Discovering the Hawkesbury River

A new experience this time, travelling with Em and Jac.  Both my daughters work incredibly hard, both of them at work they mostly love but that constant being in demand, being responsible, can take a toll.  Good then to plan a short break with Em while I'm in Sydney, her first since going into lockdown. Just one night so we didn't want to travel too far.  Em decided to leave her doxies at home but we took Jac.

We chose Dangar Island, found an Air BnB, Very Special Place Dangar Island and headed off, with Em driving so a bit of a break for me.  If we went the most direct way it would be about 1.5 hours from Sydney.  We did not.  Chose to head to Berowra Waters Fish Cafe for lunch.  Once we got out of the worst of the Sydney traffic the drive was delightful.  Through mildly windy and tree lined roads and coming out at a tributary of the Hawkesbury River.  Short walk along the river, past small jetties with so many boats around, tree lined hills and fish and chips on the deck on the water.  The cafe is a fish and chips place but the chips were good and the fish (whiting) was moist with a light crisp batter.

Next to the cafe is a river crossing by what I would call a punt, but here they called it a ferry.  A flat barge with a cable that takes cars across the water - for an interesting read about car crossings see Our Rivers, Our History.  Em was a little nervous at first as it was her first time crossing the river on a punt, but it is very straightforward, if a little disconcerting when the punt takes off and creaks its way over the water.  

Then on to another windy, narrow tree and rock lined road, with occasional views of the river and the valleys.  But after ten minutes or so, into suburbia again, built up areas, lots of houses.  Em explained that throughout the suburbs of Sydney there are National Parks and state reserves so you can be minutes away from what is a hugely built up area and you are in the middle of natural bush.  Now I understand one of the joys of living in Sydney. As well as the harbour, in a very short time you can be at wild ocean beaches or immerse yourself in a National Park.  Short drive to Brooklyn and we were at the public wharf where the ferry was waiting

All prepared for pandemic with sitting spots at appropriate distances marked on the bench seats and a limit on the number of passengers, luckily, despite a bunch of primary school aged kids, they were under the passenger limit.  Poor old Jac had to wear a muzzle - one of the conditions for dogs being allowed on the ferry.  The sun was shining and it was a perfect day for it.  The island is a 15 minute trip, there are no cars on the island except for one or two with permits for safety purposes, it's boast is it's the only Sydney suburb where cars are not allowed.  Lined up near the ferry wharf are a bunch of wheelbarrows which the 300 or so people who live on the island use to cart their goods around.  Ann, the host met us near the ferry and it was a short walk to our residence for the night.   

The house is actually the last bit remaining of the original house built on the island by Henry Dangar, a surveyor with a checked history but who was successful in gaining licences for he and his brother to settle  land all the way up to Armidale as well as buy the island and rename it after himself.  Lots of history about that and him using the island to store the equipment while a nearby railway bridge was built, but again very little about the traditional owners who came to the island seasonally.

The key thing that stood out apart from the vast expanse of water, was birds, birds birds and more birds.  From the Pelican we saw catching a fish as we got on the ferry to Lorikeets, Galahs, Cockatoos, Kookaburras, Butcher Birds, Herons, Oyster Catchers and little swallows flitting around near the 'beach'.  There is not a lot of activity on the island apart from walking and then only two reasonably short walks (15minutes to the beach and maybe up to 45 around the top of the island) but a whole different world.  

Our host Ann Howard was a wealth of knowledge, having lived on the island for 47 years and written extensively about its history as well as publishing lots of other books including some about women in wartime.  The house itself was a bit like a museum with some original furniture, the original ceiling and walls in the main area and Ann's extensive food garden where some of our brunch the next day was sourced from.  The only downside was Ann did not like people being in her kitchen so we could not help ourselves to a cup of tea or make a coffee or snack which I found a bit disconcerting.   She had some lovely touches like providing a sheepskin for Jac which Jac actually loved, so might consider getting one for her at home.  Would go well in front of the fire.   

Following Ann's suggestion we went for the short walk to the beach, the river is so big and wide, I can't think of anything like it in Victoria except maybe up around Lakes Entrance.  It's immense, the water was so still and one end of the the beach is rocky and covered in open oyster shells (a midden perhaps).  Had wine on the verandah watching the birds, including very curious Lorikeets who came for a gander at us until Jac barked and off they went.   

We had decided to eat in the only choice for eating out, the Dangar Island Bowling Club which was a 2 minute walk from the house.  Had Jac with us so sat on the veranda with a very welcome heater as it was just a tad nippy.  Menu was mainly burgers, with vegetarian options, but a good wine list and an incredibly helpful sole waitress.  Best to book if you go there as it is a very small place and a group of young people who had booked a house there to celebrate a birthday arrived without a booking 15 minutes before the end of the 'dinnertime' and the kitchen had closed.  They did scrape together something for them so they did not go hungry but choices were extremely limited.  It was actually good to see them because, in the dark of night, being so cut off by being on an island and realising we clearly stood out as outsiders, it felt for a short time, a little creepy, like maybe you could be imprisoned by a cult or somehow cast into the wilderness for breaking some unwritten rules.  That group made the place feel a little more normal and it was actually very welcoming and felt quite safe.   A few of the locals who were of course, taken in by Jac, sitting quietly with us, said hello.  

We stopped on the walk back to look up at the clear night sky and enjoy the stars.  My bed was a water bed, shades of the 70s!  I found it a little disconcerting every time I moved though it was generally comfortable and warm.  I had a door out to the verandah, so it was easy to let Jac out for a wander and there was a good, deep bath for me to enjoy.  

Next day had a most sumptuous brunch, prepared by Ann. Sitting on the verandah overlooking the water, watching the mist slowly rise over the water and surrounding mountains, and the ferry putter in and out again was pretty remarkable.   There's a small cafe/grocery/art gallery down at the ferry, so we had coffee after brunch, Em walked up the hill while I sat around at the cafe and then the ferry back to Brooklyn to pick up the car.

I had researched a walk to stop at on the way home to try the walk to Bujwa Bay from Cowan, however when we found it, there was a steep and rocky descent down to the Bay (on the river) so we just walked a short way in to a place where we could sit on the rocks and look out at a view of the river winding through bushy hills.  Just in that very short distance there were so many different wildflowers, Happy Wanderer winding through the bushes, a beautiful plant with small pink flowers, from a distance I thought it was heath but it was a bit more orchid like up close, Wattle, Flannel Flowers, old Banksia trees and a range of different eucalypts.  As we walked back to the car through an oval, some Oystercatchers were dive bombing Jac and we noticed they had chicks wandering around the oval so tried to get past there as soon as possible so as to alleviate their anxiety.  Jac was not perturbed at all by the dive bombing.    

My verdict on the trip was it was a great thing to do.  apart from enjoying travelling with Em, something about being on an island with no cars and  just one quite basic place to eat felt like a real escape from the City madness.  The whole area around the Hawkesbury was a discovery for me and I plan to go back and explore it more.  The abundance of National Parks and Reserves so close to the city was an eye opener and there is a long walk one can do through the connected National Parks.  Couple that with the harbour and ocean pools, Sydney I could learn to love you!

Creating a new space

I am in the process of selling the house that I lived in with the bloke for 38 years.  I am in the very fortunate position of having another house (with a mortgage) down on the Mornington Peninsula.  During his illness I hardly got down here, although his last request for an outing was to come here and sit on the back deck in the sun looking out over the Ti Tree.  Over the last twelve months i have been unable to spend much time down here because of all the travel I was doing.

But now I can see the potential of actually living down here.  I love the beach, whatever the weather.  I love that every time I see it, it is different.  Still and calm one day, stormy and rolling waves the next.  Blue skies then stormy clouds, sun glistening on the water on a hot day or the yellow of a sunset being reflected in the water and on the sand.  We have a dog beach near here, where dogs can be walked off leash.  Some days when the tide is out it has a wide sandy beach, other times when the tide is in and it is a bit stormy there is hardly any beach to walk on.

And then there is the garden.  Wild and overgrown from over a year of neglect.  Had to have some of the ti trees cut down because they were falling slowly.  I love the way ti trees fall, they tend not to have the drama of the crashing branches of gum trees, rather they start to lean, as if the challenge of remaining upright is just too much.  They lean into each other and form a crown of supporting braces all holding each other up.

Before some of that crown was removed there was not much light in the backyard so the grass did not grow.  Now it grows wildly, as if all that was hidden beneath the ground is suddenly celebrating freedom and dancing in the newly found sunlight.  I can appreciate the beautiful green and the waving blades of the grass, but there are snakes in that yard which the long grass can hide and I do want to walk through the yard on a cold morning without getting wet from the dew that settles on the grass leaves.

The beginning of the garden taming

The plan is a slightly wild garden, a small patch of green, a fire pit, an apple tree, a lemon tree and space for vegetables in amongst native plants and the occasional import like lavender.  I leave behind in Kew years of planting, a large paperbark which I have loved and has given us much pleasure, a fig tree that has largely fed the bats in the last few years but provided us with a beautiful shaded spot in the back part of the garden, a cumquat my dad planted, an apple and a plum tree.

My transition to the sea change has been slightly effected by two things.  The first is the process of selling.  It is a painful process, getting it ready, decluttering, a job done with the help of my two daughters who were excellent in saying no, you don't need this, no that looks messy there, so we finally have an uncluttered house that has new paint and new carpet in a few rooms.  And now the challenge is keeping it clean, so that it looks sparkling for the Open for Inspections which happen twice a week.  The second issue is I am standing as a candidate for Labor again, this time in the state elections, as the candidate for Kew a fairly safe Liberal seat.  However both of those activities require that I am in Melbourne a fair amount of time.

Traditional Christmas toasting of marshmallows in the back yard

Footnote,
the above was written in late October.  3 months later I have sold the house in Kew, Labor won the election in a landslide, I got a 6% swing against my opponent Tim Smith and I am now in the process of settling in to my sea change.  We did celebrate Christmas with the family in the sea shack, I did Frocktober to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Research and did an Instagram series of democracy dogs who came to the Early Polling Centre and waited patiently while their owners participated in the democratic process.

My favourite democracy dog, Arthur, one of Jag's mates waiting patiently

One more period of a few days to get everything moved out of the other house, a drive up to Sydney (with Jac of course) and then I'm back to my little cottage in a very urban part of the Mornington Peninsula. Just a 20 minute walk from the bay beach, 5 minute drive to what I think is the best ocean beach around with natural rock pools to swim in when the tide is out, and short drive to wineries and the beautiful hinterland.

Canberra, lake swimming and casual eating

Next day headed to Canberra for work, but was very tired.  Had booked in again at The Annexe.  Dealing with the funeral did bring back a lot of stuff for me, so it was good to arrive somewhere quiet, familiar and safe, allowing time to think and integrate my feelings so I could go to work happily.   

Canberra was sooo hot, close to 40 each day.  But The Annexe is a lovely green oasis that is shaded and cool.  Nothing like a green lawn and large shady trees to help you cope with the heat.  It is opposite a chain of ovals and parklands so I walked Jac in the morning before work while it was still cool, through ovals and shaded walking paths.   She got to run with a few dogs so she was happy and no rabbits for her to kill so I was happy.

Part of our early morning walks

We were close to the Manuka shops so tried out a few different cafes for dinner and one night went to the very strange Kingston Portside area.  Strange because one doesn't expect to sit by the water to eat in Canberra with boats going by.  Strange also because it is surrounded by blocks and blocks of new apartments.  Jac wasn't impressed, didn't like walking along the water at all, but we did sit and have dinner.   One evening we drove up to Red Hill lookout which has a perfect place to watch the sunset, looking out over the Great Dividing range.  We saw a few kangaroos (maybe wallabies) which seemed to mesmerise Jac, but luckily she made no attempt to chase them.

View from Red Hill Lookout

Friday I had some disturbing news which shook me a bit, about people delving into mine and Erwin's background, for what purpose I don't know, but it made me feel somewhat vulnerable.  And it was hot.  After debriefing with my ever present friend Annie, who deals with my angst constantly and along with some of my other friends, helps me put things in perspective,  I was still quite shaken.  Thank goodness for good friends and my two delightful daughters and their families who help keep me sane.  Wonder what people do who don't have that support when they are dealing  with behaviour that seems quite crazy and inexplicable.  While, on the one hand I can se it as completely bizarre and weird, on the other hand, because it is so personal and intrusive,  I can see how it would cause you to unravel .  However I plan to stay quite ravelled, with a little help from my friends.

I had planned to go into work but decided I needed some space so I could do the phone meetings I had while sitting by the lake. Went to a very dog friendly spot on Lake Burley Griffin, set up my folding chair under the shade of a weeping willow tree and sat and worked looking out on the lake.  I even braved a swim in the Lake, there is a particular spot in Yarralumla set up for swimming with diving/jumping platforms.  It was a perfect day and I felt refreshed and energised.

View from my office for the day

On the weekend we moved in with a friend Ol, who I had worked with for a number of years and who has moved to Canberra.  She is a gentle but strong soul with an equally gentle husband and a beautiful garden, where I always feel so comfortable.  Luckily Jac gets on well with her delightful little dog, Clancy, which means they simply walk around each other and largely ignore each other.  Clancy is the funniest little dog who talks when he wants to be fed.  Canberra for me previously has been a bit of a rushed trip where I have occasionally managed to get to the gallery or Parliament House.  It was lovely to explore the place with Ol, going to the Portrait Gallery - stunning, and the Library which had a most amazing and moving photo exhibition by Peter Dombrovski who took the iconic photo that helped motivate people to save the Franklin River.  It reminded me how important  it is for your health to immerse yourself in nature, and I realised that, to some extent, that's what I have been doing.

Jac in Lake Burley Griffin

Life felt a little normal when I met up with one of Erwin's grandchildren and went for a walk with her and her husband around the lake.  I had a relationship with all of Erwin's children over 40 years, visiting them and having them stay at our house, it's been strange to lose contact with them since Erwin died.  I felt they were part of our lives over such a long time and meeting up with the granddaughter helped me continue that connection.  

While I enjoy travelling alone, spending time with Ol was lovely and exploring places to walk and eat.  The highlight for me was the Southern Cross Yacht Club on the lake at Yarralumla where one can buy fish and chips and wine and sit to eat by the lake.  Perfect place for dogs, children and older women like us.  It was dusk and there were bats flying overhead, and resting in the trees above us, which created some alert about bats urinating on our food.  While I was with the granddaughter we did have a magpie who dropped a pooh in her water....  Sure that's a sign of good fortune.  Have to admit this time I loved Canberra, as well as swimming in the lake and exploring with Ol, finding the walking tracks behind Ol's house was another blessing.  Can walk up onto a ridge with a view of the mountains and walk for kilometres through bush.  I walked 4 ks one day without even realising it.

So ever onward and making myself look forward to what life can offer in the future and try to remove myself from the craziness of others.  Next blog is about our return trip via Falls Creek where we spent many years skiing in winter and walking the High Plains in summer.