Residing on an island continent, Australians have always been drawn to the sea, with approximately 85 per cent of Australians today living within 50 kilometres of the coast.
From First Nation Peoples who sustained communities for tens of thousands of years from the bounty of our shores to European settlers arriving by sailing ships, the ocean has always been an integral element in Australia’s evolution.
Abundant coastlines, waterways and river systems lure us to their shores year-round to mess around in boats of all sizes from paddle boards to super yachts. Australians have won accolades on the world stage for our maritime endeavours, while most of us learnt to swim not long after we learned to walk. Aquatic activities are in our blood and boating is no exception, with almost 2.6 million Australians living in a household with a boat (according to a 2016 Roy Morgan survey).
In the book Boating Guide to NSW: Short Stays and Long Weekends you’ll find inspiration, ideas and planning tips for your next NSW boating adventure. Whether you plan to voyage along the entire coast or simply cruise to a nearby bay for lunch at a waterfront restaurant, this guide will help you plan your next boating getaway.
About the author
Fiona Harper is one of Australia’s most experienced travel and boating writers. She has travelled the world on assignment, with her articles and images appearing in print and digital publications across the globe. When not chasing a story or photographing land and seascapes, she’s probably running a marathon, hiking up a mountain or barrelling down one on a mountain bike.
Though Fiona’s true passion is the sea and she is most at home, in, under or on the water, particularly when bound for destinations beyond a watery horizon. She discovered a passion for the boating lifestyle after sailing through the Kimberley as an 18-year-old backpacker. Teaching herself to sail on Perth’s Swan River, she has since sailed tens-of-thousands of miles, whether at the helm of her own yachts, delivering yachts across the Asia-Pacific or guiding holidaymakers through island archipelagos as a charter skipper.
Poking around waterways on vessels of all sizes for her entire adult life, Fiona has developed an enduring respect for the preservation and conservation of the sea and its marine inhabitants. Fiona established the first comprehensive guide to Australian marinas in 2008 and runs the successful Travel Boating Lifestyle website.
How to purchase the book
Boating Guide to NSW: Short Stays and Long Weekends, Fiona Harper, New Holland Publishers RRP $34.99, available from all good book retailers or online www.newhollandpublishers.com.
