benj20

Hawthorndene is a quiet wooded valley on the edge of hills face countryside, right next to Belair National Park. Affectionately known as "the Dene" it is full of trees and parks including a pine forest reserve with remnants of an experimental orchard, and even has grand old gums in the middle of Sturt Avenue (which shares the name of a local indie folk band). I was just chatting to K____ from down the road who has been here since 1963. Residents are a friendly bunch and tend to stay for decades and not just because sometimes it is hard to navigate a way out. For the young ones there is a kindergarten, primary school, bike tracks, and multiple playgrounds including the delightful Apex Park. The Dene boasts a cafe, an historic Oval, tennis courts, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler open to the public, and a renowned recording studio. There is also a plethora of laneways to explore on neighbourhood walks. It is close to all the conveniences of Blackwood and the Belair train line to the city, and is home of the loved but unreliable typewritten newspaper the Hawthorndene Daily.