Sydney’s Secret Commando Training Ground
Sydney’s Deerubbin (Hawkesbury-Nepean River) is dotted with hundreds of little bays and beaches. One of our team’s favorites is Refuge Bay, a picturesque bay with a rich history.
Large sandstone cliffs cradle the bay and over them runs a fresh water waterfall. In the early 19th century the anchorage was popular with the American rum traders who wanted to be out of eyesight of Sydney Harbour! It’s a little bit out of the way, so It’s easy to understand why the bay hasn’t been tainted with buildings.
On the low tide, a secret beach appears. The sandstone beside the beach houses the monument dedicated to Z Force, the Australian commandos of WW2. They would train in rigorous 3 month periods with no alcohol or outside world contact.
In the background of the photo below is the Krait, this was the vessel used on operation Jaywick. A covert operation into Singapore Harbour, the Z Special Unit commandos paddled folding kayaks into Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour, blowing up and severely damaging seven ships. It was recently restored to its 1943 configuration by the skilled workers at Michael Bartley Shiprights One of the beautiful things the Hawkesbury is that the area has such a rich history, every little corner has a story!
17/1/1943 Leading Seaman Frederick W.L. "Boof" Marsh and Ordinary Seaman L.K. "Tiny" Hage train in a canoe. The MV Krait can be seen moored in the background.
While you are on the beach, keep an eye out for an Aboriginal Middens just above the shoreline! There are hundreds of these sites around the Hawkesbury, these shell mounds represent years of food remains. They were also a key tool to pass on information about what had just been harvested, and ensure that that resource was not overused. There are lots of Cockle shells in this one!
Leaving from Palm Beach a cruise to refuge bay is best done in 4 hours. Depending on the tide it takes around an hour to get there. 2 hours is plenty of time to explore the beach and have lunch in the bay. We bring a small dingy along with our yacht so you can paddle to shore if swimming isn’t for you. Even on warm days in summer there’s plenty of space to spread out, on a winter’s day we can be the only ones in the bay!
If you’re interested in a trip to Refuge Bay, feel free to give us a call! We love Pittwater, but there is something special about the secret beaches of Broken Bay….
