Down on the River

Enjoying a Dip in the Hawkesbury River

We just got back on Sunday from a two week road trip around the South Island of New Zealand. That same week, I had to go back to work after being off since 22nd December. The weekend after coming back from a two week trip would ideally be a weekend to relax, do some laundry, blog and just chill. This didn't happen. We were off again into the wilderness for a weekend away to the Hawkesbury River.

Living now in Sydney for a year and half, we have made some great friendships. We have different pockets of friends in Sydney and this weekend, we hung out with our American friends (couples of course) Ben & Blake and Danny & Melissa.

Ben was keen on renting a houseboat on the Hawkesbury River for the past few months. In November, he did his research and sent out a Facebook message about the trip, costs and details. We threw around some dates and finally agreed that the weekend of 20 January would be the only weekend we would all be available. Knowing fully well that weekend was the weekend after our big NZ trip, Dave booked anyway. I didn't think too much about the poor timing until Friday afternoon when I was dead tired from working and running all week. Always one to look on the brighter side, this was a good chance for us to see a part of New South Wales we have never experienced, plus hang out with some of the coolest people we know in Sydney on a house boat!

Taking in the Beautiful River

It's really easy to get to the Hawkesbury River from Sydney. In fact, it's a train stop on the way to Wyong via Hornsby and only takes an hour from Milsons Point to the Hawkesbury River stop. We arrived just before 6pm to find our friends with beer in hand enjoying the calm evening on the river. We expected a big boat, but this was boat was huge! We ordered a 6 person boat and were upgraded to a 10 person boat because it was available...free of charge!

We took the boat for cruise until we found a mooring (a big bobber floating near the banks held down by concrete to 'anchor' your boat) to tie us down. On our way there, we hit a wave from a passing boat and instinct told us to drive in the wave...from kayaking experience. This flat-bottom boat didn't respond well. Water rushed aboard and with our living room door open, the water continued to rush into the carpeted area remaining soaked for the entire weekend. Lesson learned, this is not a kayak, and shouldn't be driven like one.

A Mooring

Appetites emerged from the calamity of the 'wave'. Using a very handy grill attached to back of the boat, we made mini-burgers and enjoyed them on the top deck with Cheeseburger in Paradise playing in the background. This grill would be our 'stove' for the rest of the weekend.

First Night Dinner

Sing-Song Time

After dinner and a few drinks (Makers Mark and ginger beer is a new favourite!), Ben's acoustic guitar made an appearance for a very willing crowd of sing-alongers. We enjoyed old classics including Dave Matthews Band, Weezer, Rolling Stones and a few of Dave's metal favourites. We stayed up till nearly 2am belting out 90s classics and finishing the Makers Mark, which Ben and Blake couldn't finish for over a year!

Our Dining Table Bed

The bedtime situation was interesting. Because the boat fit 10 people. there was a variety of places to sleep. In the common area were two futons. In the bedroom was a queen sized bed with two single beds above. Missy and Danny took one of the futons. Ben and Blake took the queen bed in the bedroom. Dave and I opted for the dining room table, which when lowered, turned into a queen-sized bed. It looked like one of those square puzzles where you try to move blocks to get the mouse out. Surprisingly, it was quite comfortable and we slept on that dinner table both nights with no complaints.

At Your Service

In the morning, we were greeted by a coffee boat, which makes rounds serving coffee, tea, newspapers, and ice cream. This river is fully loaded with front hull convenience and service.

Goodbye Coffee Boat. See You in the Morning!

Making Breakfast on the Grill

Driving Sundancer

The Hawkesbury River

That day we continued to drive down the river stopping at a small beach called Refuge Bay, which also had a very popular waterfall. After we left, the weather turned on us keeping the sun away and us under the top deck canopy.

Nursing the Hangover with Mexican Train

For the rest of the day, we played 'Mexican Train' - a family favourite of Missy's. Her family sent her the game, which we found out that she is very competitive having once tipped the entire game over in frustration! There was none of that today though. We enjoyed a game, very much like dominoes. The highest domino value was 12, which lent to a 12 round game lasting 4-5 hours of our rain soaked day. Thankfully, by the late afternoon, the rain stopped and the sun came back out while we finished our last rounds of Mexican Train.

12 Rounds of Mexican Train 

Dinner Night #2

That night, Missy, the amazing chef and food shopper that she is, busted out a Costco spread only us Americans could appreciate. We dined on New York Strips, asparagus, risotto and home made key lime pie.

We ended the night with full bellies, a few more tunes from Ben's guitar, less drinks than the night before and a lot of good laughs.

A Bit of Blue Skies at Hawkesbury River

The next day cleared up and we enjoyed some sunshine. I finally got to lay out on the top deck as I had planned for the entire weekend. By 3pm, we were back at the marina, toting our luggage and driving back to Sydney. It was a full weekend away from the city getting to do something you don't often do even in a lifetime! We rented a house boat for $1,000 and had food costs at about $250 - way cheaper than a holiday away renting a car, staying at a hotel and eating out. When we dropped off the boat, all we had to pay for was mileage ($25/hr) and didn't even have to clean! Brooklyn Marina is highly recommended for the budget relaxing weekend away.

Weekenders: Danny, Missy, Blake, Me, Dave and Ben

It's amazing that we met these guys all the way back in September 2010 when we were 3 months fresh to Sydney. We made small talk at an American Expat Meetup flag football game. We then met again in October at the Australian Beer Festival. Then we spent Thanksgiving together in November. Although we're all expats living in Oz now, we are each other's 'American' friends reminding each other of a little bit of home.