From the wharf comes a call."You haven't come across any pirates,have you?"shouts the president,from his waterside throne. John Carrick,ruler of the self-styled Republic of Milsons Passage,has to protect his people from brigands. But there are no worries this time – it's just the mail being delivered.
The presidential sash goes across the presidential shorts and T-shirt,and a little white dog by his side stands guard."He's a specially bred albino dingo who helps keep the sharks away,"the big chief says.
The eccentric"republic",despite the blue mudcrab flag waving proudly over the boat sheds,is not likely to become a major player on the world stage any time soon. It is an isolated hamlet of the Hawkesbury River,just to the north of Sydney,and cannot be reached by road. That's why Australia Post has to use a novel approach – and the mail has been delivered by boat for more than 100 years.
As mail runs go,it's an absolute beauty of a gig. There are only seven stops to deliver to,and they're spaced along a flooded river valley surrounded by thick green bushland,mangroves and handsome sandstone cliffs.
The catamaran putters along for about three hours,doubling up as a pleasure cruise for most of those on board. But despite having passengers to feed and entertain,the crew members know that their first priority is to get letters and parcels to tiny communities that are otherwise cut off.
The cruise – and mail run – starts from Brooklyn,where trains from Sydney and Newcastle pull in. The neighbouring rail bridge crosses the river,and gives those living on the settlements on either bank a connection to normality. But many smaller settlements – generally just a handful of houses,many of which are waterside holiday homes that have been passed down through generations – can be accessed only by boat. Aside from the houses that have been grandfathered in,there is a smattering of artists and writers who love the isolation and have set up home on the wild banks of the Hawkesbury.
Throughout the journey,skipper Randall Ferrington holds court on the historic oddities in the river. There's the wreck of the HMAS Parramatta,Australia's first ever warship,which was later reduced to the indignity of hauling coal before it sank.