A small community on the Middle Hawkesbury River, opposite Dangar Island, which clings to the cliff face at one of the deepest parts of the Hawkesbury River. The houses along Little Wobby Beach are nestled close to the waters edge, with the steep escarpments rising in to Brisbane Water National Park at the rear.

Where It Is?: 22 km south west of Gosford; 10 km south west of Woy Woy

Things To See and Do

Little Wobby Beach consists of a narrow 1.5 kmstrip of land along the Hawkesbury, about 1 km east of Dangar Island. Development consists of a few residences lining the shore, most of which are used only as weekenders by people from Sydney. Access to properties is by boat only, as no roads exist in the area.

Though called Little Wobby Beach, there is actually no beach here, in fact there is nothing but the single row of houses. Most of its area is part of the Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre, a 4 sq.km bushland reserve at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River, which offers several walking trails including the Highway Ridge Trail which passes close to the residential area and extends north into the Brisbane Water National Park.

Rocky Ponds Walk: this great walk starts from Brooklyn with a ferry trip to Little Wobby and explores some fantastic panoramic views of the Hawkesbury River and Tank Creek. The alternate route, for more experienced walkers, cuts a fair bit of walking and gets you to the views quicker. The views along the ridge are great and the Tumblecow2 flat rock makes a lovely rest spot. From here, much of the walk is through heath until arriving at the picturesque Rocky Ponds on Tanks Creek. There is a campsite for people wanting more time to explore before walking back.

Brief History

Little Wobby was originally occupied by the Commonwealth Military Forces during the Second World War. Several buildings were erected along the shoreline to house artillery batteries in case of a Japanese invasion through Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River. A submarine net was also put in place across the river from Little Wobby Beach to Gangar Island. Two of the wartime buildings still exist as dwellings, into which they were converted after the war.

In the 1970s a plan was mooted for the State government to purchase all of the properties along the shore and demolish the houses in order to rehabilitate the land and return it to being part of the national park. This never went ahead. The only public utilities the houses enjoy are telephone and electricity. There is no town water or sewage connection: these are replaced with water tanks and septic tanks respectively.

Little Wobbie Beach is named after the Wobbegong, which is the common name given to the 12 species of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, chiefly around Australia and Indonesia. The escarpment behind the settlement is named Tumblecow2. The origin of this strange name is not known.