Pedestrian Access: Erskine Park

I spend my weekends walking around suburban Outer Western Sydney, do you? 

Erskine Park

Last I left you, I was crossing a bridge over the M4 from my previous suburb of Colyton. 

This led to some logistical issues.

I'm clearly the only guy who does this, and as a result, they didn't bother continuing the footpaths on the other side of the bridge. 

Not dying meant hopping the barrier and walking along the tall grass and roadside garbage.

Thankfully, after not too long, there was a clearing in the shrubs and I was able to leave the main road and make my way into the warm embrace of suburbia. 

This appeared to be a freshly minted slice of suburbia, with all of the trademark brown brick and grey roofs we come to expect of these places. 

They also seemed to have just as much interest in footpaths as on the main road. 

I did see this rabbit lawn ornament though, so it's not all bad news. 

At the end of the cul-de-sac is actually a huge piece of open land. 

Today, this makes for a very pleasant nature reserve, but knowing this city it's probably just one corrupt premier's boyfriend away from being earmarked to becoming more houses.

Rather than head into the woods, I returned to the street and headed through footpathless residential Erskine Park.

Here, I found that the brand new street of housing was actually an anomaly, with next steps being far more regular,

modern, 

and ultimately inoffensive. 

That is, unless you find a lack of pedestrian amenities offensive (which I kind of do). 

Ultimately though, walking on quiet suburban streets isn't the end of the world,

especially when you get to walk past daycare centres proudly displaying slain toys, in scenes remiscent of the scary bits of the Toy Story movies. 

I continued on through a pleasant - albeit plain - suburban park with flat grass, gum trees and a play area,

and found more of the kind of regular suburbia that it seems Australian culture is baselined against. 

I also found the start of something remarkable for this suburb. 

Mmm, footpath. 

With a footpath pathing my feet, I was now at liberty to whiz through this suburb, making record time. 

And before long, I found myself at the local shops. 

This was as good a spot as any for a brief break, 

where I ended up poking into the shopping centre Dominos for lunch. I'm sure this will prompt a comment on how I missed the wonderful local cafe or takeaway, and you're probably right, but I can't say I didn't enjoy my meal. 

With my tank refilled, I was now free to resume crossing the great park of Erskine. 

Highlights include more people's houses,

I like this one,

and someone who went a little bit too heavy on the edge trimmer. 

Soon, my walk into the blinding sun, 

dropped me off at the aptly named Erskine Park Road - the main road which separates this suburb from the next. 

They even had a sign confirming I'd come from the right place. 

Erskine Park: Classic suburbia, with no expectation that someone may be interested in walking through it.