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Things To do - HAWKESBURY

Things To Do is a “chapter” in itself — lots of activities and attractions.  As this is the first edition of this website, we may have missed some activities across this broad region but by the next edition, we will have more. You'll find lots of kid-friendly activities - some fee based, others free.

CAUTION!

We strongly suggest that in the quiet rural locations – such as St Albans or Lower Portland, you are cautious about driving at dusk or at night. These are habitats for native animals. Many animals are just waking and looking for a meal around dusk. They don’t understand the meaning of a double white line in the centre of the road – “road” doesn’t translate for kangaroos and wallabies.

Beatiful view in Hawkesbury

The Significance of the Hawkesbury

The Hawkesbury is a region of great natural beauty, with four rivers and six national parks, stunning mountain vistas, golden sandstone cliffs and green rolling hills. Visitors and residents alike gather in charming diminutive villages and two main country towns ? a land once considered the ?breadbasket? of Sydney by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

In December, residents of the Hawkesbury will celebrate the 200th anniversary of colonial recognition by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, who in 1810 named five towns ? Castlereagh, Pitt Town, Richmond, Windsor and Wilberforce.

While the Macquarie 2010 bicentenary is a significant national event, it is especially important to the people of the district. Festive and commemorative activities are planned throughout the region during 2010 ? a complete listing is located at http://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/community/macquarie-2010-bicentenary.

Unmissable Things to Do in the Region: Visit the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery and the Hawkesbury Regional Museum, both located in Windsor. Exhibitions at the gallery change throughout the year and the public is invited to guest artists? presentations. The superior collection of artefacts on display in the museum is equal to one of any major museum of history. The gallery and museum are distinctive and deserving of an afternoon?s outing. For history buffs, Richmond and Windsor are home to Macquarie period buildings ? including churches and pubs ? as well as memorial parks and cricket ovals, the sport of the day. In October 2010, the official launch of the Elizabeth Macquarie Iris and its main garden at McQuade Park in Windsor will interest both historians and gardening enthusiasts.

Away from the country towns of Richmond and Windsor, the activities are varied but relative to their natural environment. Beautiful vineyards, historic wineries and churches dot the Ebenezer lowlands. At remote St Albans of the forgotten MacDonald Valley, you?ll find history embedded in cottage B&Bs, a courthouse, a pub and the fiercely independent residents. Wisemans Ferry and Spencer are the water sports centres ? where river resorts, waterskis, water boards, powerboats, canoes, river cruises and fishing gear (fishing licence required) are the apparatus of this playground and miniature ferries deliver passengers and cars back and forth across the river. At the far west, the Highlands ? Berambing, Bilpin, Kurrajong Heights and Kurrajong Village ? are mountain vistas, hairpin curves, bellbirds, fruit stalls and cafés, cool climate gardens and the rolling and lush hills of Grose Wold. And across the expanse, artists and artisans populate the landscape, studios in old school houses or reclaimed sheds and outbuildings.

The district is vast. National Parks are numerous. Wollemi, Cattai, Marramarra, Dharug Yengo, Scheyville and the Blue Mountains preserve and protect an expansive area, creating a unique green belt less than 90 minutes from metropolitan Sydney. The Hawkesbury?s many unique villages certainly offer their charm but the region?s dense wilderness with its untamed environment is truly remarkable.

Hawkesbury Tourist InformationTo fully experience the Hawkesbury?s diversity, self-drive tours make this an easier task. We recommend the Visitor Information Centre in Clarendon for details on these, for maps and accommodation reservations. The staff know the region, can advise you of the safety rules and point out the accredited providers. With their help, you build the itinerary you want for a day or a week.

Things to do in the Hawkesbury

 
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