Marramarra National Park forms an outstanding place for camping, canoeing, picnicking, bushwalking and bird watching. It is located at the Berowra Creek and Hawkesbury River’s junction on Sydney’s northern fringes. This park also consists of great wetlands, some spectacular Hawkesbury views and the central coast’s largest mangrove area. The park is left in its undeveloped and natural state and it primarily forms the experienced bushwalkers preserve.

Landscape of the Park

This park is situated on the Hornsby Plateau’s south west section comprising almost horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks only. Hornsby Plateau is the Sydney Basin’s major subdivision. A number of cycles of erosion produced the flat and distinctive plateau surfaces. The Hawkesbury River with its main tributaries was entrenched into the land surface by a final and vigorous erosion period. The present spectacular landscape of the park is a result of the drowning of river valleys by the sea.

Environment of the Park

Marramarra National Park consists of the types of vegetation which are not well kept in the other natural reserves or national parks of the Sydney Basin. These vegetation types include saltmarsh and estuarine communities and also the vegetation on volcanic and alluvial soils. On the park’s ridges open forest woodlands are present with some splendid examples of communities of mangrove at Pumpkin Point Creek, Gentlemans Halt and Big Bay.

Flora

The vegetation found on the plateaus, dry & exposed hill slopes and ridges is typical of the sandstone reserves of Hawkesbury and mainly consists of woodlands of red bloodwood, Sydney red gum, narrow leaved stringybark and scribbly gum. On the dry ridges of Marramarra, small patches of open scrub along with dwarf apple generally occur. Open forests of Sydney red gum, Sydney peppermint, turpentine and blackbutt are also present. The black she oak is also a small common tree of the community. Closed forests of water gum, coachwood, lily pilly and rainforest species are present in deeper gullies. The park also consists of those communities which are not properly protected in the valley of Hawkesbury. Twelve uncommon and 8 threatened species of plants are also present in the park.

Fauna

Commonly witnessed animals consist of brown antechinus, wallaby, bush rat, yellow-tailed black cockatoo, ring tail possum, brush tail possum, echidna, eastern pygmy possum, kookaburra, and rock warbler. Other animals present comprise of feathertail glider, sugar glider, platypus, long-nosed bandicoot, white-breasted sea eagle, lyrebird, and white throated nightjar, the uncommon species of the region. Some animals of particular interest include tiger quoll, vulnerable koala, red-crowned toadlet, giant burrowing frog, powerful owl, and glossy black cockatoo. Sooty owl and vulnerable masked owl have also been sighted in the park.

Activities in the Park

Walking: There are a lot of walking tracks available in the park.
Barbecues and Picnics: There are spots for picnics and barbecues in the park.
Canoeing or Fishing: Canoeing or Fishing can be done the waterways like Marramarra Creek.

Ways to Access

The park is located at a distance of 50 km from Sydney. There are two chief ways to access the park:
1. From Wisemans Ferry alongside the Singleton Road.
2. From Bloodwood Road to Arcadia to Marramarra Ridge.

The park can also be accessed through canoe and boat. The canoe and boat access is along the Berowa Creek, Marramarra Creek and Hawkesbury River. Landing facilities can be availed at Gentlemans Halt.
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