Obseravtions from UNSW to Clovelly

The Journey from UNSW to Clovelly

Upon exiting the western gate of UNSW you find yourself enveloped by the major arterial road of Kensington that is Anzac Parade. It presents a rich fabric of bustling life no matter what time of day. The hive of activity from the student community interlaced with the unrelenting transportation of buses, cars and taxi’s moving students and others to and from and around the city creates a vibrant and busy spatial atmosphere.

Walking along Anzac Parade and then turning off into Doncaster Avenue provides an amazing juxtaposition of a very busy, traffic light dominated, six-lane main road  with a two-lane avenue, albeit still relatively busy, but with provision for bicycles, small roundabouts,  a primary school and horses from nearby stables.

Doncaster Avenue provides a rich tapestry of both public and private buildings. Whilst walking along you are taken in by the rows of private Victorian terrace houses that line the avenue. This is then complemented by the slightly more dominating but still beautiful architecture of the Kensington Public School. Doncaster Avenue has an ample amount of trees that line the pathway and the school grounds are no different. As shown in the photograph, even though the school playground is sheltered by an alcove of trees, it is still in close proximity to the street suggesting that the avenue was a much more sedate suburban thoroughfare than it is today.

As the Randwick Racecourse is nearby, the possibility of waiting at a roundabout while horses cross the road is very high. Even walking along the pathway, you are bound to hear the clicking of hooves as a pair of horses approach heading towards the Centennial Parklands. This unusual sharing of sidewalks of both pedestrian and animal alike, combined with the various vehicular provisions of cars and bicycles provides for a very interesting and unique experience.

Centennial Park is a wonderful space to pass by on a journey home. It is a vast and luscious area that is utilized by the community in a multitude of ways, including sporting activities, moonlight cinema, bicycle riding, horse riding and picnics. It is a central hub of activity, an oasis away from the busy arterial and choked suburban roads of the eastern suburbs and contrasts ethereally with the backdrop of the city skyline beyond.
The entrance into the parklands is guarded by a massive and imposing pillared gate, which provides anticipation to what lies within. Grand Drive is the circular main road through the park, separated into five concentric circular tracks. The outer track is used for cycling or rollerblading, the largest track for car driving, a track is provided for car parking amongst large trees, a paved pathway is provided for walking and also used for running, and finally a dirt track is used for horse riding.

 

 

Continuing along Darley Road that runs alongside Centennial Park you pass another green expanse of Queens Park. This is a much more open area usually reserved for primary and secondary sports training and matches. The planning of the park has taken into account the variation of sports in which the community participates. The lower park accommodates soccer fields, child playgrounds and fitness areas. The upper park provides football and hockey fields. While Darley Road has a tendency to become quite busy, there are still many shoulders to stop over to have a rest, which are used to advantage by some flower vendors.