I thought Sydney already had no nearby places to explore, but turns out there is still this treasure little island – Dangar Island.
Dangar Island is a very quiet island with no cars. I have always liked finding those places that are very close to the city, but once you get on the island, everything completely slows down. Dangar Island is one of them.
About 40 minutes’ drive from the Sydney Hills area, it sits in the middle of the Hawkesbury River. From Brooklyn, take a ferry for a few minutes and you arrive, but once getting off the boat, the world seems to automatically switch into silent mode.
There are completely no cars on the island. Residents rely on walking, bicycles, and even one-wheel hand trolleys to transport things. No engine noise, no rushing, only the river, the sound of the wind, and the occasional passing boat.
What I liked most this time was sitting at Dangar Island Depot Café for an entire morning. The café is near the wharf. Having brunch here is especially relaxing, and the prices are cheaper than the city! Order a coffee and stare at the river and the bridge in the distance.
After leaving the café, I slowly walked one round around the island.
The island is not big, but there are bushland, palm trees, small beaches, and little flowers hidden in the corners. An easy loop walk around the island, not tiring at all, very suitable for doing nothing, just walking and looking around.
The whole island only has around 300 people living on it. Watching them carrying big bags and small bags getting on and off the ferry, suddenly I felt I was not here just to check in, but briefly lived a bit of their daily life. Get on the island — drink coffee — take a walk — daydream. Dangar Island is very worth it.
If driving, you can park at Upper McKell Park or near Life Boat Seafoods. The ferry only needs one tap, around 7.5 AUD. If taking the train, get off at Brooklyn Station. The ferry is right next to the station. Take the ferry from Brooklyn to Dangar Island.
Getting there is very convenient.
Go to Brooklyn Island. Beside the wharf is parking. If there is really no space, go to the car park up the slope on the right side, there will definitely be parking. Then walk to the wharf.
Go to Hawkesbury River Station. After exiting the station, opposite is the car park, then you will see the wharf sign in the photos, and it is just a little bit ahead.
Dangar Island Ferry
We went today. It seemed the ferry comes every half hour, which is quite frequent for weekends.
After getting on the island, the café is on the right side. There are seats along the waterfront. Order a coffee and daydream, wow!
The roads on the island are a loop, so as long as you follow the road, you can make one circle and return to where you started.
A very comfortable little island, not many people, only a small number of tourists and local residents. Basically we didn’t see private cars. We took photos, walked and stopped, and the whole journey took about one hour. Very quick! A day trip is really a pretty good choice!