Walk status: Off-lead (when not in use for sports)
While I enjoyed some time off work post the Christmas rush, George stuck to his usual routine of doggie daycare and mid-week walks with his favourite dog walker. But one day a week, his social life is interrupted and I get to enjoy a full day with him by my side and a few hours off renovating the house.
The weather has been so unpredictable lately, despite being summer we've had rain and wind, and even a cold chill in the air. On this day, the sun was shining and I decided we would jump in the car and head to our favourite walk in Stratford with a quick detour to a park I wanted to explore for a while. I will often find walks I want to try and mark these on my Google Maps so I can find them later - its a great way to plan for road trips you might want to do in the future too. My Google Maps has tags for 'Places to visit' and also 'Favourites' which I mark after we've visited and determine whether its one we want to keep earmarked for visiting again.
Karo Park has been on the 'Places to visit' list for a while now, and today was the day. It took around 15mins to get there from home. George is an impatient traveller so was not impressed when I passed many of his favourite walks to get to this one. He shows his protest by barking most of the way. Pulling up to Karo Park was a welcome relief to both of us.
The entrance to Karo Park is via a suburban street, and down a long driveway which gives nothing away. The carpark has plenty of parking, and on this day we were the only ones there with the exception of a few council workers doing some maintenance. Just as we pulled up, the rain decided to arrive too but thankfully it didn't last long and we both dried out pretty quick.
It's obvious on arrival that Karo Park is a sports ground, so best avoided when games are being played. It also goes without saying that you should respect the grounds and ensure you pick up after your doggie. There are two bins positioned near the clubhouse.
Having some idea of what to expect on arrival, I got George out a tennis ball and the chucker as this wasn't going to be an adventure walk as such, more a stretch of the legs and a chance for a sniff around somewhere new. After chasing his ball for a bit and enjoying the new smells, I decided we would walk the perimeter of the field where the big Pine trees were and see if there was a walk through the trees. Well, what I found was unexpected and it was access to the river! The best access point is just where the fence ends (see pic I purposely took of the trees to show where this is). There is an obvious path down to the water and a nice area for standing down there to watch your doggie delight in the cool water, especially on a hot day. It wasn't that hot on this day, so George was only keen to do a bit of a paddle. Note that access to the water is off limits as you head further along the tree line (towards the school the park backs onto) as the bank is too high to get down.
Karo Park was definitely a pleasant surprise and a great option for a road trip where a stretch of the legs is required.
Location: Karo Street, Inglewood.
Plenty of parking options here.
Things to know:
There are no public toilets here
This is a sports ground so be mindful of game days
Entrance gates are locked - see pic for times. You can park on the street and walk in rather than driving after these hours.