The Ruined Castle at Calabash Bay
Marramarra National Park is a one of the Hawkesbury’s best kept secrets. It’s great for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, cycling, camping, bushwalking, picnicking and birdwatching.
Join a National Parks and Wildlife Service Volunteer Guide for this short 3-hour walk as we meander along the track and hear the hard luck story of the Fretus Castle Hotel and its eventual demise. Having started life as a 12-bedroom hotel in Sans Souci NSW, John Fretus had it demolished, carried by coastal steamer and rebuilt on its present site above Calabash Bay, on Berowra Creek. Built in 1900, the Castle was designed to cater for travellers on a proposed new road linking Berowra to Berrilee. Sadly, the road never eventuated, and the hotel was left high and dry.
Today, substantial ruins still exist and are decorated by graffiti dating back to the 1930’s. It’s an interesting story and yes, there is more to come!