spotted a large kangaroo, two wallabies and another group of four wallabies alongside the track.