Residents Mooring
The Berowra Waters Residents’ Pontoon, as the name suggests, is only available to residents. It is located on the eastern foreshore adjacent to the residents’ carpark. It entitles members to moor a commuter boat (less than 2m wide x 5m long) for up to 48hours at a time.
For the odd holiday or long trip away, it is always possible to find a neighbour who can bring your boat home within 48 hours then return it when you get back. This means that many of the permanent residents on the river survive perfectly well with just access to the Residents’ Pontoon.
There are two other berthing options are both available through the Marina, a long stay pontoon facility located closer to the Ferry on the Eastern Foreshore (for which you will generally utilise parking at the southern end of the Eastern Foreshore) or there is an actual berth in the marina (which comes also with secure parking on the western foreshore).
The primary factors in determining which mooring facility to use are the cost and whether you prefer your car located on the Berowra (East) or Dural (West) side of the ferry and if you plan to regularly be away from the river for more than 48 hours (which will generally preclude you from the Residents’ Pontoon).
For larger vessels berths are available at the Marina or NSW Maritime (RMS) manages the swing moorings located opposite Dusthole Bay and Silverwater Reach. Swing moorings are allocated on an as available basis and a waiting list applies. Both mooring options are available to residents and non-residents alike.
Residents can apply for one residential swing mooring adjacent to their homes. You will need to provide your own moorings with an annual licence fee payable to RMS.
Whatever boat you choose for your commuting or recreation needs, it is going to need maintenance and plenty of it.
The marine environment is relentless and whilst it is remarkable that we can build boats and motors that continue to function safely and reliably in this environment, they will not do so without an annual antifoul and service and constant monitoring of the safety equipment on board. This is especially critical in the winter months when trips and commutes are often made in rain, cold, fog or darkness. A good GPS or navigation system is a must to keep you safe as is a good bilge pump preferably with an automatic switch that will allow you to rest easy when the rain comes.
Boat etiquette, safety and laws
We recommend that you review the safety requirements from NSW Maritime/RMS and take every effort to keep your vessel in good working order.
Where possible, try to stick close to one side or the other of the river to keep clear of the large number of powered boats that will travel up and down the middle of the river. You will need to cross paths with larger boats from time to time but sticking close to one shore will make your trip more relaxing and enjoyable as well as safer.
Don’t get stuck out at night without lights. Navigating the river is dangerous in any vessel without adequate lighting. Plan your trips and be home before dark. Ensure your boats have navigation lights which meet the legal criteria. It is illegal to travel at night without adequate lighting of your vessel and disrespectful to your fellow commuters. We are all endangered when reckless commuters and visitors alike travel at night without lights.
Do not leave boats on public pontoons and wharves for long periods as this prevents others from using them. Regulations stipulate a maximum of 20 minutes in any two-hour period.
Be aware of your wake. Motoring at more than 2000rpm near houses and moored boats causes damaging wash and wake. Slow down when approaching and leaving private pontoons and the Residents’ Pontoon to minimise wash, noise and boat damage.
The Residents’ Pontoon membership stipulates a ‘dead slow’ approach to the pontoon. Compliance is a requirement of your continued membership and access to the residents’ pontoon. Local etiquette dictates you must be even more cautious of your wake during and after heavy rain when boats are so heavily reliant on the effective functioning of their bilge systems.
After heavy rain, be aware of other residents’ boats as they may be full of water (due to a bilge pump malfunction or a massive downpour). Approach any vessel appearing to be in trouble with care. If you can safely do so, bail out the boat or notify the owner. Do not attempt to board a flooded boat.
Painters should be made of rope and not of wire or chain. They should not be padlocked, to allow painters to be re-tied if they get tangled or a boat is at risk of damage.
Do not cross painters when tying off at mooring bars. If a mooring place has a painter stretched across it from an earlier moored boat, move the painter and retie it securely.
At the residents’ facility, the shore-side face of the pontoon should be used by smaller boats, given the limited room for navigation in this area. Conversely, if you are using a small boat please try to avoid berthing on the outside face so that larger boats have this space available.
Pushing the back of your boat out after mooring helps to create more room for commuters following you.
If you notice that a moored boat (or parked car) has an issue, please pass a message onto the BWRPA committee who can contact the affected member.
Please offer assistance if a boat appears to have broken down. It will happen to us all at one time or another and we will all rely on someone offering assistance.
Approach the Residents’ Pontoon through the “pathway” provided by NSW Maritime, not between moored boats.
Day Boating
Here we have outlined a few day boating activities that will help newcomers or visitors particularly with exploring the river beyond our wonderful surrounds in Berowra Creek. A day out on the boat is a great activity as the pleasure is in the journey as much as it is in the destination. There are endless nooks and crannies of this river to be explored but this guide serves to outline some of the main destinations available from Berowra Creek.
You should know the limitations of your vessel in order to undertake these trips. Most of our commuter boats will be fine up until Bar Island (which is the limit for the hire boats in the Marina) or even to head around Bar Island then West up the Hawkesbury toward Spencer or Wisemans Ferry. Please be aware however, that beyond Bar Island toward Brooklyn the water can get very choppy and uncomfortable for smaller vessels. Any trips that pass Juno Point or West Head enter Broken Bay and Pittwater which generally serve up some swell and chop. It is even possible for the tide to produce stand up waves in this area when the conditions are right (or wrong). As always, you need to understand the limitations of your vessel and check the weather conditions, keep your boat safety gear in order and your engine in good service. Please also ensure that you have plenty of petrol and refreshments on board as well as sunscreen and hats.
You must always wear a lifejacket on any personal watercraft, be that a jet ski, canoe or kayak. Authorities will warn and fine if you are not wearing one.
With all of that said, it is one of the great pleasures of life on the river to be able to jump into the boat and head out for a day on the water without the hassle of the boat ramp, the towing, the packing, unpacking and travelling that visitors from off river must endure. Whilst there is great pleasure in finding your own way we have assembled a list of day trips recommended by locals for your consideration.
Bar Island and Twin Beaches
Bar Island is located adjacent to the entrance of Marramarra Creek, opposite Peats Bite restaurant. On the Northern corner of the island is a jetty that can be used to access the island. Be mindful to round the hazard markers as you approach since there is a shallow reef to the North (and West) of the Island.
On the Island, there is a walking track, which passes ruins of the original Church and Cemetery used by early settlers on the river. There are notice boards providing historic context as you take a gentle 20-minute walk to the lookout at the top of the island. You will generally have the island all to yourself and this helps to gather some feeling of the isolation and challenges faced by the early European settlers on the river.
If you fancy a picnic lunch on a nice sandy beach, you might like to take the short boat trip from Bar Island to one of the Twin Beaches. You can see the Twin Beaches from the lookout on Bar Island (opposite Peats Bite, to the South West of the Island). Approach the beaches slowly at low tide as the waters are quite shallow from the channel markers.
Toilet facilities are available on both of the two beaches. You can of course enjoy a swim at Twin Beaches, but it is more suitable for young children playing at the waters edges since the water stays quite shallow and gets muddy if you venture too far from shore, especially at low tide. A visit to Twin Beaches is best mid-week or in winter when the summer campers and fishermen thin out.
A Hamburger at the Tree of Knowledge
After heading out of Berowra Creek past Bar Island, you can turn left at Bar Point and travel up the Hawkesbury toward Spencer. Once past the river access properties of Bar Point, the next settlement you come to will be Marlow on your right. After passing Marlow you will need to turn right into Mangrove Creek to access the Public Wharf at Spencer (about 20 minutes up river from Bar Island).
Spencer is the self-proclaimed ‘Hub of the Universe’ and is home to the ‘Tree of Knowledge’. The site is so called because, lacking a Pub facility, many Spencer residents and visitors tend to avail themselves of take away booze from the General Store and congregate around this old tree.
Whilst we suspect few local or global problems might actually be solved under the Tree of Knowledge, there is no shortage of ideas or advice if you are keen enough to pull up a chair and listen to the locals take on the problems of the world.
A less confronting activity in Spencer may be to avail yourself of the “World’s Best Hamburger” from the Spencer General Store. Whilst this is another self-proclaimed title, it certainly is a very fine hamburger and may surely be the best on the River. The store also has a few groceries, cold drinks, liquor, bait, fishing supplies and petrol (however, you will need a jerry can to get it to the boat).
The General Store / Take Away and the Tree of Knowledge are located adjacent to the Public Wharf. The trip to Spencer for a hamburger is of course about the journey as much as the destination and if you want to explore further up river from Berowra Creek, Spencer is an important stop.