Spring is a beautiful season in Berowra Waters.

Morning mists cling to the upper cliffs of the sandstone escarpment at dawn, but the sun now has a good kick of heat in it to disperse them before you’ve finished your morning cup of tea. The oasis of serenity that is Calabash Bay Lodge is the perfect base to play witness to the burst of spring colour and wildflowers that abound.

At Calabash Bay Lodge, you have the ability to admire from one of our many relaxation zones a high conservation value but little known area on the fringe of Sydney, at the intersection of three of NSW’s national parks. Venturing on foot, or by boat or kayak, you can explore over a day or two diverse habitats include sandstone escarpment, heath and remnant rainforest through to mangroves and other aquatic environments.

This burst of spring growth is on best display if you take a kayak from Calabash Bay Lodge into Calabash Bay’s estuary, where three freshwater creeks feed into the salt water river system. On the wide expanses of the bay’s eucalypt and angophora-lined cliffs, you’ll see Black Sheoaks Allocasuarina littoralis, Sydney Red Gum Angophora costata and such eucalypts as Sydney Peppermint Eucalyptus piperita, Grey Gums Eucalyptus punctata and Broad-leaved Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus haemastoma.

The creeks meander through mangroves, acting to filter many of the pollutants from marine recreation and provide a Spring hatchery to the local species of flathead, bream and mulloway. As the creeks narrow towards their source, native grasslands can be seen lining the gullies, where Umbrella Ferns Sticherus flabellatus and River Rose Bauera rubioides can be found, and remnant temperate rainforest extends out from deep pools fed by waterfalls. The ecosystem also provides a refuge and watering place for bird life and its trees provide a shelter for their nesting.

All in all, Spring is an ideal time to escape Sydney and visit Calabash Bay Lodge, whether it be a mellow midweek interlude or a weekend of adventuring. We look forward to seeing you soon!