While our own gardens and property are very attractive, there are many areas of great beauty within the vicinity of Berrilee. Please note: Feel free to click on any of the orange links on the page below - these extenal websites will offer more information about the beautiful surrounding area and attractions.

The most notable of these is Berowra Creek, 2 kms down the road from us. Berowra Waters, shown in the photo on the right, has a public boat ramp, with a parking lot for cars - ideal for those who bring their own boat.
Vessels can be hired, or you can take an organised cruise on the river. Berowra Creek - a wide stretch of river, despite its name - flows into the famous Hawkesbury River, one of the largest in New South Wales. It's only a short trip from there to Broken Bay and the open sea.

Besides full marina facilities, there are dining opportunities at Berowra Waters. From here you can enjoy the view of the river, or just watch the ferry ply its route. Or you can book a table at Berowra Waters Inn, where your dining-out experience will include a boat trip from the wharf at Berowra Waters, since the Inn can only be reached by water transport.

A short distance along the opposite river bank is a remarkable example of an ancient rock engraving, pictured below. This was probably done by the ancestors of the Dharug people, who very likely began to settle in this part of the world some 20,000 years ago.

Another spectacular engraving is the 'Koala Man' at the top of the drive to the village of Berowra - possibly a depiction of the ancestral spirit, Daramulan. There are also a number of other Aboriginal carvings and paintings in the surrounding parklands - Berowra Valley Bushland Park, Muogamarra Nature Reserve, Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, and Cattai National Park. Indeed, the engravings in this area are part of a unified body of art that stretches from the coast up to the Blue Mountains - one of the largest art sites in the world.

If you're into bush walking, you can visit these Parks, which all have good walking tracks. And you can join the Great North Walk at Berowra Waters. This track stretches from Sydney Cove to Newcastle, about 250 kms, and travels along the bank of Berowra Creek, before climbing above the river valley. It affords spectacular views of the river and the bush - as can be seen in the photo opposite. Information about walking tracks can be obtained from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW.

A more gentle form of relaxation can be yours at Fagan Park- just minutes away by car. There you'll find acres of lawns, ponds on which you
can sail model boats, and ample barbeque facilities. An attractive feature is a series of gardens from all over the world, which you can visit and enjoy. Also in the Park is the original Federation style farmhouse, Netherby Farm, dating from the late nineteenth century. Most of the clay bricks that were used to build it were fired on the property, and the clay pit is still there today. You can visit this homestead and gain firsthand knowledge of how these early Australian white settlers lived and adapted to their new circumstances on what they regarded as 'the other side of the world'.

If you're interested in the history of the first white settlers, you might want to visit Cattai National Park, about 20 minutes away. The old homestead there once belonged to the Assistant Physician of the First Fleet, Thomas Arndell. His family and their descendants occupied and worked that piece of land for seven generations. The house shows that their lifestyle was one of simplicity and frugality.

Further afield, you can visit the historic town of Windsor. With its old streets and buildings, its museum and its ancient ale houses, it stands as a living memorial to the frontier days in New South Wales. Besides exploring its quaint buildings, you can also take a cruise on the Hawkesbury River there - indeed, if you have your own boat you can sail to Windsor from Berowra Waters.

Berowra Creek itself is an angler's paradise. It has a good number of bream - black and silver - and its relative (or changeling), the red snapper. There are also sand whiting, dusty flat heads, tailor fish, garfish and sea mullet - to name but a few - living in these waters. You can obtain a licence to suit your needs by dialling 1300 369 365 - a line that's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In case your catch is too big, you can check the restrictions currently imposed at Sydney Fish Finder's site.

Away from the river, just up the road in the opposite direction, is The Galston Club, where you can enjoy excellent food and experience the quiet ambience of a small country village. In the same vicinity, but a little further away, is Dural Country Club, another good place to relax and enjoy fine cuisine. Other restaurants and clubs can be found across the river in Berowra, a 15 minute drive away. A further 10 minutes brings you into Hornsby, where there is a wider choice of eating and entertainment venues.

During your stay with us, you will surely want to visit the City. You can reach its centre in about 40 minutes by road,
or drive to Berowra or Hornsby and take an express train from there. You can return here at any time via Hornsby
and Galston or via Berowra and Berowra Waters: you will have the key to your accommodation, while the Car Ferry operates at all hours.