Wisemans Ferry & Spencer

Wisemans Ferry: A collection of resorts, waterski parks, shops, cafés and pubs - some heritage, others new - sit alongside the Old Northern Road where it abruptly ends at the Hawkesbury River. Bound by the river, valleys and sandstone escarpments, Wisemans is the playground of holiday-makers in all seasons. Like Kurrajong Village in the highlands, Wisemans Ferry village is a "Main Street" river-theme attraction of the Hawkesbury and Baulkham Hills shires - a village that Walt Disney could have loved.

Getting there is part of the fun. The idyllic country drive into Wisemans is a theme-park ride with twists and bends leading into sharper twists and bends on a narrow road. [A "photo op" not to be missed minutes above Wisemans Ferry: the Hawkins Lookout offers a stunning viewpoint to the river below. Roadway signs alert you to its location on the left but the entry often takes drivers by surprise.]

Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River Map
Waterski picture

Wisemans Ferry is the place for outdoor sports - waterskiing and boating - or a morning of bowling, a round of golf or, for the more adventurous, across the river, a trek on the Great North Road, now closed to automobiles. Or if 'getting away' means doing very little, sit back with a picnic lunch in the Wisemans Ferry Park and watch the 100-year-old sandwich-size ferry "put-putting" across to the other side - back and forth, back and forth.

Spencer

A drive on either side of the river leads to caravan ski parks and recreational parks.

From the Wisemans' ferry crossing, a mere five minutes, we travel approximately 30 minutes, sighting only a solitary fisherman until we arrive at Spencer. After kilometers of a rural landscape, a most beautiful sight appears for those of us who love the river, the escarpment and the tree-lined hills surrounding the river. At Spencer, they come together in stunning asymmetry almost untouched by humans.

Yet, we're also moved by the sight of the Spencer Village Store. The porch tables are all occupied - it is a gorgeous sunny day for lunch at the river. Across the narrow road and just steps from the river, a happy group share a BIG picnic shaded by a beautiful tree at the Dunkirk Hotel. . . the only pub in Australia without a bar! In true and typical Aussie humour and only in a small village - it's worth a trip!

Each village, Wisemans or Spencer has its seasons: in winter, secluded lowlands - muffled in smoky fog and misting rains - wait silently for visitors who like the quieter season. Resilient river-smart youngsters in their small boat thoughtfully slow their engine; wave and shout, then overtake the solitary houseboat, leaving a white rolling wake.

School holidays and spring arrive - flowering trees and early green foliage spread the length of the river. The river springs to life with boaters and skiers, delicious aromas of barbecues, busy cafés and houseboats moving slowly downriver. And around the seasonal corner - a colourful collection of swimmers, skiers and boats arrive, awash in summer.
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