Immature Pilgrimage: Engadine

I'm still in The Shire and it's now time to pick off a suburb that was, until now, just a dot on the map for me.

Engadine

Engadine is a suburb on the Southern end of Sydney. If, like me, you happen to be in Woronora Heights and need to get here, you can take a bus, walk, or accept a ride from a stranger. Said stranger dropped me off somewhere in Engadine.

Because I don't often get driven to a suburb, it took me a little bit of time to find my bearings. Nearby me was a costume shop, a church and supermarket. The uninteresting surrounds popped with the Aussie blue sky and leafy surrounds.

A few steps away from here is Engadine's attempt at a town square. Here, you can enjoy this slug-like bench,

hot tips on Engadine's history,

and crossing the road offers up some adequately nice seating around some apartments and a small war memorial.

When I asked Damo, the guy who drove me into the suburb, if there was anything I should look out for or check out while I was here, he didn't have any suggestions. I kind of see why.

It's not that there's anything wrong with Engadine, it's more that it just ain't that exciting a place.

I continued past the town square to another commercial street with a few quiet shops and some attractive enough new apartments.

This led me to the Princes Highway, that big-ole artery that we first met down in Waterfall.

Walking down a wide and busy highway isn't normally my idea of fun, but I soon reached Engadine Maccas. Now if you're immature like me, this is a pilgrimage as holy as any in Australia. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, feel free to Google for "Engadine Maccas" but I warn you, it's kind of disgusting.

Having completed my pilgrimage, I turned off of the highway and back into Engadine itself. This led me back into the suburb's commercial centre.

To reuse an adjective. Engadine's commercial centre is adequate. Despite the number of parked cars, there wasn't much life here on this Sunday afternoon.

Apart from this cockatoo eating an apple.

Also of interest here is this restaurant which is extremely proud of its health inspection results,

and this generic business with a funky facade.

I followed the road up and ended up entering residential Engadine, initially marked with plenty of medium density apartments on a very leafy street.

I don't know what this plant is but it looks like it tastes delicious. I'm sure it does not though.

Eventually, the density dropped, and the apartments were replaced with houses and townhouses, but still with the super leafy surrounds.

A little further up, I met this one street who was super excited to tell me he was made out of recycled plastic and glass.

None of the cars flew off the road, and I didn't see any craters in the road either, so I can confirm that the alternate material works. Here's a news article about it since apparently it's kind of a big deal.

If commercial Engadine is adequate, residential Engadine can be described as pleasant. The kind of suburbia where as an adult zoned out in some meeting at your corporate office job, you look back and fondly remember your childhood.

Folks are doing their best to enjoy it too, with nearby Cooper St Reserve boasting the honour of being one of the few parks I've run into while out and about that have plenty of people enjoying the public space, with dog-walkers, joggers and parents with kids all making the most of the afternoon before the inevitable Sunday Sads come on.

The park led me back onto the Princes Highway,

where I was able to cross an underground tunnel,

and reach the train station to let me home.

Interestingly, from Engadine station, you can directly enter the Royal National Park and get started on a bushwalk. But that's one for another time.

Engadine: Adequately pleasant.