Patonga to Woy Woy: headlands, beaches, shark eggs, pelicans

A classic leg stretch with the bushwalkers the other day. We took the bus to Patonga on the northern side of the Hawkesbury estuary, and walked over the hill to Pearl Beach. Then via beaches to Ettalong, and around toWoy Woy.

Here's our morning tea vantage point, with views across to West Head, Barrenjoey, and the Newport Peninsula.

Who knew that some sharks lay eggs, and some give birth to live young? Actually I think I did. Our leader Len was able to further educate us on the subject when he found this Port Jackson Shark egg on Umina Beach.

An awful lot of dogs on these dog-friendly beaches, sometimes getting a bit tangled up with the bushwalkers.

One of Woy Woy's time-honoured attractions is the 3pm pelican feeding session. We were just in time.

Views fit for Gentlemen

Fit for Ladies too. There probably weren't any on Governor Phillip's exploratory mission up the Hawkesbury in 1789, but we had both ladies and gentlemen in our bushwalking group recently,

We walked the 10km each way from the Canoelands Rd track head. It's a straightforward leg stretch mainly along a fire trail, and you get to see some very fine views of the Hawkesbury River. Governor Phillip is the gentleman who gave the place its name. He arrived by boat, and camped overnight there. Hence the name: Gentleman's Halt.

The Riverboat Postman

Here's Dangar Island's daily postal delivery, being wheeled onto the island in a wheelbarrow!

There are several little communities in and beside the Hawkesbury River, that depend on this waterborne service, both for the mail and for transport, for those without their own boat at least.

You can watch it unfold around you if you go on the daily cruise that's grown up around it. On a day like the other day it's a very pleasant experience.

I'd been half planning to do the trip for a long time, and jumped at the chance when a friend organised a small group recently. It's only $50 ($44 for seniors) and leaves Brooklyn every weekday morning at 10am sharp. You get morning tea (with the owner's homemade Anzac biscuits) and a nice cheese and ham salad lunch. And the scenery is great.

For some reason I'd expected to head downstream and cross to Pittwater and The Basin. Maybe this used to be the route, or maybe there's another Postman Cruise. Anyway, after Dangar Island we turned left and headed upstream. We passed Long Island, went under the railway bridge and the highway and motorway bridges. We turned right, left, and right again, passed Milson Island and Berowra Creek, Bar Island and Bar Point. We called in on Kangaroo Point and several places I've forgotten the names of. I'd had no idea there were so many little populated pockets.

Other sights included wildlife such as various birds of prey and enormous magnificent jellyfish, flying boats coming in and out of the water, and the HMAS Parramatta, or at least part of it. The Parramatta was Australia's first warship, and after a meritorious military career it came home and was chopped into bits. The bow and stern were put on display in Sydney and in Parramatta, but the middle bit continued to be used (for prison accommodation would you believe), until it ran aground one day. It now grows trees through its hull, and looks rather sad.

We got back to Brooklyn on time at 1:15 pm. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.