Life In Australia

On Boxing Day, 26^th December, we visited Dangar Island, a small inhabited island in the Hawkesbury River, about one hour north of the centre of Sydney.

As soon as you leave urban Sydney, the views from the train are spectacular. The railway line is elevated, so you can see panoramic views of miles and miles of unspoilt hilly bushland. Now I understand why gum trees are described as “scribbly” in one of my daughter’s favourite Australian stories called “Wombat Stew.” The long thin branches curve and extend in all directions.

Just outside Hawkesbury River station, on the opposite side of the road, we saw a small obelisk, erected in 1939, to commemorate the naming and discovery of the Hawkesbury River in 1789 by Captain Phillip, who led the first fleet of settlers to Australia.

The Dangar Island ferry leaves from Brooklyn Public Wharf, which is a two-minute walk from Hawkesbury River station. You walk down a short, narrow gangplank into an old wooden boat with peeling paint and a noisy engine. It wasn’t long before we were on our way to Dangar Island.

Here is a view of Dangar Island from the ferry. It is quite steep and rocky and houses are built all the way up the elevation.

This house always fascinates me when we visit Dangar Island. It looks like a little castle with a tower and turret, but it is made entirely from corrugated iron!

When we arrived at the island, we had our picnic lunch on some picnic tables outside the former café and shop which is now closed. This is the part of the view that we enjoyed during our lunch.

It’s a shame that the café and shop is now closed. It used to serve delicious homemade puddings and, as well as catering to the tourists, it used to be the hub of the community. There are a few hundred houses on the island – some people live there all year round and others just have holiday homes. We saw a notice on the door saying that a group of residents was organizing a co-operative to take over and run the shop and café, so we hope to see it open again soon.

Tomorrow, I will write about the rest of our visit to Dangar Island and include some more photos.

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