Trail Walker: Darlington

Happy new year. If you're reading this, then 2020's final act was not the nuclear holocaust and we managed to hobble into 2021. Let's get started.

Darlington

Trying to reduce the use of public transport, I chose to pick off a few Inner City suburbs on this gloomy day. Darlington is the first, sitting just southeast of the city.

I got in by foot,

immediately starting with the traditional inner city fixtures of abandoned furniture,

buildings with history,

and colourful old terraces,

with the views of the tall buildings of the city just behind me.

First call out of the year goes to this house guarded by both an ibis and cat. Good work.

So far, I enjoyed the quiet yet dynamic street I'd chosen to begin my Darlington adventure, passing this colourful garage,

colourful residence,

and colourful fish.

I soon hit the end of my street, marked by this very large building aparently called The Foundry. I don't know what they do in The Foundry but it looks creative.

This led me to this street which I actually recognise. I didn't go to Sydney Uni, but I recognise this street as the one which always has a constant stream of students between Redfern Station and the university. Being the middle of summer, universities are on break and so things are a little quieter today.

This is also a perfectly reasonable inner city street, with terraced shopfronts,

terraced houses a little upstream,

and this small park.

I continued on, via this lost unicorn,

and more similarly attractive urban Sydney streetscapage.

You know that trail to Sydney Uni? I was forced to forge my own trail today,

which let me see this art deco block,

and the funkiest Greek church in all of Darlington.

My goal was actually to head into campus today. The entry to the Darlington side is next to this pub which I'm sure is frequented between classes,

and this restaurant which probably isn't.

This took me into the Darlington side of Usyd.

Now, when we think of Sydney Uni, we normally think of the standard stuff - sandstone buildings, arts/law degrees and rich Young Liberals and rich socialists yelling at each other on campus.

This side of campus is a little bit glassier,

and owing to the holidays, quieter too.

I did find this pretty cool lounge spot though (named Cadigal Green apparently), with deck chairs overlooking a mixture of this old sandstone building,

some modern glass numbers,

and even some Macquarie Uni-spec brutalist buildings.

A very nice place.

Now, the other half of the university is actually in the next suburb, so I used a combination of signs and Google Maps to work out I had to go up these hedgy stairs,