ARRIVIAL INFORMATION

Calabash Bay Lodge is only a 45 minute drive from the Sydney CBD via the Sydney – Newcastle F3 freeway.

Drive towards Newcastle, and take the Berowra exit, which is the 2nd exit along the freeway travelling north after the Mt Colah/Kuringgai Chase National Park exit.

Calabash Bay Lodge is also reached easily from Sydney’s north-west and west via the M2 and M7 tollways.  From Pennant Hills Road, travel north to the old Pacific Highway or F3 freeway and follow the road signs to  Berowra Waters.

The M2 can be a good option if the traffic north on the Pacific Highway to the F3 through Chatswood is heavy, which can often happen during peak hour on Friday nights or on public holiday long weekends. The M2 is accessed by taking the Lane Cove Tunnel when travelling north from the city via the Warringah Freeway.

You can take either the Beecroft Road or Pennant Hills Rd exit, and from there follow the road signs towards Hornsby.

On approach to Hornsby, you can either take the F3, or stay on the old Pacific Highway until you reach the Berowra Waters Rd turn-off. Berowra is clearly signposted from Hornsby via both routes. The M2 route takes approx. 45 mins to 1 hour to reach Berowra Waters depending on time of day and traffic.

Travelling south towards Sydney from the Hunter Valley or Newcastle, the Berowra turnoff is the 2nd exit after Brooklyn.

You can also travel through Dural & Arcadia to the western side of Berowra Waters, which is a pleasant drive past garden centres, farms and horse studs.

Take the Berowra exit, which is the 2nd exit along the freeway travelling north after the Mt Colah/Kuringgai Chase National Park exit.

When you reach the Berowra freeway exit, this is the time to call our Guest Relations Manager and let them know that you’re about 10 mins away (unless you’re planning to stop at the shops for some supplies).

Follow the old Pacific Highway north and turn left at the next lights into Berowra Waters Road, which is clearly signposted. Continue along Berowra Waters Road, following the signs to Berowra Waters.

After the roundabout next to the shopping centre, continue down the windy gully road for 4km, taking special care as the road narrows to one lane in some places.

When you arrive at Berowra Waters, at the bottom of the gully, take the first road immediately to the right, Kirkpatrick Way, or look for the sign that says “Berowra Waters Inn”. Do not take the ferry over to the western side.

Drive all the way down to the first boom gate. To the immediate left is the public jetty.

Pull up, unload your bags and provisions here, then find a carpark along Kirkpatrick Way. Park, and bring your bags down to the jetty. We’ll look after the rest.

We welcome guests who wish to bring along their own boat so as enjoy the fantastic water activities surrounding Calabash Bay Lodge. If you plan to bring your own boat, please advise us upon booking so we can make the appropriate mooring arrangements for your vessel, and ensure we provide you with specific arrival instructions and directions.

For guests with trailer boats, these can be launched at the Berowra Waters public boat ramp at Dusthole Bay. We will meet you at the launch area by boat at the agreed check in time to escort you by boat up to Calabash Bay Lodge. Security undercover car & trailer parking can be arranged for a daily casual fee at the local marina. Bookings in advance are essential. Unrestricted car and trailer parking is also available adjacent to the ramp, but spaces are limited and fill early at public holiday weekends or during peak season.

If you are instead wishing to drive in on your own powered vessel from Broken Bay, Pittwater, Cowan Creek, or Sydney Harbour, we can furnish you with more details of the property location and GPS coordinates prior to your arrival so you may arrive directly. We will meet you at the check-in time at the Lodge for your welcome orientation to the property.

Please note well that that the maximum capacity of Calabash Bay Lodge is 8 guests, and any guests staying aboard boat berths on our private moorings will be counted towards that number.

NB Houseboats are not permitted to moor at or near Calabash Bay Lodge at any time, and we do not permit guests from houseboats to enter the premises at any time from tenders or other means. There are no public moorings available in the immediate vicinity. Our private moorings are only available for powered cruisers by prior arrangement.

A wow factor arrival to Berowra Waters can be made with a splash via a return seaplane flight from Rose Bay or Palm Beach, with a red carpet landing right in front of the Lodge. The plane can even deliver you directly to the Lodge’s private pontoon – so you can step out in style! We can offer you exclusive prices with our preferred partner Sydney by Seaplane on request, and our concierge service can make all the arrangements on the guest’s behalf.

NB There is a maximum of 6 guests per flight. Luggage restrictions also apply – there is a limit of 1 standard airplane carry on sized bag or overnight duffel bag per person in addition to a small personal bag such as ladies handbag. We will ask you for each passenger weight’s upon booking. Please don’t be offended! This information is required to ensure the seaplane carries enough fuel and is adequately weight balanced before take-off.

What To Bring

• A hat and sunglasses
• Comfortable shoes for
• bushwalking
• A pair of flip/flops
• Swimming costumes
• Sunscreen
• A good book
• Yoga gear
• Camera
• A smile

SUMMER/WINTER ESSENTIALS

Self-catering tips
If you’re staying for a 2 night weekend, you need to plan to cater for 2 dinners, 2 lunches and 2 breakfasts.

If you’re planning to cook yourself, you’ll need to bring along perishables, including milk, butter, fruit & veg, eggs, meat, and the main ingredients you would normally use to prepare meals.
We would advise you to bring a generous amount of breakfast provisions like eggs, bacon, pancake mix, cereal, yoghurt etc that you can pick and choose from over each day; ingredients for several lunches – we always recommend a generous supply of ham off the bone, mustard, yummy sourdough bread, gourmet sausages to cook on the BBQ & mixed salad leaves.

We suggest you bring along as much of what you’ll need for your stay with you when you arrive – as once you’re relaxing on the water you really won’t feel like getting back into your car and facing civilisation! There are however multiple shopping options nearby off river should you find you need something you’ve forgotten or if you need to restock. See the Shopping tips at right for more information.

Shopping on the way up…
Before you head down the gully on Berowra Waters Road you’ll pass the Berowra Village shopping centre, where the Coles supermarket is open until 10pm every night. There’s also a free range chicken shop, greengrocer, newsagent, butcher, pharmacy and a couple of cafes.

You can also shop more extensively at Hornsby Westfield, which is accessible if you don’t turn onto the F3 freeway but continue on the Pacific Highway when driving north. There are Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and a Macro Wholefoods store for organic produce and goods.

If you forget anything…
The Berowra Waters Marina has basic supplies if you run out of the essentials like milk, bread and beer. The shop is open from 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, and 7.30am-5.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Otherwise you can head back up the gully on Berowra Waters Road to the Berowra Village shopping centre. We’ve also got an emergency stash of the important toiletries you may have
forgotten in the second drawer of the main bathroom vanity. Please feel free to help yourself.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR STAY

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Entertainment
The open plan entertainment level features an integrated hi-fi system with CD player, iPod dock and in-wall speakers, Foxtel HD TV satellite service with in-house movies and a Samsung LCD flatscreen TV, and Apple computer with Front Page media centre featuring latest and classic movie collection.

There’s also a library of classic, non-fiction and contemporary novels you can thumb through during your stay, plus a selection of the latest lifestyle, wellbeing, current affairs and human interest magazines. We also provide board games, a boules/petanque set, picnic rugs and picnic hamper for entertaining out of doors, a hammock to fall asleep in, and French striped deck chairs to unwind in one of the many outdoor areas as you watch the changing tides lap at your feet.

Communications
Mobile Phones
Reception outside of the Telstra NextG network can be temperamental. To avoid missing an important call, we recommend diverting your phone to our landline at the lodge – 02 9456 3745.
Outgoing telephone calls are permitted, but are restricted to local calls only.

Internet Access
Wireless ASDL is provided complimentary to Calabash Bay Lodge guests. Please select the following network: CALABASH 5G and enter the password: lodgeguest

Other
Babysitting
A babysitter is available locally should you wish to dine at one of the nearby restaurants and enjoy an adults night out. Please give us as much notice as possible if this is required so we can secure this for you in advance of your stay.

Additional Questions?
If the answer is not in the Welcome Pack, please call us on +: +61 1300 086 042 or email: relax@calabashbaylodge.com.au.
We’re here to make your stay as relaxing as possible.
We look forward to welcoming you as our guests at Calabash Bay Lodge!

GUEST RESPONSIBILITY

Now to the serious side of a stay. As the booking coordinator, it is your responsibility to ensure that every member of your group is aware of and understands our terms and conditions of rental. Please make sure in particular policies with respect to noise, additional guests and care of the property are adhered to, as these will be strictly enforced. NB Calabash Bay Lodge is a No Smoking Property.

Noise & Parties
Parties and Functions are strictly prohibited at all times.

Use contrary to this will result in immediate termination of the rental, loss of security bond, and you will forfeit any claim to refund of monies for rental paid prior to commencement.

Disturbance to our neighbours and the riverfront community, including excessive noise, particularly loud music and voices in the outdoor areas – beyond what is a reasonable community standard for an area seeking to protect it’s tranquil environmental qualities – is strictly prohibited and may result in termination of rental and loss of bond.

Neighbours are in residence full-time either side of the Lodge, and we request your understanding in respecting their right to privacy, and the peaceful enjoyment of their homes without disturbance.

In accordance with NSW noise pollution law, please cease noise and move indoors after 11pm on weekends & by 10pm on Sundays and weekdays.

Please also be aware that water is a natural amplifier, particularly at night, & the natural acoustics of Calabash Bay mean noise from the Lodge can impact residents on properties with some distance from the Lodge.

Number Of Guests
Under no circumstances are more than 8 guests allowed on the property at any one time.
This will be strictly enforced. Contravening this condition may result in immediate termination of the rental and/or loss of bond.

General Terms
On departure, the property should be left in a similar state to its condition on arrival. We expect our guests to treat the property with the care and respect they would afford their own home. Manuel will brief you on this during your orientation briefing.

We appreciate your taking along with you on your departure transfer, as per staying in a national park, as much of your rubbish & recycling and placing in the council garbage & recycling bins near the public jetty where your car will be parked.

We use the credit card details supplied at time of booking for your security bond, which is applied on the day or arrival and released after departure when our terms and conditions of rental are successfully met. In the event of any breakage, damages or excess cleaning requirements, we will refund the difference less applicable charges to you.

Swimming from the property’s frontage, use of boats, kayaks and fishing equipment provided is at your risk & you will be liable for any damages to property or equipment.

Due to the remote location of the property, interruptions to utilities such as water or power may occur. Please report any concerns during your stay in this event to Manuel.

If you or any members of your group have any questions, please ask during your orientation briefing upon arrival to the Lodge. or please contact us during your stay.