Hello readers, I thought you'd be interested in seeing our Riverboat Postman blog entry repurposed as a guest post on the Qantas Travel Insider blog! I offered to be a guest writer about a month ago and it's finally up for everyone to see.
Catering to frequent flyers and travel enthusiasts, this blog is part of the Qantas website and offers tips to travelers about destinations worldwide. There's always new content and its creators are constantly networking via Twitter to answer traveler questions, seek opinions/feedback on destinations and generally report on cool stuff to do Down Under.
This past weekend we ventured to Melbourne. While Sydney is known for stunning ocean views and iconic buildings like the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, one must work a bit harder to uncover Melbourne's treasures. The city is full of small laneways and historic arcades with coffee shops and bars tucked here and there. It's also decidedly more victorian or 'european' feeling in its architecture, weather, cutural offerings..even the horse-drawn carriages add a certain je ne se qua (though mainly for tourists I'm sure).
We were fortunate enough to stay with Mike's friend Rita, who has been working for Accenture in Melbourne for several years. She showed us around the city, taking us to the fabulous Queen Victoria Market, an Aussie Rules footy game, local parks, shopping districts and more. We also hung out with Cameron, my ASDS classmate of 12 years who has been living in Melbourne for over 9 years. Thanks to our friends, it was a weekend of nonstop eating, drinking, touring etc.
For those considering a visit to Melbourne, here's a word of advice. Do not be swayed by the $39 price tag for the Jet Star flight from Sydney to Avalon. Avalon is an hour drive from the city and you end up paying extra for a bus transfer, plus there's unnecessary waiting in a tiny country airport! Needless to say, we'll be flying into Tullamarine next time. Yes, we're already planning another visit to Melbourne - we liked it that much!
I heard about the Riverboat Postman shortly after arriving in Sydney and for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I did some online research and came across a recent Wall Street Journal review of the trip - exactly the endorsement I needed! I promptly signed us up.
The Riverboat Postman is just what its name suggests - a boat licensed by Australia Post to deliver the mail to the tiny communities that dot the islands and shores of the Hawkesbury River, some of them accessible only from the water. The Hawkesbury Riverboat Postman claims to be the last of its kind in Australia. I’m not sure how long they’ve been welcoming tourists aboard the boat, but at $50 a pop it’s a nice little moneymaker.
After an easy one hour train ride north of the city, we arrived in the town of Brooklyn. We grabbed some coffee at JJs - a little fish n’ chips shack near the station and then headed to the marina. We joined two other Aussie couples on the boat for an utterly relaxing cruise up the Hawkesbury River. We stopped at probably 6-8 tiny little communities with names like Little Wobby Beach, Dangar Island and Marlow Creek. At each stop someone was waiting for us at the dock (usually with a dog or two) to pick up the mail and possibly some food goods. The boat hand made small talk and tossed biscuits to the dogs, who were always very excited to see us! Living on the Hawkesbury has got to be the epitome of ‘getting away from it all.’ The pace of life just seemed otherworldly.
The Riverboat Postman also proved to be a great way to see the Hawkesbury, which is an extremely scenic waterway that’s navigable for over 100 kilometers. Meandering and tranquil, the river is home to fisherman and oyster boats, which harvest the famous Sydney rock oysters.
After the four hour cruise we arrived back in the town of Brooklyn. We checked out the lunch options and decided to head back to JJs for a salty dose of fish n’ chips. We had some time to kill before the train arrived so we got ice cream at the local hardware store and wandered around a park where we spotted some beautiful gray and pink parrots. A divine day!
We recommend the Riverboat Postman to tourists and friends. To make a booking call 02 9985 7566. Boat departs Brooklyn at 9:30 am Mon-Fri and returns at approximately 1:15 pm.
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