Four Ferries Drive – Suggested Itinerary
Wisemans to Cattai National Park
Wander through the Hawkesbury Region crossing four car ferries along the Hawkesbury River.
Start your drive from Wisemans Ferry Park on the Hawkesbury River. Cross on the vehicular ferry and turn west (left) onto Settlers Road and head to St Albans. This road is unsealed for most of the way to and from St Albans but is usually in good condition.
Break your journey and stop at the gate to the Convict Heritage Trail (approx 1km from the ferry crossing). You can walk up Devines Hill and depending on your fitness and available time, you can make this walk as long or as short as you like and still see the convict’s handiwork in the retaining walls and excavations.
Continue westward up the Macdonald Valley towards St Albans and you will note an old cemetery adjacent to the road on the left side as you near St Albans.
This is a pioneer cemetery and the scripts on the headstones are worth viewing as this was one ofthe earliest settled areas in colonial times. Continue to St Albans for lunch or coffee. At St Albans, go over the Macdonald River, turn south (left) onto St Albans Road and follow the road along the other side of the Macdonald Valley.
Cross over the Hawkesbury River on the Webbs Creek Ferry to Wisemans Ferry, turn south (right) and head down River Road. The road is very scenic. At Lower Portland turn right and take the ferry across the Hawkesbury River again.
Turn south (left) into West Portland Road and follow it until you reach a ‘T’ intersection onto Sackville Road. Turn south (right) onto Sackville Road, follow for approx 3km then turn east (left) onto Tizzana Road. After about 1km, turn right into Coromandel Road. Follow this for a few hundred metres and Ebenezer Church is on your right at a turn in the road.
Ebenezer Church is the oldest church in Australia and is surrounded by a pioneer cemetery with graves dating back to the early 1800s. Plus, there is a schoolmaster’s house which is now a museum. Devonshire tea can beenjoyed at picnic tables under the shady trees.
Retrace your steps back to Sackville Road to traverse the Hawkesbury River on the Sackville Ferry and continue along Sackville Road; note the beautiful juxtaposition of the orange orchard and the sandstone cliffs on your left. When you reach River Road, keep on Sackville Road and turn south (right) when you reach Wisemans Ferry Road.
This road leads to Cattai National Park which has picnic facilities and if you have the kids on board there are large grassy fields for them to have a game of cricket or football.
