Latitude 33

Looking for a few days of R&R with a difference, JOHN ROZENTALS left his car where the F3 bridges the Hawkesbury and hailed a taxi to Latitude 33 at Bar Point. Pictures: SANDRA BURN WHITE.

“You have to be really committed to the river to build here,” says Justin Pigneguy as we head up the Hawkesbury towards Bar Point, pointing out that construction costs can increase by 50 per cent because all building materials have to brought in by boat or helicopter.

As a partner in Hawkesbury Cruises and its associated water-taxi service, Justin is an important link for the area’s transport system and tourism industry.

He is also one of the committed ones and thoroughly enjoys living at Sunny Corner, where Berowra Creek joins the Hawkesbury.

“The pace of life on the river is slower in some ways, but it’s also more predictable,” he says. “There aren’t any traffic jams, and if you read the tide and weather charts you pretty well know how long it’s going to take you to get anywhere.”

You can catch a glimpse of the river lifestyle from the Sydney–Newcastle railway line, but you really have to be on the Hawkesbury itself to realise just how many houses are dotted along its banks, usually in small clusters, and totally dependent on water access.

We’re heading for one of those houses — Latitude 33, on the western side of Bar Point, about seven or eight kilometres upstream from Kangaroo Point, where the F3 freeway crosses the river.

It’s one of about a dozen individually owned Hawkesbury properties managed by Australian River Traders and rented out as fully equipped, self-contained holiday accommodation.

Only a couple — Spencer Cottage at Spencer, and Coromandel at Ebenezer — are accessible by road. Bather’s Boatshed on Danger Island is adjacent to the ferry wharf. For the others you’ll need your own boat or the water-taxi.

About half are located around Bar Point and nearby Milson’s Passage, which provide a wonderfully peaceful world of creeks, mangroves, inlets and the occasional sandy beach to explore.

Our only previous experience of staying on the Hawkesbury was a couple of years ago at the Bather’s Boatshed, which can easily be accessed in about half an hour via the ferry from Brooklyn.

Its proximity to the wharf, a delightful cafe, a community-based bowling club and the substantial settlement on historic Dangar Island make it quite a different experience to that at most of Australian River Traders’ properties.

As is the case with most of them, visiting Latitude 33 requires a bit of preparation.

We’ll be staying three nights, so we’re toting quite a bit of food, though not all that much else, apart from a change of very casual clothes, a few DVDs and books, and a camera.

It’s the perfect place for quite a different sort of holiday ... a wonderful waterfront location with its own jetty ... quite luxurious accommodation ... and, apart from the occasional passing boat, absolute peace and quiet.

The design takes full advantage of the location, with outdoor dining area and decking along the full length of the front.

It’s quite easy to spend a couple of hours just watching the changing moods of the river, and taking in the rugged, densely forested Marramarra National Park on the opposite bank.

At night, you can pick the lights of the occasional plane and on the southern horizon just a hint of the glow from the Big Smoke’s northern suburbs. Otherwise, there’s just you and the river.

The view is still there from the main bedroom and the elongated lounge–dining room. The glass doors fold open, bringing the river virtually inside.

Downstairs, via external access, there’s a second double bedroom with its own bathroom.

The comfort level is high, with top-quality linen on the queen-size beds, plush towels, elegant furnishings, an eclectic and extensive CD collection, books, games, modern spirit-based heating and full dining setting.

Even fastidious cooks will find Latitude 33’s kitchen extremely well equipped — Miele oven and cooktop, lots of good quality pots and pans, plenty of utensils, sharp knives, crockery, glassware, dishwasher and a coffee machine. In a sheltered courtyard out the back, there’s an easy-to-use, gas-fired barbecue.

Hawkesbury Cruises can provide a powered runabout, so you can get out on river, do a bit of fishing, explore some of the many nooks and crannies, and venture to a couple of the settlements.

We did the run of about 10-12 kilometres upstream to Spencer, which has road access to the F3 and Wiseman’s Ferry, but is still isolated enough to retain its stridently independent village charm.

It dubs itself The Hub of the Universe, and, no doubt, for many of the folk on this stretch of the river that’s exactly the role its village store plays as provider of just about anything and a connection to the world beyond.

The store’s verandah is a great place to relax for a while over a cup of coffee, or replenish yourself with breakfast or one of the store’s legendary burgers.

On the way it’s worth exploring the mangroves just north of Pumpkin Point in Marramarra National Park.

The trip in the other direction is well worthwhile too. Heading past Bar Island and up Berowra Creek provides some great examples of river settlements excised out of the national park — places such as Fishermans Point, Sunny Corner, Coba Point, Neverfail Bay (named for its permanent supply of spring water), Collingridge Point (named after George Alphonse Collingridge de Tourcey, an artist, engraver, cartographer, linguist, historian and writer who took up a land grant in the area) and Calabash Bay.

The latter couple are significant settlements with substantial homes and imposing watercraft moored outside and are much more closely aligned with Berowra Waters just around the corner than with the heart of Hawkesbury.

There’s plenty to see in a wander around Berowra Waters and if you have the time and deepish pockets stop off for lunch at the legendary Berowra Waters Inn.

But essentially, staying at Latitude 33 is about relaxation, about slowly preparing a fine meal and enjoying it while you watch the river flow by.

Look, if the marbled-palace bathrooms and room service of the big-city five-stars are absolutely essential to your holiday experience, then Latitude 33 probably isn’t for you.

But if you want a different sort of luxury, a break away from the rush of that world then it and Australian River Traders’ other classic weekenders are well worth considering.

You may have to be committed to build a house on the river, but there’s certainly not much commitment involved in enjoying the comforts of one for a few nights.

Costs are in the vicinity of $750 per couple for two weekend nights or three nights midweek. Add another $200 for a second couple.

Water-taxi fares are $70 each way for up to four passengers. A package of two-way fare plus 48-hour use of powered runabout costs $270.

NOTE: John Rozentals and Sandra Burn White received complimentary accommodation at Latitude 33.

Australian River Traders

Hawkesbury Cruises & Hawkesbury Water Taxis

Spencer Village Store

Berowra Waters Inn

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