Starting My Day the Wentworth Point Way

Post by our guest author – Pramod Bhandari (in above image)

There’s something about starting the day on foot, with the Parramatta River catching the early light, that sets the tone for everything else. A few years into making it a daily habit, I can honestly say it’s one of the simplest things I do for my body and my head — and I’m lucky enough to do it surrounded by some of the prettiest foreshore in Sydney.

If you’ve ever thought about building a walk or jog into your mornings but weren’t sure where to start, here are the routes I keep coming back to, depending on the season and how I’m feeling.

My favourite routes around Wentworth Point

• Foreshore Walk – Marina Square to the Archery precinct. A gentle, sun-filled route that’s especially lovely on winter and spring mornings. The covered benches near the Archery Centre are a great spot to pause — whether that’s for a breather, some light stretching, or just a few quiet minutes taking in the scenery.

• Wentworth Point to Rhodes loop via Bicentennial Park. My go-to for weekend walks with family or friends. You’ll pass the bird sanctuary, weave through tree-lined paths, and get plenty of water views along the way — a proper soak-it-all-in kind of walk rather than a fast one.

• The Armory Walk. For anyone chasing longer distances, this is the one — a run or jog along the Parramatta River from Wentworth Point through to Newington Armory and beyond. Newington Reserve offers wide open space plus shaded stretches for warmer weather, and the Armory itself has barbecue areas, art exhibitions and open parkland worth exploring on a slower day. If you cycle, the same corridor stretches further still, crossing toward Silverwater and on to Parramatta or Meadowbank along dedicated, scenic cycling paths.

• Peninsula Park walkway. The newest addition to the neighbourhood, and a lovely, easy option for a leisurely stroll with family, friends, or the dog.

A quick word on the habit itself

I try to get out early, rotating between these routes depending on the day and the weather. Most mornings, I’ll stop halfway, roll out a light mat I carry with me, and spend twenty to thirty minutes on some simple breathing and stretching before finishing the walk with a slower stretch, headphones in, listening to something calm. A decent, well-fitted pair of walking or running shoes makes a bigger difference to comfort than people expect — worth getting properly fitted rather than guessing.

None of this needs to be elaborate. The whole point, for me, is that it’s repeatable — the same handful of routes, rotated through the seasons, is enough to make the morning feel like mine before the day takes over.

Useful links if you want to explore

• Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park — official park info and maps
• Newington Armory — heritage precinct, opening hours and grounds info
• Sydney Olympic Park Cycling Tracks — for the Armory Walk’s cycling extension toward Silverwater, Parramatta and Meadowbank
• Sydney Olympic Park Lookouts and Views — including access points near the Wentworth Point Community Centre
• NSW Government – Sydney Olympic Park walking hidden gems
• Wentworth Point Peninsula Park guide — background on the newest local walkway
• City of Parramatta – Wentworth Point — Council’s precinct page

On gear (a couple of general resources, no products pushed here)

If you’re thinking about kitting yourself out for regular walks or jogs, these are genuinely useful, non-commercial starting points rather than a shopping list:

• Better Health Channel – Choosing the right shoe for what actually matters in a walking or running shoe
• Better Health Channel – Breathing to reduce stress and Beyond Blue’s guided breathing and relaxation exercises if you want to build a breathing or mindfulness break into your walk, mat optional
• Transport for NSW – pedestrian safety is worth a glance if you’re planning to walk or jog with earbuds in on shared paths — keeping the volume low enough to hear cyclists and other path users goes a long way

See you out there — and if you’ve got a favourite loop I haven’t mentioned, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.