Put your arms up in the air for the Royal Cricketers Arms hotel

The big picture

Have you ever wished for one place that has it all? Well this micro suburb does a pretty darn good job at it. Prospect located in Greater Western Sydney is a little pocket of fun and entertainment. About a 40 minute drive from Sydney city, this suburb is essentially one big playground that will have you wetting yourself quite literally!

Prospect has for many years been one of those in-between the crack kind of suburbs. The line between Prospect and Blacktown is a little blurry with some of the local establishments opting to claim the better known suburb of Blacktown as their home, even though they are within the bounds of Prospect.

Well the time has come for Prospect to shine and you’ll certainly want to venture here when you find out what it has in store for you. The best way to get out to Prospect is by car but there are public transport options out to Blacktown by train then by bus to Prospect.

Find out more general information about Prospect here.

Be bored no more

Wedgie time at Wet’N’Wild

Get ready for action-packed fun at Wet’N’Wild Sydney, located yes… in Prospect! Boasting some of the biggest and wildest water rides in the southern hemisphere, the Sydney park is one of the biggest water parks around. Thrill seekers will not be disappointed whilst there are some tamer options for those who enjoy the slow lane. Your adrenalin juices will ooze once you catch a glimpse of the rides. The park is open over the warmer seasons toward the end of spring and through summer. The cost of entry and food like most theme parks is on the pricey side but if you take advantage of their season passes, you can make it worth your hard-earned bucks. Slide into action!

On your journey into Prospect keep your eye out for the infamous church on the hill along Ponds Road. St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church is not only known for its haunting presence atop the hill and its eerie cemetery, but has a history of sightings and experiences of the spiritual kind. So if you’re a skeptic looking to be challenged or a believer seeking to engage in some spiritual bonding, you can join a night ghost tour of the church and cemetery and find out for yourself what, if anything, or who walks this hill. Have to say though, it has an air of spookiness even during the day.

An infamous church on the hill, St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church

At our next multipurpose venue, we come across a minor identity crisis that is really of no significant consequence apart from being a little confusing. Blacktown Markets operates out of the Blacktown Skyline Drive-in movie theatre located in, yes you guessed it, Prospect. Before we get to the drive-ins, which got our inner movie junkie popping madly, the markets are a must for all variety market goers. These markets have evolved rapidly over recent years to up its standards and facilities, with multiple developments under-way around it. Like most trash and treasure markets you can snag some good pre-owned items including clothing, furniture, tools, antiques and collectables or score some great deals on new items like gadgets, fresh food, plants and make-up.

Make something old feel new at the Trash and Treasure Market.

A more recent addition to this buzzing market are the various food trucks and stalls. There is much to satisfy the sweet and savoury tooth including market faves, Hot Dogs, Gozleme and Dutch Poffertjes House (Dutch Mini Pancakes). Grab your grub (Australian for ‘food’) and head over to the miniature entertainment corner of the market where you can chill and be entertained with a spot of live music from local Sydney musicians. This market has finally cottoned on to the success of the inner west market vibe!

Does shopping make you hungry as a hippo?

These guys were smashing out great 70’s rock classics!

Our favourite of all the attractions in this burb so far is the Skyline Drive-In Movies. One of the two last surviving Drive-in theatres in all of Sydney, the other located at Sydney Racecourse, the Skyline Drive-In’s has recently been fully refurbished and smacks of all that retro Chachi, Richie, Fonzie ‘Happy Days’ vibe.

We just need a pink Cadillac

They play current blockbusters as well as some of the much loved classics and although the food is a little on the pricey side, the entry ticket is far more reasonable than a standard movie ticket so it all evens out. Wait till you get a load of the period-themed diner though (a sneak peek below) and the menu brings a little Americana to life in Sydney’s Greater West. If you’re feeling a bit cheeky or cheap, grab your favourite fast food on the way and stash it. Be creative, nothing illegal (or painful) folks!

Oh Sandy, two hot dogs and a rock’n’roll milkshake please

For the first time in the history of Suburbs of Sydney, we experienced deep disappointment. That sounds ominous but before you go jumping to negative assumptions, hear us out! Firstly, we’re only 4 months old so it’s a relatively short history and some disappointment is healthy for growing bloggers and secondly this deep deep deep disappointment is only because we’re big babies. When planning for this article we were super excited about visiting Prospect Reservoir. En route the excitement was no less than electric. We pulled into the drive-way… where our hopes and dreams were dashed in an instant. The words “CLOSED FOR UPGRADE” appeared before our eyes. It took a minute or so for this reality to sink in but we never ever give up. So we scoured the town pleading with park rangers and park authorities, but our efforts were fruitless. For our safety they could not yield, even though we volunteered to wear hard-hats, elbow, hand and knee protection, even bubble wrap.

Now that we’ve gone the long way around, we’ll cut to the chase! Prospect Reservoir is a popular picnic and recreation parkland with some great facilities and views over the reservoir, for which we have no pictures. The recreation area is usually open to the public 365 days a year but due to the recent upgrades, it is currently closed but set re-open hopefully soon. Never fear though, Suburbs of Sydney has got your back. We’ll be checking in with park authorities to keep abreast of the re-opening and we’ll update this article as the information becomes available.

Eat, drink and be merry

This local favourite gets jam packed rain, hail or shine.

This first place we’ve been to many a time. The Royal Cricketers Arms is the closest you’ll get to a traditional English pub in Greater Western Sydney. It’s located within walking distance from the Saturday markets which is also where the drive-in is located and literally a 2 minute drive to Wet’n’Wild and Prospect Reservior. Got to love a small burb. Serving traditional pub food with some English favourites including beer, although the pickled eggs were missing on this visit, you can chill out front, inside or out back in their charming and spacious beer garden. The Royal Cricketers Arms caters for all seasons for you to enjoy the sun in summer or warm your cockles by the fire in winter.

Sizzle it, just the way you like it

If you’re feeling a bit blokey or you’re simply a fidget pants, you can barbeque your favourite cuts of meat or skewers on their whiz-bang DIY BBQ (oh the acronyms!). These fine specimens were looking all macho and in their element. Our distraction was only minor so hopefully their meat didn’t burn to a cinder, especially the dude in the middle with pretend tongs. Okay, perhaps it was a mid-way thumbs up but we’ll stick with the tongs because it’s funnier. Thanks lads!

Barnyard private party?

They have a nice space for private parties as well as a kids space for kids parties with castle hire. Essentially they can cater to a number of different events depending on your requirements. We’ve had a few low-key private functions here over the years and had a right good time but it has been a while, so best scope it out first to see if it tickles your fancy. The atmosphere here is nothing less than charming. Your fellow patrons come from all over and what’s most bodacious about it is that the pub attracts like-minded folk young and older looking for a relaxing, non-pretentious space to fill their bellies and be respectfully merry.

These happy patrons (below) were kind enough to entertain our desire for several takes. The resulting picture looking more like we were holding them to ransom for it but they appeared happy about it so no harm done. Important to mention also is the people who keep the pub alive. The staff here are truly lovely, what you’d expect from a family run or country establishment and management were most obliging when approached by Suburbs of Sydney for this article. Our thanks to staff and patrons on the day!

Stick ’em up, for the Cricketers Arms

Another option is part of the recent additions to the suburb. The Atura Blacktown is a resort style hotel located right next door to the Royal Cricketers Arms and the Drive-ins, in Prospect. Their Roadhouse Bar and Grill might be more your thing or if you’re a whiskey fan you may want to partake in a few of what they claim to be the largest collection of American Whiskey in Western Sydney, some of which can only be enjoyed in the US. Intriguing! As mentioned previously though, if you’re in the area on market day and just want a quick snack, you can duck into the markets and pick up some food from the food vans.

Hot tips

Go all out retro and bring your lawn chair! Can you hear Sandy singing (Clue: Grease)?

So Prospect is that little Chihuahua that thinks it’s a German Shepherd and it’s doing a pretty good job of behaving like one! Although it may seem odd being relatively close to the CBD, you can certainly spend a weekend in Prospect. On day 1 start with the markets, followed by a lazy afternoon at the Cricketers Arms, closing your first night with a flick and a couple of whiskey night caps perhaps to wind down after a ghost tour instead. Finish off with a day of big kid fun at Wet’n’Wild during the summer season or check out the reservoir once it opens again. Unleash the child within!

Got the local goss on this suburb? Share it with us via the comments below.

Nearby

Blacktown, Eastern Creek, Wetherill Park

Location Map

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