NON TRAVEL

Its actually a silver lining for pandemic-hit ' " / ? @ & % $ ! tourism operators. And, in many cases, it has led to long waiting lists and price hikes.

Often, these places have been right under our noses. Its just that Bali or Singapore was the easy choice.

The essential ingredients for a secret place: a good backstory and unique experiences. My own recent discovery has had friends reaching for their phones to check it out ever since we found it.

The Hawkesbury riverbanks have long been teeming with characters and stories. The folk who choose to live in homes only accessible by boat are a self-reliant lot. Here on the Hawkesbury, they get the best of both worlds: away-from-it-all remoteness, yet just 90 minutes from Sydney.

On our 20-minute launch ride to Marramarra Lodge, we sail past the self-styled Mayor of Hawkesbury. His barge about the size of a tinny has a vast wooden top hat. And we are told he loves nothing more than fooling tourists with a fake koala he plants in nearby trees.

Marramarra Lodge is on Fishermans Point next to Marramarra National Park. Like most properties on the Hawkesbury foreshore, it has its own history.

The main building was originally the headquarters for Outward Bound Australia where a teenaged Prince Charles was a youth leader in the mid-1960s, and later a patron. Hugh Jackman walked through the forest to stay there.

Private North Shore school Knox Grammar purchased the property to conduct its outdoor summer camps. But the noisy kids annoyed the billionaire property owner next door, so he bought the land and shut it down.

Two decades on, Marramarra was sold to three friends from the NSW South Coast with a dream of a luxury private resort. The billionaire was assured there would be no young kids.

After an extensive and expensive renovation, the lodge has just 28 private villas and glamping tents. Everything had to be brought by barge even the swimming pool. Guests are ferried by luxury cruiser to the pier.

It is an inspiring site. The boathouse, where a fridge full of beer and fishing bait speak volumes for the kinds of activities on offer, has a fabulous view of the water.

You can kayak to Bar Island, a five-minute paddle away and rich in history. It was used as a meeting place for the Dharug clans and European settlers. It was a special place where arms were banned and Indigenous leaders could meet with colonialists for talks. The remains of the Anglican church built in the early 1800s sit below a graveyard with familial burial plots, which were said to have inspired a work by poet Henry Kendall.

Hiking and boating are the best ways to discover this area. A bridge is under construction to take guests into the national park, where sea eagles, lyrebirds, wallabies, goannas, bandicoots, black and white cockatoos, bush turkeys and kookaburras roam free.

Creating this unique place on the river wasnt easy. And heres another amazing backstory: the food is a big surprise. Its fun, amusing, extremely delicious and makes great use of local produce. The Hawkesbury is rich in oysters and prawns.

And the links to Indigenous culture and traditional ingredients are everywhere.

During our stay, Paul Macnish is running the kitchen at the bright and airy Budyari Restaurant after leaving the employ of the Earl and Countess of Derby in England, where he was his lordships private cook and in charge of catering. The earls stately home, Knowsley Hall near Liverpool, is surrounded by 1000 hectares its Downton Abbey on steroids.

So what brought Mr Macnish to Australia, when he could have been serving royalty cucumber sandwiches and beef wellington?

He only wanted roasts, he says with an impish grin. I wanted to do so much more with seafood and fresh ingredients but he just wanted roasts.

Chef Paul has since left the lodge. His replacement, Jerome Tremoulet, worked at Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley resort in the Blue Mountains. His resume also includes Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant, the Ritz London and the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. His cooking style combines classic French flavours with modern Australian ingredients.

Marramarras menu features wattleseed dukkah, Balmain bugs, oysters and prawns. Degustation menus all included in the tariff along with matching local wines are the highlight of each lunch and dinner.

For our pinnacle meal, we had bugs and local prawns, oysters and sushi, ham and beef, and a pavlova with sliced mango that was to die for. On winter nights, lodge staff light up a cauldron on the terrace overlooking the water.

We rent a boat and go fishing for flathead. We walk the walks and, even though it rains, it still feels warm and snug.

As for our fellow guests, the lodge is packed with the new breed of traveller couples who would otherwise have been in the US, Dubai or Asia. And while we start off suitably socially distanced, an evening of wine, charcuterie and charades means we get to know each other rather well. Indeed, weve met up twice since we stayed at Marramarra and even have a WhatsApp group.

It just shows great things can still happen in a pandemic hideaway. But be prepared for your friends to take out their phones as you relate your stories.

The picturesque region is a delight whatever your budget. These three alternatives are also directly on the riverfront.

Amaroo Cottage

This secluded, tranquil retreat is the perfect escape or romantic haven. The two-bedroom Amaroo Cottage looks out across breathtaking water views and natural bushland. With its rolling green gardens extending down to a small private riverside beach, it is the perfect place to relax. Theres also a Boathouse Studio that sleeps two. Amaroo is accessible only by boat, but there are plenty of options for boat hire, water taxi or ferry.

Visit: amaroocottage.com.au

Peats Bite

These bungalows are accessible only by boat or seaplane. Youll feel worlds away from the city, despite being only a 90-minute journey from Sydney. Arrive in VIP style with return boat transfers included and enjoy gourmet inclusions for two people of daily breakfast, a three-course lunch with a bottle of wine and a tapas dinner.

Visit: peatsbite.com.au

Retreat at Wisemans

Further up the river, this hotel is in the historic village of Wisemans Ferry, just over an hours easy drive north-west of Sydney. With 54 comfortably furnished rooms, the retreat offers delightful Hawkesbury River accommodation overlooked by the towering escarpments of Dharug National Park. Its popular for weekend getaways, short breaks, conferences, wedding receptions and ceremonies, golf or relaxing family holidays.

Visit: wisemans.com.au

Take me there

Drive: From Sydney, its an hours drive to the transfer at Deerubbun Boat Ramp, Peats Ferry Rd, Mooney Mooney.

Fly: If you really want to be showy, you can arrive by seaplane from Rose Bay, or by helicopter from Bankstown.

Pamper: The Iyora Day Spa uses Australian skincare products, with $155 60-minute facials and body wraps.

Stay: A Peninsula tent costs from $1495; a Hawkesbury bungalow from $1295. The rate includes all dining plus scheduled boat transfers. The two-night Driftaway package, from $2850, includes two spa treatments. Free car parking is available at Mooney Mooney and Brooklyn wharves.

Explore more: marramarralodge.com