Lara: Woodcroft

Do you remember how between Blacktown and Doonside I skipped a suburb in the middle? No? Well, it was this one

Woodcroft

Woodcroft's the type of suburb that you never hear of unless you live in a 3 suburb vicinity of it. Taking a bus from Blacktown dropped me off on the suburb's northern border.

Through a local reserve I got started on figuring out if this unknown spot has anything to offer.

First impressions? Relatively recently built, but unexciting modern suburbia. Brick houses,

some brick streets, 

and yes, more brick houses.

The trouble with writing a blog about suburbia is that there's only so many ways you can say "look, a turn-of-the-century middle class brick house". 

But then, Woodcroft offered me something else. 

A great local park can really define a suburb, and this one delivers. 

How about a large lake,

full of water life,

set up right for the locals to enjoy.

Add in the walking paths and public exercise equipment around the thing,

a few cement slabs to sit on (although this day's wet morning make sitting outdoors a bad choice),

and a smattering of bushland,

and you do end up with a good thing to base your suburb around.

Anything else worth checking out in the wide land of Woodcroft? 

Well there's a grassy creekbed (I think) that you can use as a pedestrian expressway through the suburb. 

And that I did.

On this journey, I found a slightly too fancy house,

and more public space.

Where you can enjoy some local recreation. 

I continued on via the grassy ridge.

To find more aspirational suburbia, 

and a little bit of nature too.

That's more or less it for Woodcroft. 

The suburb's southern border is marked by the western train line. My plan was to continue south into Doonside, but apparently this is not an in-demand activity, and there is no way for a pedestrian to cross the tracks to the other side.

This meant walking along the border instead,

past the adorably named Bandicoot Drive. 

And near a house with an inexplicable amount of discarded coffee cups around their mailbox.

before eventually walking west enough to enter Doonside. 

Woodcroft: A lake, with some optional extras.