Hornsby Heights, NSW
16.3 km (4.5 hrs )
★★★★☆

This was my second trip to Berowra Valley National Park, having previously visited here for a hike to the salt marsh at Calna Creek. It was interesting to explore this place from the water and to venture to locations that were not readily accessible from the walking tracks.

I first ventured upstream to the narrow confines of Galston Valley. This easy paddle followed the course of Berowra Creek along banks lined with ferns, grass trees and lots of invasive lantana. It was also home to numerous birds - ducks and cormorants being the most prolific. I was thrilled to spot a magnificent sea eagle perched high in a tree, close to where the creek was littered with boulders. The boulders marked the end of the trek upstream, and a 45 minute paddle brought me back to Crosslands Reserve.

Heading downstream, I detoured to Calna Creek, first exploring a few hundred metres up the creek, before pulling out for a short walk to view the scenic salt marsh. The boardwalk over the marsh allows you to appreciate this unique environment close up. Heading back in the kayak, it was a pleasant paddle downstream to Berowra Waters. With an outgoing tide, this was quite fast, and it was only on my return journey when I was battling the current that I realised just how big an influence this had!

The car ferry at Berowra Waters was as far as I decided to go on this trip. Heading back, the water level in Berowra Creek had dropped considerably, now being as low as 0.1 m in places. This meant getting out to walk my kayak through the shallows, especially at the junctions of Sam's Creek and Calna Creek. It was no surprise then that my exit point at the boat ramp at Crosslands Reserve was ankle deep mud. Even so, it was a pleasant day out on the water, and in fact, better than I had expected.