Dangar Island - New South Wales - Australia

Dangar Island is a beautiful little island in the Hawkesbury River, close to Brooklyn, New South Wales, Australia. As per the 2016 census, 303 people called this 76 acre Island home. However, the population swells during the holiday season. Serviced by the Brooklyn Ferry service, Dangar is about 30 minutes from the Brooklyn Wharf. As the Brooklyn Wharf is very close to the train station, the island is conveniently accessible through public transport. It is good to be aware of the Ferry timetable which can be found at Brooklyn Ferry Service Timetable

There is no need to panic if you miss the ferry as you may have the chance to hire a water taxi (Hawkesbury Water Taxi)


We drove to Brooklyn and were cutting very fine to catch the 10.00 a.m. ferry. There were only limited parking spots at the wharf, and the lovely lady who drove us and her friend insisted us to get down while they look for alternate parking. The quite antique-looking small ferry arrived on time while there was no sign of our friends to be seen. The ferry driver got everyone to sit and charged for the trip. Credit Card Tap and Go is the prefered method of payment. We tried to convince the driver to stay a few minutes longer and had no luck. Ferry left on time leaving behind our friends.
Brooklyn Wharf
It was a beautiful day and an enjoyable ferry ride, except that we were feeling bad for our two friends who missed the ferry. The first stop was Little Wobby, a very small township only accessible by boat followed by our destination, Dangar Island. It took a little less than half an hour from Brooklyn to Dangar.

Views of the Heritage-listed Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge from Dangar Island Wharf

Dangar Island Wharf
Just as you walk into the Island from the Wharf, there is a pretty little cafe by the water. This is called the Dangar Island Depot which also acts as a post office and a general store.

Dangar Island Depot - Little Cafe by the water

Just as we walked past the cafe, on the opposite side of the road were some upside-down wheelbarrows. Dangar Island has no cars and the only vehicles permitted on the Island are the community fire truck, council ute, community buggy and vehicles with special permits. Therefore wheelbarrows are a common way to transport goods from the ferry.
We turned left towards the public toilets, passed the little community centre and soon arrived at the open play area with some picnic tables. A friendly local we met near the cafe guided us to the picnic area.
Dangar Island Community Centre

Dangar Island PlayGround

The place was not too crowded and we had both picnic tables to ourselves. Soon after we arrived at the picnic area, it was a nice surprise to see our two friends that were left behind also arriving. They had taken the water taxi and did not have to wait one hour for the next ferry. Water taxi had cost them $15 each as opposed to $9 for the ferry. Considering the time saved, it was still worth the extra dollars.

After a coffee and some snacks, we decided to explore the island. The island has a very cheery feeling and a playfulness about it. Vegetation is very green and lush. Many houses had colourful surfboards forming part of their fences. In fact, surfboards formed an important part of the island decor and there we some interesting ones by the side of the road as well.

Lush Green Gardens were a signature feature of the Island

Towards Bradly Beach
We walked towards Bradely Beach, a pretty little beach just like the Island. It was not too crowded. There was just one other group apart from us.
Bradley Beach

Enjoying the outing and the friendships
After spending some time at the beach, we decided to explore the island and see how far we could walk beyond the beach. After climbing few rock platforms, soon we hit a dead end and decided to turn back.
Exploring Beyond the Beach
We continued on Grantham Crescent towards the picnic area, then took Riverview Avenue, a circular road which is the main tarmacked road on the island. It is a pleasant walk, slightly uphill at the beginning with beautiful views of the river through the vegetation. 




Just as we landed on the island there was a friendly local who accompanied us and showed us the way to the picnic area. When we started to walk on Riverview Avenue, there was a friendly four-legged island resident who walked in front of us and guided us all the way.
Friendly Local Helping with Directions

Four-Legged Friend Guiding Us
After about 4 hrs on the island, we headed back to the wharf to catch the ferry and we waited patiently in the queue. When the ferry finally arrived, many who arrived at the wharf after us jumped the queue and got into the ferry before us. Luckily we managed to get in but others who were waiting in line patiently for a long time were not able to get in. It was a bit disappointing that even the ferry driver did not mind and just issued tickets to the people who were cutting the line.

The island has a nice vibe with the colourful decor, the friendly community and the lush vegetation. However, there are not many activities and exploring the full island does not take that long. Dangar Island is ideal for spending few hours of relaxing time. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in this little paradise.


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