Penrith

East Bank, Tench Reserve, Penrith

On 12 March we drove down to one of our favourite spots, mamely Tench Reserve situated along the Nepean River at Penrith.  We took a picnic lunch with us, but noticed since we had last visited this Park, a great new Restaurant Precinct had sprung up along the Great River Walk near the boarding spot for the Nepean Belle Riverboat.  It was a surprise to see such a great complex of restaurants, cafes, bars and other eateries in one of our favourite haunts and, we decided that next time we would ditch the idea of having a picnic and head for one of these great new eateries for lunch.

Nonetheless, it was still very nice to sit outside in one of the picnic sheds and enjoy our picnic lunch and, at the same time, admire the beautiful scenery along the river.  It was a lovely sunny day and quite hot for Autumn.  Unfortunately, whilst eating our lunch I had a violent attack of hiccups and burst a blood vessel in my right eye, causing me some distress, as my eye became very bloodshot and rather sore.  However, we finished our picnic and continued to walk along the path, looking for birds to photograph and I enjoyed the rest of the day, despite the discomfort of my eye.

This was near our picnic shelter and a similar shelter can be seen in this photo.  There are also barbecues available.  There are many lovely trees in the park with great habitat for the birds. 

 A view of the river through the trees.  It is not possible to walk along the bank, as there is not enough level land beside the river as it rises steeply in parts.  There were many ducks and water birds near the water's edge.  I saw a Little Black Cormorant sitting on a branch, drying his wings.

Here is a view of the new East Bank Restaurant Precinct along the Great River Walk and along the Eastern bank of the Nepean River.  It is 8 minutes from the CBD of Penrith.  It is situated down the far end of the Reserve and near the bridge on the M4 motorway.

Here is another one of the Restaurants in the Complex.  There is also Goji Bar and Restaurant a fusion of flavours from across Asia, Maldini's Cafe and Pizzeria with alfresco Italian dining, Tella Balls Dessert Bar and Onshore Sea food selling fresh seafood and juicy burgers.

The Lone Star Rib House will be opening shortly and there is also Riverbank Wine Bar   There are so many choices and I think it will be a wonderful boost for this popular spot by the River.

The Coffee Club.  This is one of the Restaurants I would like to try.  There is one in Westfield at Penrith which we have been to many times and it is one of our favourites.


I think the East Bank Restaurant Precinct is a wonderful addition to this popular area and has brought a touch of a cosmopolitan lifestyle to the suburbs of outer Western Sydney, similar to other waterside complexes in other cities.