AKUNA BAY
- MARINA BOATING DESTINATIONS
Empire Marina Bobbin Head, often termed as Sydney’s Boating Paradise is the perfect location to start your boating journey to many of Sydney’s most enjoyable and definitely most relaxing boating destinations.
Smith’s Creek is a perfect example of this. Bobbin Head boats are renowned for the low hours on their engines because they simply do not have to go very far to reach a destination that literally feels in the middle of nowhere and yet the marina is just a 35 minute drive from the very centre of busy Sydney.
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If Sydney Harbour has become a little stressful and you are finding it hard to find some new boating locations, then take a look at what we have around us.
Akuna Bay
Take for example the beautiful Akuna Bay, tucked away at the end of Coal and Candle Creek.
At the entry to Akuna Bay is the perfect spot for a raft up or gathering of boats to drop anchor or pick up a mooring, as it’s a 4 knot zone here.
Akuna was thought to be an Aboriginal word meaning to follow.[1] It actually is a mangled version of the Dieri word ngaka-rna meaning "to flow" (source Wikipedia). The waters flow gently here, and you won’t experience any ferries or cruise ships fleeting past interrupting your peace and quiet with their wash.
You can pop into the Akuna Bay Marina on your tender for a coffee or a bite to eat and retreat to the peace and quiet of your boat. The marina at Akuna Bay has a longer reach than Bobbin Head so you may experience some wind that can make berthing tricky at times, but the fuel wharf is easy to access. If you are intending to pull into Akuna Bay marina it’s always polite to call them first and check if they have somewhere available that you can pull into.
There is a boat ramp here also if you have some PWC or trailer boat friends that would like to join you.
Keep a close eye on their movements though when near the marina.
Bring a pair of binoculars to take advantage of the superb birdlife on display, or bring a fishing rod for a lazy afternoon drifting past the banks in solitude. Akuna Bay also features great facilities for a picnic with non boaties arriving by car, with a public barbecue and ample tables for everyone.
Akuna Bay is located within the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park and as such enjoys spectacular wildlife, foliage and birdlife.
The beauty of boating in these areas is the lack of passing traffic, the fresh air, the complete quiet and the incredible stars that can be seen at night. Drop anchor near Akuna Bay and you can get lost in a book without being disturbed by waves, make a cup of tea without touching a grab rail and enjoy a sleep in undisturbed by cars, horns and sirens.
The waterways in the Akuna bay area are surrounded by hills so the depth of the water is usually great, however it is of course always wise to keep an eye on your depth sounder.
The Cottage Point Restaurant is not far away at Cottage Point and here you can enjoy a delightful lunch overlooking the water.
Bookings are essential and this helps to arrange how you will drop off to the jetty as there is no tender service available here. Be mindful of the occasional sea plane doing the same, these guys have set times of arrival, so this is another reason to book ahead and arrange your drop off.
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Some find anchoring at cottage point overnight pleasant, it being a no wash zone – which is another thing to be mindful of, don’t upset the residents by creating a wash in this area. It’s rather lovely to take it slow and admire the architecture through here anyway.
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We hope this helps you explore a couple of the locations near us, there is so much to be seen and enjoyed.
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