Port Hacking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the estuary of Port Hacking. For the suburb that takes its name from that estuary, see Port Hacking, New South Wales.
Port Hacking ( [1]) is an Australian estuary, located about 26 km south of Sydney, New South Wales and fed by the Hacking River and several smaller creeks, including Bundeena Creek and The Basin. It is a ria, a river basin which has become submerged by the sea.
The local aboriginal people call the estuary Deeban. Matthew Flinders and George Bass (with Bass's servant William Martin) explored there in early April 1796. They called it Port Hacking after the pilot Henry Hacking who was the principal game hunter in the colony and who first told them of a large river he had seen inland on kangaroo hunting expeditions.[2][3]
Port Hacking effectively forms the southern boundary of Sydney's suburban sprawl. Working inland from the sea, the indented north bank of Port Hacking is formed by the suburbs of Cronulla, Woolooware, Burraneer, Caringbah, Dolans Bay, Port Hacking, Lilli Pilli, Yowie Bay, Miranda, Gymea Bay and Grays Point. The southern bank is largely undeveloped land within the Royal National Park, although the small communities of Bundeena and Maianbar are found there. Warumbul and Gundamaian are other localities on the southern bank, in the Royal National Park. Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises operates a regular passenger ferry service that crosses Port Hacking, connecting Cronulla and its railway station to Bundeena. They also operate cruises along Port Hacking that depart from Cronulla.
Port Hacking is a drowned river valley, with a water surface area of 11 sq-km. With very little industrial and no agricultural inputs, the water quality is categorised as 'extremely good', and the extensive inter-tidal shoals provide opportunity for wading birds.[4]
Port Hacking is a popular recreational area, where many activities can be enjoyed such as swimming, fishing and boating. The estuary and bays are used for watersports such as wakeboarding and water skiing.
[edit] References
- ^ Port Hacking. Geoscience Australia. Retrieved on July 7, 2006.
- ^ A Voyage to Terra Australis by Matthew Flinders, available at Project Gutenberg.
- ^ Miriam Estensen, The Life of George Bass, Allen and Unwin, 2005, ISBN 1-74114-130-3.
- ^ Estuaries of New South Wales - Port Hacking. New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. Retrieved on September 6, 2005.
[edit] Fishing in Port Hacking:
Many locals from the surrounding suburbs enjoy the great fishing Port Hacking has to offer. There are many fishing clubs in the area and some very good fishing tackle shops. The 'Port', as it is often called, also hosts major fishing competitions which attract many participants.
Port Hacking is home to diverse marine life due mainly to its net/trap fishing ban and pristine water quality. The excellent water quality is due to the absences of any industrial estates and agriculture along its shores. Also, the Sutherland Shire Council upholds strict regulations on development along the northern shore to protect the waterway from harmful runoff.
There are large numbers of recreational boats on the water especially in summer when water sports are very popular. Therefore the best fishing opportunities are in autumn, winter and spring, or when there are no school holidays, depending on the target species. Don’t even bring the rods on a public holiday!
It is essential to target a certain species when fishing in Port Hacking, or else you will only catch toadfish and baby bream or squire. There is an abundance of these tiddlers and sometimes they can feel like a large fish when using a light rig, which may be entertaining but not as satisfying as hauling in a decent catch.
The main species fishermen target in Port Hacking include: Bream Snapper Taylor Whiting Flathead Jewfish John Dory Salmon Kingfish Blackfish Trevally Flounder Squid Octopus Blue Swimmer Crab
There is often no need to buy bait because there is such an abundance of fresh, natural bait available. Make sure you pack a bait jig, some bread and a nipper pump and fish at the right tide and you’re sure to have enough bait to last you all day and night.
The best baits the Port has to offer are: Pilchards Slimy Mackerel Yellow Tail Nippers Green Weed Squid
A good selection of lure is essential for taylor and squid with soft plastic lures becoming very popular for most species.
The conditions are very changeable on the water so a well planned trip help a lot. It is easy to avoid the wind in one of the numerous sheltered bays but in summer look out for the afternoon southerly buster. It's often best to just rug up at home during those sunny winter days where it’s 15 degrees with a wind-chill factor cold enough to keep your bait frozen.
The tide is very important too and can be used to a great extent. A low tide is good for pumping nippers on the sand flats behind Deeban Spit. The run out is good for trolling the drop-off of the weedy flats at the start of South West Arm. A high tide is perfect for drifting across the sand flats for whiting and flounder. There are so many different ways of fishing to the tides but the major issue with tides in Port Hacking is access. At high tide it is possible to drive a small boat just about anywhere but at low tide, watch out for sandbars, sand flats and the ballast heaps opposite Burraneer Point. They can cause huge damage to deep hulled vesels at low tide. Especially when the tide is not quite low and there may only be centimetres of water, the perfect time for nipper pumping!
Watch out for stingrays when wading through shallow water too. And the odd numb ray at the muddy boat ramps.
Whether you’re up all night after a Jewie in South West Arm or bobbing up and down on the swell on a glorious sunny day at Jibbon, don’t forget to take in the beautiful scenery the Port has to offer. Please respect it too, we want this gem of a river to be there forever, it’s the Shire’s best asset. Keep an eye out for Dolphins and fairy penguins too!
Wil B, Resident of Cronulla 16:36, 12 March 2007 (EST)
