Riviera owners joined R Marine Sydney for a superb weekend at Shellharbour, the gateway to the spectacular and often overlooked New South Wales South Coast.
The Shellharbour Marina, just a couple of hours south of Sydney, offers boat owners great facilities and plenty of land-based activities. Photo by Newcastle 360.
Tempted by the promise of the South Coast’s sheltered bays and sparkling beaches, over a dozen Riviera owners joined R Marine Sydney for a superb weekend at Shellharbour, the gateway to the spectacular and often overlooked New South Wales South Coast.
The fleet left Sydney Heads on a Friday morning for an enjoyable two-and-a-half-hour cruise with warm weather and ideal boating conditions. Seasoned Riviera owners John and Jenny Robinson were motivated by a stay at the newly opened Shellharbour Marina and a planned overnight trip to Jervis Bay aboard their Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht, Mystic.
“We arrived at Shellharbour Marina and it was absolutely unbelievable, flawless and beautiful. The way the entry and channel are set up is extremely well done, and the complex built around the marina shows how well it’s been designed and executed,” says John.
The world-class marina boasts 270 berths, marine services, multiple harbourside dining options and a vibrant town centre. It is ideally situated 50 nautical miles south of Sydney and 30 nautical miles north of Jervis Bay.
“We arrived at Shellharbour Marina and it was absolutely unbelievable, flawless and beautiful.” John Robinson
“But the biggest thing for me was the performance of the Riviera itself; the safety, how safe our non-boating guests felt on board.” Marina and Philip
“For years Jervis Bay has escaped me,” admits John. “Sadly, quite often we’re defeated by the weather and seas.”
This weekend was no exception. “The plan was to push out early and go to Jervis Bay to overnight, but the weather blew up and once again we were defeated. Luckily, the R Marine Sydney people put together an alternative trip.”
Riviera owners are united by an appreciation for the fabulous experiences their motor yachts offer, no matter the weather. So, when conditions thwarted the planned overnighter, the experienced R Marine Sydney team responded with an equally exceptional alternative: The Farm at Killalea, named the 2024 best beach in NSW and second-best beach in the country.
“It’s a very, very pretty beach, around the back of the hook of a peninsula on the other side of Shellharbour and right out of the wind, which was blowing. The seas were up, yet we spent the day around there and it was absolutely terrific. The water was exquisite and the scenery beautiful. I was disappointed we didn’t get to Jervis Bay as it would’ve fulfilled a long-term target, but The Farm was wonderful and I’m extremely pleased we went around there.
“They’re a great bunch at R Marine Sydney. I felt that they’re very caring about making sure you’re comfortable and safe. They’re efficient and incredibly organised and nice people to boot. A shout out to Mary Tuka, she cannot do enough for you. It amazes me how nice she is about everything and how far she goes out of her way. We do appreciate it.”
“When you’ve got a Riviera, you are part of the family.” Marina
Marina and Phil echo John’s sentiment. The Queensland couple made the trip all the way from the Gold Coast on their Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition, Anesi.
“They’re amazing people down there [in Sydney]. We know the boys and we got an invitation; we rang them up and they said the more the merrier. We spent a few weeks heading down the coast, then met them on Friday morning and followed them down to Shellharbour,” says Phil.
“When you’ve got a Riviera, you are part of the family,” adds Marina.
It was the first time Phil and Marina had ventured south of Sydney and they appreciated the camaraderie. “We had so much fun,” says Phil. “Put it this way, if it’s on again this year and we’re in Australia, we’ll go back down for it. It was just an absolutely great weekend in great company, and so well organised. The way the R Marine Sydney team guides you through things and the attention to detail they go to … it was absolutely fantastic. We can’t sing their praises enough.
“But the biggest thing for me was the performance of the Riviera itself; the safety, how safe our non-boating guests felt on board. We were testing what the Riv could do; even our friends were so impressed with the boat and the level of service from R Marine Sydney.
“We don’t do a lot of small trips but by God we’ve clocked up some nautical miles since we’ve had it. Every time we go out it’s a brand-new experience. All up we spent five weeks on that trip and it was luxury all the way. When our friends asked us where we stayed in Sydney we said: ‘Darling Harbour, on our Riviera, our luxury floating apartment’.”
The southerly finally backed off and after a weekend of luxury, entertainment and adventure, the fleet cast off and enjoyed a smooth ride home with light winds, a following swell, in the company of dolphins.
