Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is an area 15 km west of Sydney CBD. It is on the western reaches of Sydney Harbour, and was the home of the 2000 Olympic Games.
The Sydney Olympic Park area, together with the surrounding areas on the Parramatta River including the neighbouring suburbs of Newington and Wentworth Point, host a wide variety of sporting events, including athletics, aquatic, archery, Australian rules football, cricket, soccer, tennis, hockey, rugby (both union and league), skateboarding and more. It is also home to open spaces and parks such as Bicentennial Park, Newington Armoury, Wentworth Common, Blaxland Riverside Park, Woo-La-Ra and Wilson Park.
The venues are also used for conferences, and music and family events, including the Royal Easter Show in April. When there are no events on, the area around the station and the main venues are very quiet. At 6PM most evenings, you can have Olympic Boulevard largely to yourself.
Access to the area and to the parklands is free, although parking can be expensive and difficult to find. The area was specifically designed to not be a car-centric hellhole; the authorities do whatever they can do discourage you from bringing your car in, but it may be your only choice when the trains network is lopsided.
For the purposes of this article, this article covers Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point, Newington, parts of northern Homebush (around DFO) and Rhodes.
Get in
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By train
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Olympic Park is accessible through its own 1 Olympic Park Station. Most of the time, you'll need to travel to Lidcombe station and transfer to the T7 Olympic Park Line (Olympic Park sprint) at Platform 0. Trains leave Lidcombe Station every 10 minutes, but frequencies may change during trackwork weekends. During major events, direct trains to Olympic Park also run from Central, Redfern, Strathfield and Parramatta stations, and sometimes also from other locations. Olympic Park station is wheelchair accessible.
Some parts of Sydney Olympic Park – Bicentennial Park in particular – are actually closer to 2 Concord West station, although still within easy walking distance of Olympic Park station. During major events, travellers from the north may be encouraged to use Concord West rather than Olympic Park even for central events. Concord West is wheelchair accessible.
As part of the Sydney Metro West, new rapid transit line being built between Westmead and Hunter St (opp. Wynyard and Martin Pl) via Parramatta and North Strathfield, there will be a new station in Sydney Olympic Park. It initially had an opening date of 2030 but has since been slated to 2032.
By bus
[edit]Sydney buses provide regular services from Strathfield and Rhodes stations by the route 525, 526 and 533 buses. Parramatta station has route 525 and Chatswood station has route 533.
Unless you are already at a bus departure point, the train will usually be quicker.
For major events, like sporting events, and the Easter Show, the major event bus service operates, providing frequent event buses from most corners of Sydney. For smaller events, like football matches, a handful of buses may run to a timetable on the major event bus routes.
By ferry
[edit]3 Sydney Olympic Park wharf in Wentworth Point, operated by Transport for New South Wales, is on the Parramatta River and is usually served with the F3 Parramatta River line with ferries from Parramatta, Barangaroo and Circular Quay among other locations. The wharf, which was used for the Olympic Torch journey to the stadium, is around 2 km from the Olympic Stadium area and other attractions served by the Railway Station, but is much closer to the Millennium Parklands, Newington Armoury and many of the area's cycling tracks.
By car
[edit]- Travel from Sydney City follow A4 Western Distributor/Anzac Bridge and into the WestConnex toll tunnel at M4 Western Motorway. Take the Sydney Olympic Park exit after the end of the tunnel.
- Homebush Bay Drive (A3) and Parramatta Rd (A44) both pass Sydney Olympic Park. Follow either of these A roads, and follow the signs to Sydney Olympic Park.
Major event parking is available in large multi-story car parks for $25. Parking in the multi-storey carparks at other times is on a sliding scale up to $25. There is often free parking available at the aquatic centre if there are no major events on at the time. There is free parking in Bicentennial Park during the day, limited to 4 hours on weekdays. Traffic can be heavy during major events, but parking is usually available for all but the most major events. Check the Sydney Olympic Park website for details of parking and activities.
By bike
[edit]Several of Sydney's cycle routes converge on Sydney Olympic Park. The Cooks River Cycleway from Botany Bay. The Parramatta Valley Cycleway is linked by a cycle bridge over the Parramatta River linking Rhodes and Meadowbank (and on through Bicentennial Park). Cycling around when you get there is easy, with many paths and bicycle parking provided.
Get around
[edit]The train station and bus stops are within easy walking distance of the arenas, Olympic Boulevard, Bicentennial Park, and the Aquatic Centre. There are bike hire centres in Bicentennial and Blaxland Parks.
Light rail is also planned for Sydney Olympic Park as part of Stage 2 of Parramatta Light Rail. LRT will connect most stadiums (inc. the station) and Wentworth Point, which will eventually be headed towards Parramatta Square. Construction started in 2023 and is expected to open in 2031.
See
[edit]Park venues
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Locals usually go to Sydney Olympic Park to see events such as sporting matches, music acts, or conventions. They are held at one of the following venues. Some venues may have tours.
- 1 Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium), Cnr Olympic Boulevard & Dawn Fraser Ave, ☏ +61 2 8765 2000, [email protected]. This Stadium was used for athletic events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2000 Olympic Games. Now it is used for a wide variety of sporting matches, including AFL, Rugby League (State of Origin and NRL), Rugby Union, and Football (A-League). It is also used for Stadium Concerts. There is also the art installation “Games Memories” just outside the southern entrance, which is a which is a tribute to the volunteers of the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- 2 Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, Rod Laver Drive, ☏ 1300 836 647 (Local Rate), [email protected]. The Tennis Centre hosts the Sydney International tournament, which is part of the lead up for the Australian Open in Melbourne and the ATP cup. It may also host some netball games in the near future.
- 3 Sydney Showground, 1 Showground Road, ☏ +61 2 9704 1111. A collection of convention halls and pavilions mainly used for the Sydney Royal Easter Show, although used for other events throughout the year. The Showground also has Sydney Showground Stadium which is used for AFL, cricket (BBL) and baseball. It is sometimes used as a temporary stadium for football and Rugby codes.
- 4 Sydney Super Dome (Qudos Bank Arena), Cnr Olympic Blvd & Edwin Flack Avenue, ☏ +61 2 8765 4321, fax: +61 2 8765 4333, [email protected]. This multipurpose arena is used for basketball (Sydney Kings), netball (Sydney Swifts, NSW Swifts, Giants Netball), and some tennis matches. It is also used for arena concerts.
Other venues include the Quaycentre (a multipurpose hall), Athletic Centre, Hockey Centre, Archery Park and the Sports Centre.
Historical sites
[edit]- 5 Brickpit Ring Walk (The Brickpit). Homebush Bay was an industrial site before it was remodelled as Sydney Olympic Park. The brickpit area was preserved because the post-industrial area was also habitat to several species of rare frogs, including the endangered green and gold bell frog. The brickpit site has a high elevated walkway ringing the site. The engineering is quite impressive. There are interpretive displays as you walk the ring. It is unlikely that you will see any of the tiny frogs all the way down in the water filled pit, but there are binoculars if you wish to try your luck. Free.
- 6 Newington Armory, Jamieson Street. Weekends & school holidays: 10AM–4PM. This was an anarmament depot for over 100 years, before being decommissioned in 1996 to be used as part of the athletes' village for the 2000 Olympic Games. Now, the site is used for a variety of tours, a bird sanctuary and art exhibitions. Costs Vary.
Do
[edit]Sports
[edit]- 1 Archery (Sydney Olympic Park Archery Centre), Bennelong Parkway (Head to Wentworth Point, enter in the middle driveway), ☏ +61 2 9714 7502, [email protected]. Tu-F 10AM-4PM, Sa Su 9:30AM-4PM (summer 9:30AM-5:30PM). Want to learn how to start in the sport of Archery? The centre regularly runs 1.5 hr introductory sessions for anyone to try the sport. Archery Australia members can use their facility casually, but contact them if you are an international archer. Introductory session (Bronze Arrow): $26.
- 2 Badminton (Sports Halls), Cnr Grand Parade & Olympic Blvd, ☏ +61 2 9714 7600, [email protected]. M-Th noon-10PM, F 4-10PM, Sa Su 8AM-9PM. The Sports Halls are used for a variety of indoor sports, but getting a Badminton court is probably the easiest. Order and pay online, and then rock up 15 minutes before your session. You'll need to bring your own equipment. Table Tennis tables are also available. From $26 per court.
- 3 Cycle. Sydney Olympic Park offers possibly the most extensive and pleasant recreational cycling opportunities in Sydney, with water and park views, and some interesting historical sites to explore. Bike Hire is available from the Visitors Centre in Bicentennial Park. Get a copy of the bike circuits map from the visitors centre or online. There are three planned routes that are marked by coloured discs on the edge of the path. Paths tend to be quieter away from the picnic areas of Bicentennial park.
- 4 Monster Skatepark, Cnr Grand Pde & Orana Parade, ☏ +61 2 8459 7433, [email protected]. Holiday Hours: Tu,W,F 12-5PM, Th 12-4:30PM, Sa-Su 9AM-6PM. Programs Generally M,W 4PM-8PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. A privately run skatepark with an indoor street and outdoor vertical set-up. They regularly run classes and programs for beginners. Check their Facebook page for availability. Day Pass $20.
- 5 Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Cnr Olympic Boulevard & Shane Gould Ave, ☏ +61 2 9752 3666, fax: +61 2 9752 3699, [email protected]. Year-round: M-F 5AM-9PM; Oct-Apr: also Sa Su and holiday 6AM-8PM, 6AM-7PM the rest of the year. This complex was built for the Olympics and houses the main competition pool. Many state and national swimming events are still held here. It contains a 50-m competition pool, a 50-m training pool, children's pools, a waterslide and a spa, sauna and gym. Worth checking that no major events are on if you plan to visit just to use the pools. $9.30 adults, $7 children and $5 for spectators.
- 6 Surfing (Urbnsurf), 15 Hill Road (P5) (From the station, walk down Australia Ave), ☏ +61 3 9344 1548. Daily 6AM-10PM. Surfing is a part of beach life in Sydney, however it can be difficult for those out west to get a chance to surf. Urbnsurk is a surf park facility, allowing for everyone from beginners to professionals to practice surfing technique in a heated pool. From $39, $10 Spectator pass.
Parks
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- 7 Cathy Freeman Park, Olympic Boulevard (there are fountains at the southern and northern ends of Olympic Boulevard). The Olympic Cauldron, which was the centrepiece of the water themed opening ceremony is now a large fountain that the kids (or adults) can run under. The park can also be used for picnics. Free.
- 8 Bicentennial Park, Bicentennial Drive, ☏ +61 2 9714 7300. Other than having a barbecue, while you're there, walk, cycle or fly a kite. Bicentennial Park is a 100-hectare park created to celebrate Australia's bicentenary in 1988. Although older than Sydney Olympic Park, it is now part of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. Facilities include electric barbecues, extensive gentle paths suitable for children cycling and for wheelchairs, and enormous amounts of grass on which to picnic or play sports. It is popular with families. Admission and parking is free but hard to find around lunchtime on some weekends, and it may be simpler to walk from the train stations. Free.. Other parks in the area include 9 Wentworth Common, Marjorie Jackson Parkway, Sydney Olympic Park., and 10 Blaxland Riverside Park, End of Jamieson Street, Sydney Olympic Park.
Annual events
[edit]- 11 The Royal Easter Show, Sydney Showground, 1 Showground Road, ☏ +61 2 9704 1111, fax: +61 2 9704 1122, [email protected]. The show is held every year in Olympic Park in the fortnight around Easter and is the most prestigious agricultural show in New South Wales. Competitive exhibits of livestock and produce are theoretically the point of the show, but for many visitors the main attractions are the fairground food and rides and the showbag pavilion in which large bags of themed merchandise are sold, with themes ranging from superheros to chocolate. Ticket prices are $45 for adults, $28 for children and $34 for concession holders. All tickets include free travel on public transport to the show; as using private transport is discouraged there are no cheaper tickets exclusive of transport.
Buy
[edit]Shopping opportunities are limited within Sydney Olympic Park. But there are a number of small shops and convenience stores around the park. Other shopping centres and local supermarkets can be found in Newington, Wentworth Point, Rhodes or Lidcombe.
- 1 DFO Homebush, 3-5 Underwood Rd, Homebush, ☏ +61 2 9748 9800. Just outside of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, this is an outlet shopping centre with a food court.
- 2 Rhodes Waterside, 1 Rider Blvd, Rhodes. The shopping centre is home to the first IKEA megastore in Sydney. Also has a multiplex cinema.
Eat
[edit]Near Olympic Boulevard and the Arenas
[edit]In the way of fast food, there is a McDonald's, Subway, Oporto's and a Gloria Jeans coffee shop in the stadium area, and not much else. Gloria Jeans has seating and a courtyard area often not crowded when there are queues at the other fast food places. These can close before some evening events finish. The Brewery serves food until a bit later.
- 1 Bacar Restaurant Bar Lounge, ☏ +61 2 8762 7959. Breakfast: 6-10:30AM (open until 11am on Weekends), Lunch: noon–3PM, Dinner: 6-10PM. Lobby of the 5-star Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park hotel, corner of Olympic Boulevard and Herb Elliott Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park. Contemporary International Cuisine in a stylish modern setting, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. $45-60.
- 2 Boulevard Brasserie & Bar (Arena Restaurant & Wine Bar), ☏ +61 2 8762 7523, [email protected]. open 6AM-11PM. Lobby of the Novotel Hotel, corner of Olympic Boulevard and Herb Elliott Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park. Modern Australian dining. $20-35.
- 3 Food Alert, 10 Dawn Fraser Avenue, ☏ +61 2 9746 6969. M-F 6AM-5PM, Saturday 8AM-3PM. A Turkish take away shop selling kebabs, salads, fish and chips and burgers. Open for Breakfast. $11-17 for a full meal.
- 4 Ribs & Rumps, 8 Dawn Fraser Ave, ☏ +61 2 9746 0554. 11:30AM–late. Steakhouse restaurant. $30-50 mains.
- 5 Thai Palate, Shop8/5 Australia Ave, ☏ +61 2 9763 5206. M-F 11AM-3:30PM & 5-9:30PM, Sa Su noon-9:30PM. A bit of a walk, but still a good local Thai restaurant that also does pick up delivery. $19-30.
- 6 Piccolo Roma, Herb Elliot Ave & Park St, ☏ +61 2 9746 1138. M-Sa noon-2:30PM, 5-9PM. Italian restaurant, open most event days $15-35 mains.
Bicentennial Park
[edit]There is a kiosk in Bicentennial Park, near the kids playground, but it is only open for lunch. Good for ice-creams on a hot day.
- 7 Waterview Cafe (Lilies on the Park Cafe), Bicentennial Dr, ☏ +61 2 9764 9900, [email protected]. Daily 8AM–5PM. A cafe within the Waterview centre at Bicentennial Park. It serves breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. $15-30.
Near the ferry wharf (Wentworth Point)
[edit]- 8 Burger Point Wentworth Point, Shop RT322, 5 Footbridge Blvd, Wentworth Point (Marina Square), ☏ +61 2 8593 9817. Daily 10AM–8:30PM. Sydney doesn't have many well-known burger restaurants, and this certainly doesn't fall into the category of "well-known", but its burgers and juicy tender chicken are well worth trying. The prices might seem like they're on the high-end at first (well, everything in this area is), but the large portions make up for this.
- 9 Concerto Restaurant, 3A/21 Bennelong Pkwy, Wentworth Point, ☏ +61 2 9475 6555, [email protected]. M noon-3PM; Tu-Su noon-3PM, 6-10PM. A licenced restaurant specialising in mediterranean cuisine. Expect Pizzas & Pastas, and lots of seafood. $30-45 mains.
- 10 Brother Katsu, 6 Waterways St, Wentworth Point, ☏ +61 493 850 589. M-Su 9AM-8:30PM. A Korean Cafe & Restaurant. Your main dish of Korean Fried Chicken or Korean Ramen $15-20.
- 11 Armory Wharf Cafe, Blaxland Riverside Park, Jamieson Street (off Holker St), ☏ +61 423 884 801. Daily 9AM-3PM. Partially a bunch cafe with an all day breakfast, also does a mean fish and chips. But, go for the view of the Parramatta river.
Drink
[edit]There is not much nightlife to speak of on non-event days. On event days, the atmosphere changes - depending on who and what is playing.
- 1 The Brewery, ☏ +61 2 8762 1293. Under the Novotel Hotel, corner of Olympic Boulevard and Dawn Fraser Avenue. A pub with a bistro and live sports on 12 screens. Live entertainment on Fridays. Open from 11AM into the night. A quiet and pleasant spot for a drink and a feed on any normal day of the week. On event days, they get out their plastic glasses, security fences, and seats are at a premium. Arrive near to event time and expect a queue to get in.
Sleep
[edit]A wide range of local accommodation options are available within the precinct. Availability varies on what events are happening, but expect the 2 weeks that The Sydney Royal Easter show to run to be booked out in advance (sometime in March-April), and major concerts & sporting events to be also booked out.
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | $100-150 |
| Mid-range | $200-250 |
| Splurge | $250+ |
Budget
[edit]- 1 Ibis Budget Sydney Olympic Park, 8 Edwin Flack Avenue, ☏ +61 2 9648 3862, fax: +61 2 9648 0427, [email protected]. Check-in: Noon, check-out: 10AM. An 156 room economy hotel, 750m from the Olympic Park Train Station. Expect small rooms with basic amenities. Parking is limited and is first come first serve. From $100 and up.
- 2 Sydney Olympic Park Lodge, 1 Jamieson St, Silverwater, ☏ +61 2 9737 8139, [email protected]. The Lodge has dorm accommodation for 6-8 people per room. It is primarily designed for group accommodation, particularly school & holiday camps for children. Individual rates are $65 per night for adults and $45 per night for children, including breakfast.
Mid-Range
[edit]- 3 Novotel and Hotel Ibis Sydney Olympic Park, 11 Olympic Bvd, ☏ +61 2 8762 1111, fax: +61 2 8762 1211, [email protected]. These two hotels, sharing facilities, offer 321 rooms in two styles of accommodation. 100 m from the Olympic Park Train Station. Facilities include two bars, two restaurants, 9 conference rooms and wireless access. Undercover car park is available, fees apply. Committed to preserving the environment they are the few hotels in Sydney to have achieved an ISO14001 Certified environmental standard rating for environmental management systems. Rooms from $160 at Hotel Ibis and $230 at Novotel per night.
- 4 Quest at Sydney Olympic Park, 6 Edwin Flack Avenue, ☏ +61 2 9033 2000. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 1 AM. A serviced apartment style hotel just outside the Park precinct. Around 850m from Olympic Park Train Station. The hotel has 140 apartments including Studio size or 1, 2, and 3 bedroom rooms. All rooms have some form of kitchen, and Conference facilities, On site car parking, Gym, Internet & Wifi, 24-hour reception & tour assistance are available. They also offer long stays. From $220 per night.
Splurge
[edit]- 5 Pullman Hotel at Sydney Olympic Park, Corner of Olympic Boulevard and Herb Elliott Avenue, ☏ +61 2 8762 1700, [email protected]. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. 260m from Olympic Park Station, this is Sydney’s first 5-star hotel outside of the CBD. 212 rooms, including 14 suites, Pullman facilities include executive floor and lounge, 24-hour gym, business centre, 24-hour IT solutions manager, restaurant and bar. The hotel uses 40% less energy than most equivalent 5-star hotels, with solar panels on the rooftop supplementing power consumption. A specific focus in the hotel construction has been on the selection of natural materials. From $280 per night.
Connect
[edit]There are some free public Wi-Fi spots about in the event precinct. The area is also well covered by normal telco providers.
Go next
[edit]If you are staying at Sydney Olympic Park, you are about equidistant from Sydney City and Parramatta. Stay on the M4 Western Motorway past Parramatta, and in 90 minutes or so you could be in the Blue Mountains.
| Lidcombe ← | SW T7 N | → END |
| Parramatta ← | W F3 E | → Meadowbank → Circular Quay |