Goosing About: Richmond (Sydney by Technicality XII)

It's been a while since I've covered a Sydney by Technicality. It can feel a little claustrophobic at the moment, especially if you've been working from home, so I took this as a good chance to leave the city without actually leaving its bounds.

Richmond

Sitting at Sydney's northwestern corner, and straddling the Hawkesbury River, Richmond is a town which is also technically a suburb of Sydney. 

I drove here while hungry the entire way, so as soon as I parked the car in the town centre, 

I headed for the local takeaway - a spot simply called "Tastify".

This is your typical Aussie takeaway, serving up BBQ chicken, burgers, 

and an obligatorily large low quality fried food section. (Don't worry, I'm not above a chiko roll either.)

The go today was a Portuguese burger and "kids-sized" chips, handily consumed at the park across the road.

I may have been especially hungry that day but it was one hell of a chicken burger. I just wish I went for the double.

As you'd expect, the chips were good too. Mrs Completing Sydney and I today shared the kids chips - their smallest size. Apart from "kids", the chip sizes are small (i.e. large), medium (i.e. your Jetstar allowable 7kg carryon luggage), and large (i.e. enough chips to fill the boot of the family Commodore). 

I forgot to take a proper picture in the store, but here's a poor quality one of the chip box sizes. Kids is up the top.

Now well fed, I was at liberty to explore Richmond CBD, starting with Richmond Park, the sports pitch and lovely little park where we enjoyed our lunch.

I also found that the town centre had a little more to it than just a takeaway shop. 

By Tastify, there was a surprisingly well done mural, 

as well as Korean and even Bangladeshi dining options.

Also adding flavour is the generous serving of heritage buildings all across the main drag.

As well as this shopping mall that I'd also call heritage, but in more of a 1992 sort of way.

Special props goes to the incredible examples outside of the place which develops your photos.

And more.

Interestingly, even Richmond Station (the end of the Richmond Line) is heritage listed,

although I suspect the sanitiser is a recent addition.

Only 1km from the town centre is my favourite spot in Richmond - Smith Park.

This park sits on a lagoon (not the Hawkesbury River as I'd assumed before looking at the map), and is an absolutely idyllic spot.

But more important than the scenery is the fact that in this park they have so many damn waterfowl.

That's these ducks,

this duck,

and even geese.

Not to mention these nice lads right here.

Having well-filled my duck quota, I started on the very un-Sydney roads out of Richmond, and into the next suburb by technicality.

It's worth calling out that on the way back in the afternoon, I made a quick stop at the University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury campus which has set up shop within the confines of Richmond.

This is worth mentioning because it's the only uni I know of in Sydney with cows. Your move Macquarie.

Anyway, on to the next 'burbs.

Richmond: Come for the chicken, stay for the ducks.