Island Life: Dangar Island (Sydney by Technicality V)

I suspect some of you may be tired of seeing Outer-Western Sydney posts. Hence, I thought I'd take us as far as physically possible, with a very unique instalment of Sydney by Technicality.

Dangar Island

Dangar Island is a very special place for a city like Sydney. It's an island on the Hawkesbury River covered in bush, with around 300 residents and no private cars.

Unless you're a keen swimmer or have your own vessel, you get here by hopping on a ferry from Brooklyn.

Depending on which route the ferry takes (some ferries on the timetable also make a stop at the nearby Wobby Beach whereas some are direct), the ferry is a very pleasurable 15 or 30 minute cruise on the Hawkesbury. You even get to ogle the island on your way there.

Eventually, our ferry made shore on the island, dropping us off at a shack which appears to be the island's community centre, featuring a book exchange and a community noticeboard.


Maria, if you're reading this, you left your copy of 50 Shades of Grey at F's place. Give them a call.

My travel companion and I left the arrivals hall to explore the 900m long island.

Prior to my visit, my research told me that there are no cars on the island and that locals use wheelbarrows to cart their stuff around. It looks like that may no longer be the entire truth, with a ute owned by the council setting up ship here.

The wheelbarrows are still in operation though.

Upon leaving the well-trafficked (in comparison) entry point to the island, things are definitely a little more bush.

Special call out goes to these beautiful flowers growing by the path.

This path leads to the most open area of the island, with the (actual) community centre (lost toddler's shoe if anyone needs it), a park and a small bowling club (one of the only two places to buy a meal on the island).

Amusingly enough, the pathways here are signposted as streets, despite simply being grass walkways.

We continued along past these bodyboards and found a community garden behind the bowling club.

If you want some buddies to garden with and don't mind a commute, Dangar Island's got your back.

A short clearing through the foliage leads to Dangar Island's idyllic little beach on the Hawkesbury.

Sadly, while the beach photographs beautifully, it's not great for swimming, as the "sand" is actually mud.

Not a bad place to have your home though.

With the beautiful Hawkesbury river and the thick forest, not to mention the heat and humidity that is an Aussie January, you might think you're somewhere like Thailand, rather than Sydney. That is, until you see the out-of-place looking wheelie bins outside of most houses here.

Having worked up an appetite through our short walk, we headed back to where we initially made shore, to the island's other place to eat.

On the way, though, we passed the local space station.

Feeding us today was a small cafe named Dangar Island Depot.

Here, we enjoyed some Surry Hills quality and reasonably priced all-day breakfast (a BLT and some waffles), as well as a fantastic view.

Happy and full of fat and sugar, respectively, we continued our exploration of the island, deciding to circle the aptly named "Riverview Ave", a 1.5km circuit and the island's longest road.

True to its name, you do get a fine river view.

Also on this road is a little bit of cave,

this street sign wearing pyjamas,

and an interactive Scrabble-letter sign, allowing you to play with the letters of the island's name.

Bonus flower.

The quiet of this carless island is enough to put anybody in a zen state of mind, with nothing to hear but birds and cicadas. Sadly though, it was time to head back from this lovely place, but not before passing this cute little map of the island,

as well as a real-life dinosaur.

Thanks Dangar Island, you've been swell.

Dangar Island: Who knew that there was an jungle island paradise in Sydney?