Destinations: Port Hacking

The greater Sydney region holds some of the best waterways in the world and none better than the creeks and rivers that make up Port Hacking, reports Matthew Smeal.

To have such variety within a small area makes this area unique. Pittwater to the north and moving southwards, Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and Port Hacking all have their similarities yet are vastly different; offering visiting cruisers plenty of choice.

Botany Bay, with its industry and airport, would never be considered a tranquil cruising ground. Sydney Harbour has some beautiful areas, quite apt for the most beautiful harbour in the world, but it is still a major port in Australia’s largest city. Pittwater is the general ‘go to’ cruising ground for Sydney sailors and visitors alike, but meanwhile, at the southern end, lies Port Hacking, often referred to as ‘Sydney’s forgotten waterway’, as the locals, like Bruce McKay will tell you. ‘I think it’s one of the best waterways on the New South Wales coast,’ said McKay, secretary of Cronulla Sailing Club. ‘There’s clean water, it’s sheltered, there’s friendly boat owners and, because it’s smaller, there’s more camaraderie ‘ everybody knows each other.’ There’s also plenty of facilities in the area with services at Cronulla Marina and the very sheltered Burraneer Bay Marina and shop.

History

Called ‘Deeban’ by the local Aboriginal people, Port Hacking was named by Matthew Flinders and George Bass in 1796. They named it after hunter Henry Hacking who told them about the area and the river in particular. Like Pittwater, Port Hacking is also bordered by national park, in this case, the Royal National Park. Similarly, this greatly contributes to the area’s charm and appeal as large areas are thankfully, undeveloped. Port Hacking offers cruisers a fantastic destination: close to amenities and the city, but still with a fabulous waterway to explore. ‘Jibbon Beach is a popular north- west facing beach. There are Royal Motor Yacht Club moorings and public moorings but it’s mainly an anchorage,’ said Bruce McKay. ‘There’s also Northwest and Southwest Arm. They are great anchorages with high sides sheltering them from the wind.’

And the sailing’ ‘Bate Bay is great for sailing, quite safe. It offers some of the best protected coastal sailing along the New South Wales coast with deep water and excellent breezes. Up in the Broadwater, it’s like the Whitsunday’s,’ Bruce McKay said.

Navigation

The area can get a little difficult due to the shifting sandbanks. ‘Unfortunately parts of Port Hacking can be tricky to navigate due to the shallow channels and the reluctance of the authorities to dredge the area,’ Bruce McKay said.
‘This currently only effects boats with a draft of two metres or greater, however, once the channels are passed, the remainder of Port Hacking is deep and offers good anchoring.’

John Barter, Cruising Director at Royal Motor Yacht Club, agrees: ‘Many people have the idea that Port Hacking is quite shallow. The bays are quite deep. The channels are also well marked,’ he said.

There are two main clubs in the area: the Royal Motor Yacht Club (RMYC) and Cronulla Sailing Club. They are both involved in cruising and an easy way for cruisers to meet or keep in contact has been developed.

The first is to use the central email address: hello.trim@optusnet.com.au. By emailing to this address, you can let others know where you are, what your destination is and ask if others are around.

Port Hacking is a very friendly place so don’t be surprised if you get quite a few responses from members who regularly log in to see just who is about.

The second method is to use a universal call sign on VHF channel 16. That call sign is, ‘Hello Trim, Hello Trim, Hello Trim. This is ...’.

Any boat in the area will recognise the call coming from a cruising boat looking for company. It’s not mandatory to answer, but if someone does, or if you are answering another’s call, once contact is made, switch to channel 73 to discuss details.

In case you’re wondering, Trim was Matthew Flinder’s cat. Born at sea on board the ship Reliance, Trim was apparently quite capable on a ship and became a favourite companion of Flinders. The Flinders and Bass connection is something that crops up a lot in Port Hacking and the locals are obviously proud to be tied to Australia’s colonial heritage. A final recognition system exists: a yellow flag with a black cat (Trim). Members will often fly this once contact has been made to help in recognition.

The Port Hacking area is home to some of Sydney’s best surfing beaches at Cronulla, Wanda, Eloura and Shark Island. The wreck of the SS Tuggerah, further south off Wattamolla Beach, is a popular diving site and the Royal National Park, Australia’s oldest National Park and the second such reserve in the world, has amazing views, walks, wildlife and access to wild beaches such as Garrie Beach.

Whale watching is a popular activity of the region with humpback whales making their annual southern migration along the east coast from late September to late November each year. They can also be seen migrating north from June. While exciting to venture out and see a pod of whales, it must be remembered to keep at least 100m from a whale or 300m if the whale is with calf.

Other whale species regularly spotted off Port Hacking include the Southern Right whale, Pygmy Right whale, Minke whale, Brydes whale and False Killer whale. Sperm whales are occasionally spotted well offshore.

Popular anchorages

If you’re looking for ‘the’ spots to head to, here is a brief list: Boat Harbour is located on the northern side of Bate Bay which is at the east end of Cronulla Beach. Boat Harbour is protected from winds from NW through to NE but is exposed to southerlies. It has a sandy bottom and averages 3m in depth. Merries Reef protects boats from a NE to SE swell. It is not, however, recommended as an overnight anchorage. Boat Harbour is the site of many fisherman’s shacks that were built early last century and passed down the generations. The Cape Bailey walking track can be accessed from Boat Harbour and takes you along the Kurnell peninsula to Captain Cook’s Landing Place and Botany Bay National Park.

Wattamolla
Lying an hour’s sail to the south, Wattamolla could easily be mistaken for a south sea paradise. Then again, that’s precisely what it is; or at least a glimpse of what the area looked like pre-European colonisation. After negotiating the three reefs, Wattamolla (also known as Providential Cove) opens up into a beautiful lagoon complete with waterfall. The Aboriginal meaning of Wattamolla is ‘place near running water’.
Bass and Flinders were pushed into the inlet by a violent storm and soon found themselves sheltered in the lagoon, no doubt very happy about their lucky find and the providence that brought them there.

Jibbon Beach
On the south side and near the mouth of Port Hacking lies Jibbon Beach, a popular day and overnight anchorage adjacent to the township of Bundeena. Jibbon Beach is great for snorkelling and the beach is popular.  

Audley Weir
There’s plenty of water under the keel at Audley itself, however, caution is required when making your way there up the Hacking River. Be careful to stay within the green and red channel markers as there are sandbanks and jagged oyster-encrusted rocks. Particularly between Grays Point and Swallow Rock which can get quite shallow. But there are plenty of points of interest on the way up, especially at high tide when dropping the dinghy in at Muddy Creek makes for a great excursion up its winding route into the heart of the Royal National Park. Great for bird watching and exploring.

The anchorage is snug but accommodates several boats easily. Drop the anchor just below the weir in mid-stream and run a line to shore with the dinghy to get ashore.

Audley is the oldest area in the Royal National Park developed for recreational purposes and has been popular for Sydneysiders for over a century. The dance hall, pavilion, boat shed and ornamental trees offer a step back in time. For snacks, the hand-made pies at the kiosk are a real delicacy to chomp on while you sit on the bank to watch the rental row boats bob past. Lady Carrington drive, an early carriageway, also begins at Audley. Closed to motor vehicles, it makes for a nice walk or cycle along the river if you’ve taken the foldaway bike. So, as you can see there’s many ways to enjoy the beautiful surrounds that make up Port Hacking.

‘ There are two main clubs in the area: the Royal Motor Yacht Club (RMYC) and Cronulla Sailing Club.’
‘There’s also Northwest and Southwest Arm. They are great anchorages with high sides sheltering them from the wind.’ (Bruce McKay, secretary of Cronulla Sailing Club)

Further information
The charts of the area are AUS 198: Botany Bay and Port Hacking and AUS 197: Approaches to Port Jackson and Port Hacking to The Skillion.

Further information can also be obtained from the Royal Motor Yacht Club on 9523 9300 and Cronulla Sailing Club on 9523 6114.