NSW
1000 posts
We are leaving Port Stephens on Sunday and heading back south to Pittwater area and planning on staying till Friday at this stage and i was after some local knowledge. Where can i get water and i will also need to fill a fuel container? Where is the best and easiest place to moore to go grocery shopping looking for a coles or woolies if possible. Apart fron refuge / America's bays where else is sugested places. Not adverse to staying in a marina one night so a surgestion here would be good could use this for the groceries stop and a restaurant night also.
NSW
242 posts
The best and quietest moorings are in Refuge/America Bays and further up Cowan Creek (Jerusalem, Yeomans etc) but if you need provisioning you should turn left as you enter Broken Bay and seek a spare mooring at Coasters Retreat or Towlers for an overnight stay.
Fuel and water can be obtained at Church Point at either Holmeport Marina or The Quays Marina and both have marina berths or commercial moorings with tender service to get you ashore.
There are excellent dining options too. Try the Waterfront Cafe next to Church Point public wharf where there is also a bottle shop and mini-supermarket (pricey). Or the Blue Pearl for Thai at Bayview Anchorage Marina. The Quays Marina Cafe is great for breakfast or lunch but only open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
Catch a bus from any of those places to Mona Vale where Woolworths is the closest to the bus route although Coles, Harris Farm, Thomas Dux and Aldi are not much further to walk.
As you are going to be coming in mid-week, you should have little difficulty finding a mooring or anchorage in Towlers or Morning Bay. If you have a dinghy, you could row to the unserviced public wharf in Morning Bay, walk 500m along the track to the wharf in Little Lovett Bay where the local ferry actually stops (provided you hang the flag out) and ride the ferry to Church Point where the bus will take you to Mona Vale.
Or if you are happy to pay for a mooring ring Steve at The Quays Marina on 9997 2800 and you will find them very helpful with fuel, water, a mooring and tender service or even a marina berth. The coffee and eggs at The Quays Marina Cafe are worth it alone.
NSW
1215 posts
Gravy, don't forget you can turn right when entering Broken Bay as well, if you are willing to brave the shallow channel and U turn at Box Head! Depending on wind you can anchor at Lobster Beach. If we come in late we stay there.
Go further north there is Brisbane Water and Gosford Sailing Club with good food and visitors berth,. Also Hardys Bay RSL which you can walk to if anchored and dinghy into shore. (Hardys Bay is shallow, our Martzcraft scrapes the bottom). Unless things have changed they have entertainment on Sunday arvos.
On the way up to Brisbane Water you will pass through Paddys Channel and next to many many Oyster Leases. In the right weather oysters will break off the leases and wash up on the nearby beach's and if fresh are delicious.
There's a narrow channel to Woy Woy where theres fish and chips at the jetty where you can tie up. Pelicans to watch and the Deep Water Plaza shopping centre and pubs right there. Similar to Hardys Bay you have to watch the depth my Mottle33 (when I had one) got stuck there twice.
I think the Pittwater area and surrounds are tops for boating :-)
NSW
1000 posts
Thanks for the advice . We are planning on stay till friday and then may brave the harbour bedlam for a week . We carry enough water for about 4 days. That is our main constraint as wife like a shower at least every day.
