Sydney Park

At the end of King Street, Newtown, after a hair-raising bike ride during which I had to remonstrate with at least two drivers for cutting in too close to me, lies the oasis of Sydney Park. The old brickworks, pictured here, sited on a major source of wianamatta shale, was operational from the 1840s until 1970, producing the bricks that built Sydney's suburbs. It's now home to at least two people who were sleeping there under the arches of the old brick kilns. The park is huge, with panoramic views of Sydney, and is a perfect place to fly a kite.