Culture
City Guide: Sydney, Australia
KINGS CROSS TRACK CLUB SHOW YOU THEIR CITY
Sydney, Australia. The biggest city ‘down under’ and the home of a thousand postcards. From the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to Bondi Beach, it’s seen by tourists as an idyllic, cosmopolitan paradise.
For its residents, Sydney presents a unique set of challenges. The same harbour that provides so much beauty also divides the city in two. Sydney’s streets don’t follow a logical grid; early roads were simply created on existing aboriginal tracks, and expanded upon ever since. Getting around, especially in a hurry, can be tough.
In town for a day and eager for some local knowledge, the guys from Kings Cross Track Club invited us for a Tuesday night run around their neighbourhood. Kings Cross, or ‘The Cross’ as it’s often referred to, is a vibrant inner-city suburb with a colourful past.
Old reputations die hard, and The Cross’s nightclub scene carries a rep as both a red light district and the heart of Sydney’s drug trafficking operations.
In reality, the local government have introduced a range of laws in recent years that have softened the night life, but like any big city, you can find trouble if you look for it.
There is no landmark more recognisable in Kings Cross than ‘the Coke sign’, a Coca-Cola billboard first erected in 1974.
Andrew Griffiths, one of the founders of KXTC, explains the significance of the Coke sign for locals.
"The Coke sign is synonomous with Kings Cross. It has been there forever, and although it's advertising, it has gone past that now. It's a landmark"
It’s easy to run straight past Woolloomooloo Wharf and its restaurants and trendy apartments, but to do so would be to neglect a significant part of Australian history. Built in 1915, Woolloomooloo Wharf was for many Australian soldiers, their deployment port when headed to war.
In the 1950’s, Woolloomooloo Wharf was a key export point for the wool industry, touching on another significant part of Australian culture.
Australia famously ‘rode on the sheep’s back’ in the 1950’s, dominating the global wool industry and shipping much of it from Woolloomooloo Wharf.
Nowhere on this route is the diversity of Sydney on greater display than through the next section of the run. Cutting through Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, the landscape couldn’t be more different from The Cross. It’s quiet, as beautiful as you expect it to be, and you’re more likely to see a wedding party than a run crew.
Leaving behind the tranquility of the Gardens, next up is undoubtedly the most exciting part of the run.
There's a long path along Cahill Expressway which eventually heads up and onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Andrew explains why you might need the help of a local "one side is the cycling side of the bridge, and the other is for runners, and it's not that easy to find the point where you get on".
“Sydney generally is pretty hilly. Anytime people from Melbourne or somewhere else come and run with us they mention how many hills or sets of stairs there are. Particularly to get onto the Bridge”
The reward for climbing the stairs and running up the ramp is well worth it. Running over one of the most famous bridges in the world is special, but being able to see the famous Sydney Opera House on a beautiful summer evening tops it off. It's a great spot for a breather before turning around.
Andrew explains that Kings Cross Track Club was actually formed after his brother returned from a stint living in the home of crew running, New York City. “We created Kings Cross Track Club around 3 years ago. Michael was living in NYC and running with North Brooklyn Runners when the scene was blowing up there. He came back to Sydney and there was nothing like it, so we decided to just do our own thing”.
Now headed back to The Cross, Andrew offers a local perspective on one of Australia's most infamous nightlife centres.
“The Cross has changed a lot. I've lived in the area for 20 years and right in The Cross for 10 years. I always loved that dirty side of it, it was unique in Sydney. That’s been watered down over the last few years. The lock out laws have killed a lot of stuff unfortunately”.
“Kings Cross isn’t traditionally about running, so it’s ironic that we chose The Cross to name our crew after. But with the way the area is going it’s becoming more in line. However it's still very different to Bondi and that whole health and wellness vibe”
The last landmark to run past might not be as famous as the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, but Harry’s Cafe is well worth getting to know. Much more than a pie shop, it’s one of the last reminders of an era gone by. Harry’s first opened in 1938, before closing briefly so Harry could serve in World War II. It re-opened in 1945 and has been operating ever since. At the time, local council rules declared food carts had to be moved a minimum of 30cm each day, hence the wheels. Today, Harry's stands small but mighty in the face of ongoing development of the area.
To run this route yourself, hit Strava here for the file. You can also run with Andrew and Kings Cross Track Club every Tuesday evening, or you can join their women's run every Monday evening. Hit their social pages to stay up to date.
