An hour north of Sydney, where the Hawkesbury River widens toward the sea, this Brooklyn Marina operator hires a broad fleet, from eight- to twelve-berth homecruisers for overnight river trips down to day boats, bowriders and barbecue boats. The larger houseboats are built for self-drive, with an on-water handover before you pilot away, and newer Ultra Homecruiser and renovated Mariner models have joined the line-up. The base sits on Brooklyn Road, close to the rail line and the wide lower Hawkesbury.