Wisemans Ferry

Established by an ex-convict in 1817, and positioned on the Hawkesbury River, one hour north of Sydney, this small town offers an ideal day trip to the countryside with colonial architecture, history, parks and picnics by the river. As the name suggests, there are some car ferries here that will take you across the river.

By car

Driving is the most practical way to reach here. Taking the Old Northern Road up from Sydney will take you about 1 hour.
Coming from St Albans is the car ferry for and coming from Gosford is the . Ferries are free to use and run 24 hours and 7 days a week, although a long queue may occur on holiday weekends. There are no alternative bridges to use in the area.

By bus

The area doesn't have much public transport. To get here from Sydney you should take the train to Windsor Station in Sydney's north west, and then catch the Bus route 663 which takes about 1 hour.

Walk or cycle. Some 'nearby' attractions are quite far however.

• Tobruk Sheep Station

  phone: +61 2 4566 8223
  address: 5050 Old Northern Rd, Maroota NSW 2756
  A showcase farm where you can see working dogs and sheep.

• Great North Road Convict Trail

  address: LOT 139 Old Great Northern Rd, New South Wales 2775
  Part of the Northern Road original trail built by convicts in the 19th century.

• Wisemans Ferry Golf Club

  phone: +61 2 4566 4422
  address: 5564 Old Northern Rd

• Wisemans Ferry ParkPublic park by the river, with a beach, bbq facilities, playgrounds and a good deal of parking. Fishing is allowed. There is a small cafe next to the ferry entrance.

• Dharug National Park

  address: Wisemans Ferry Road
  On the doorstep of Wisemans Ferry, this is a large national park with plenty of hiking and Mountain Bike trails.

• NSW Water SKI Gardens

  address: 2916 River Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  Waterskiing on the river

• Academy of Floral Art

  phone: +61 2 9653 9651
  address: 72 Singleton Mills, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

• Hawkesbury Cruiser Hire

  phone: +61 2 4566 4299
  address: 3008 River Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  Hire a boat for a few days

• Wisemans Ferry Grocer

  phone: +61 2 4566 4612
  address: 2 Old Northern Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  The main food shop in town, also has a small cafe service with warm food.

• Ferry Artists Gallery

  phone: +61 2 4566 4385
  address: 2 Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  Art from local artists

• Kids Clobber

  phone: +61 2 4566 4800
  address: 270 Settlers Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  Baby clothing

It is ideal to bring a picnic to Wiseman's Ferry. If driving up from Sydney then there are plenty of farms selling fresh fruit at the side of the road, especially around the town of Dural. There is a small supermarket in Wisemans Ferry but you will probably want to bring your own food.

• Wombat Cafe

  address: Wisemans Ferry Rd, Gunderman NSW 2775
  Positioned with good views over the Hawkesbury River.

• Riverbend Restaurant

  phone: +61 2 4566 4422
  address: 5564 Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

• Busby's Café Restaurant

  phone: +61 2 4566 4787
  address: 12/5557 Old Northern Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

• Wisemans Ferry Inn Hotel Bar

  phone: +61 2 4566 4301
  address: 6 Old Northern Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  Bar part of hotel

There are plenty of motels and retreats in and around the town.

• Retreat at Wisemans

  phone: +61 2 4566 4422
  address: Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry, NSW 2775

• Forgotten Valley Retreat

  phone: +61 2 4587 9050
  address: Singleton Road, Wisemans Ferry, NSW 2775

• Wisemans Ferry Inn Hotel

  phone: +61 2 4566 4301
  address: 6 Old Northern Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775
  The hotel dates from 1827 and is situated in the town itself. The accommodation is in motel style fibro units behind the hotel, and has no historical significance.

• Able Hawkesbury River Houseboats

  phone: +61 2 4566 4308
  address: 3008 River Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

• Koveda Holiday Park

  phone: +61 2 4566 4305
  address: 2868 River Road, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

• Rivervalley Lodge

  phone: +61 2 4566 4357
  address: 1 Settlers Rd, Wisemans Ferry NSW 2775

Although remote and in a valley, you can still get somewhat reliable 3G connections (January 2016).

• Gosford is a long (77km) but scenic drive east along the Hawkesbury River
• St Albans is a scenic 1 hour drive to the north
• Yengo National Park is 25km to the north
• Some of Sydney's oldest settlements in the City of Hawkesbury area to the south west