Your great great ancestors are probably laughing in their graves. Night Noodle Markets? Please. If we wanted to get a dumpling in true "street style" we'd pop down to John Street on a Sunday morning. Better yet, we'd pop over to our bà ngoại's and light fry some ourselves straight out of the industrial stash stored in the freezer. None of this waiting in line / having no seat / terrible lighting for Instagram photos business. It probably wouldn't cost you half an hour of your Christmas Casual pay check at McDonalds either. "but sera ples" u cri everytiem. "All of my Instagram followers think I'm a hardcore foodie which means I HAVE to be seen at Hyde Park for some damn #goodfoodmonth hashtagging." Well, hipster friend of mine, I tip my conical Vietnamese bamboo hat to you. Your perseverance for food and commitment to the arts has inspired me to write a post in dedication to said month of good food. 

Culinary Carnivale, Fairfield

Um. Hold up a second. Is that a seashell bra? Guys, it's a fucking seashell bra. It's things like this that just restore my faith in humanity. Western Sydney, you just get me. This girl is at a food festival and she's just like I know it's October and I'm in Western Sydney but I'm gonna wear a seashell bra because seashell bra. It's like all our Victoria's Secret, Little Mermaid, and food dreams all come true and at the same time. Aw yas.

Parklands Food Festival, Horsley Park

Ermigerd guise. My spidey senses are already tingling at this one. Think. Of. The. Photos. Think Of. The. Brokeh. I'm just done. I can't even right now. The white girl in me can't even deal with those circle lights in the background that are blurred and getting to me like the Gossip Girl opening sequence. And then the outdoor beach chairs. And then that tent that's all illuminating and glowing and just. My feels are going off guys. I mean while all my friends post a cliche photo of the lanterns at the Noodle Markets I'm just gonna rock up in all my Western Sydney glory with an outdoor barn that looks like it's glowing in the dark. Fml. Someone order me a pair of Hunters from the Iconic because I'm gonna check this location in as Glastonbury.

Indulge Food and Wine Festival, Penrith
Woah, woah, woah. Back up now. Is this real life? Have I just encountered a true dining experience out in the West? Once again Western Sydney proves to be just as on par with everyone else. Just like that quiet girl that everyone underestimated in high school who came out of nowhere and started succeeding in life post HSC, Western Sydney is your quiet over achiever. Don't underestimate us. This under appreciated side of town has so much more than you think. One day it'll even come and #stealyoman. Uh huh hunni.

Parramatta Lanes, Parramatta

And now you've reached this paragraph in disappointment knowing that it's already over for 2014. All that's ringing in your head is it's too late (to apologise). And before we get any "wow everyone knew about Parramatta lanes and now the West Things team are covering it. They're supposed to have their head in the game", no we did not not know about Parramatta Lanes. We may or may not have just procrastinated through the last week of blog posts and left the "Parramatta Lanes" blog post sit to rot in our drafts pile until we had to convert it into something else because it expired in newsworthiness. But in true Western Sydney style when things are old, we're gonna bring it up anyway. ust like every Bulldogs supporter does when they're reminded of the grand final they didn't win in 2014. Oops did I just politically align myself. Oh man, preparing for the onset of rioting that's going to happen on this page. Brb moving to inland China and erasing my identity. 

Images sourced from: Discover Parramatta, Fairfield City Council, Western Sydney Parklands

The fascination of flying is one I’m sure has crossed your minds. Ever since you were young, you've watched cartoon superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, or even the Powerpuff Girls, soaring over the clouds, fighting evil & saving the lives of innocent civilians from above. Admit it, we all know you’ve secretly pictured yourself flying over greater Western Sydney in your dashing superhero costume and accompanying cape, bringing justice to the world whether it's saving a tiny kitty in a tree, or breaking up a fight at Centrelink, Mt. Druitt.

Unfortunately, this post isn't a a reveal of a top secret recipe that'll transform you into the next Blossom, Bubbles or Buttercup. Contrary to popular belief, we at WestThings HQ don’t actually have an underground laboratory where we mix superhuman concoctions out of sugar and spice and everything nice. And no, there’s no purple beaker containing chemical X, that’ll help you majestically gain the power of flight. I heard if you drink red bull though, it'll give you wings? Lol, but what us WestThings crew do know, is a place where we can go when we want to feel how it is to fly with zero gravity beneath us. A place where we’re not spiralling from the Earth’s stratosphere, but instead, soaring like masters of the sky.

iFly downunder. Indoor skydiving.

This place in Penrith is for all of those (like us) that live for the thrill and exhilaration of skydiving, but are too pussy to step out of a plane 14,000 feet above the Earth. It’s for all those adrenaline junkies out there that fear the failing parachute, and want that comfortability of safety attached to their lives. It’s for (according to their website), children as young as 3 to your great, great-grand parents of 103. So take a step into one of the world’s largest glass flight chambers where massive wind generators lift you effortlessly into flight on a cushion of air. And for a moment of heavenly, weightless, bliss, feel like you’re a superhero, higher than everything beneath you.

Images, Gif and Video sourced from: iFly Downunder Penrith, iFly YouTube Channel, Giphy, 

Brunch. It ain’t quite breakfast, and it ain’t quite lunch…

... But according to urbandictionary.com, It’s reserved for the pretentious that sip tea and have jam? LOL please. It’s universally known that brunch is the perfect 11am cure for that hangover you’re battling from getting crunk on a Friday night. It’s the morning therapy session with your closest friends to rehash some of those (un)fortunate events from the night before (including that questionable hook-up). And us non-pretentious asses aren’t about to travel to Surry hills or Newtown just for bacon and eggs and a cappuccino that’d probably cost 3x the amount it’d normally cost if we ate local!

The Western subs are definitely stepping it up in the fancy brunch department, from the beautiful, Café Harvest in Bonnyrigg, our own "Grounds of Alexandria," to Café Lattetude in Penrith, that possibly do the biggest "big breakfast" in the West. There are some mouth-wateringly, amazing brunch spots that'll convince you this in-between space between breakfast and lunch, is your new favourite part of the day! And most of these places are affordable, local cafés & small restaurants that don't overcharge for a perfectly poached egg. 

Best thing about brunch is you don’t have to decide between sweet and savoury. Want eggs? Get a pancake on the side. Have your heart set on waffles? Add some bacon, baby! No matter how late you hit the sheets last night, or how absolutely turnt you got, rest easy. You haven’t wasted your day because these Western Sydney brunch restaurants and café’s will still be there when you wake up :-)

Circa Espresso, Parramatta

Café Mambo, Giraween

Café Harvest, Bonnyrigg

The Blend, Toongabbie

Paper Planes, Parramatta

Big Tree House, Rydalmere

Café Lattetude, Penrith

Cassandra's on Queen, St Mary's

Baron Café, Castle Hills

Images and Gifs sourced from: Circa Espresso, Café Mambo, Café Harvest, The Blend, Paper Planes, Big Tree House, Café Lattetude, Cassandra's on Queen, Baron Café, Huffington Post

Now that there's finally some sunshine and sunlight over in Sydney (meaning it's safer to come out of your securely locked Western Sydney homes fellow West Things readers), it's the perfect time of the year to spend your days marvelling at the single most best thing in life: food. Perhaps you'll even spend said marvelling time alongside the second most best thing in your life: the bae (and for all you hashtag single life readers that might be a bacon and egg roll at a good market).

But Sarah, I hear you cry, the trek to Marrickville Organic Markets or Everleigh Farmers Markets is far too great and I'm not about that life. I get it guys. I get that Sydney trains dealt you all a bad card and scheduled track work on the Western Line again. That's why the West Things team have put together our pick of some of Sydney's finest food and produce markets out here in Western Sydney. Tables stacked with loaves of bread. Baskets brimming with the finest fruit and vegetables. Barbecues sizzling with street food. It's an Instagraming whore's dream come true and we've put it all in the one location for you - check it out below!

Blackheath Growers Market
Where: Blackheath Community Centre, Corner of Great Western Highway and Gardiner Crescent, Blackheath
When: Second Sunday of each month, 8am - 12pm

Fairfield Market
Where: Fairfield Showground, Smithfield Road, Prairiewood
When: Every Saturday 9am - 4pm

Liverpool Night Markets
Where: Macquarie Street Mall, Liverpool
When: First Saturday of each month, 4pm - 9pm

Warwick Farm Trackside Market
Where: Warwick Farm Racetrack, Warwick Farm
When: Every Saturday, 8am - 12pm

Blacktown Markets
Where: Blacktown Drive In Theatre, Cricketers Arms Road, Prospect
When: Every Sunday, 7am - 2pm

Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers and Fine Food Market, Penrith
Where: Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith
When: First Saturday of each month, 8am - 1pm

 Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers and Fine Food Market, Castle Hill
Where: Castle Hill Showground, Castle Hill
When: Second and fourth Saturday of each month, 8am - 1pm

Parramatta Farmers Markets
When: Church Street Mall, Parramatta
When: Every Friday, 7:30am - 2:30pm

Images sourced from: Blacktown Markets, Fairfield Showground, Hawkesbury Harvest, Hawkesbury Harvest, Liverpool City Council, Parramatta City Council, Queenie and the Dew, Weekend Notes.

Unless you’re a retired, rolex-wearing, $1000-wine-sipping, rich dude who spends luxurious weekends away at the pretentious NSW Golf Club, golfing probably isn’t one of those spur-of-the-moment activities that you simply take up, and start playing like a pro. And I know what you’re thinking – When I was 12 years old I was totally the minigolf champ at my local put-put course…

Well sorry to pop your put-put pride, but almost everyone was a minigolf champ at some stage (I mean how hard is minigolf…). But golf golf – you gotta be realistic. First you’ve got to pay just to step on the field, then you’ve got to buy a plethora of balls (because let’s be real, you’re going to lose the first few hundred hitting it out somewhere into the woods), you gotta hire one of those mini-car things to drive to where the ball is, and have I mentioned the cost of just buying a golf club alone?! And now, broke, and so fed up with trying to “hit it on the green,” you probably don’t even wanna play anymore… 

Next best thing perhaps? We propose... AQUAGOLF

I know… It sounds totally weird (it’s totally a #westthing), but Penrith’s Aquagolf lets you experience the essence of golf without having to pay the equivalent of last years total rent! Conveniently located next to Penrith RSL, Aquagolf is an awesome place where you get your own individual putting cubicle, a bucket of balls, and a rented golf club.

None of this struggle to make it to the green - swing away into the literal sea that’s in front of you, and if you hit one of the bobbing targets, you win an awesome prize such as, more balls! Also, if you weren’t a minigolf champ when you were young (like me), you won’t have to worry about playing like a pro or anything, because Aquagolf is all about going at your own pace and most importantly, having fun! Save yourself the obvious embarrassment!

Aquagolf is open at everyday of the week from 8am-midnight, and you don’t need to be rich, experienced, or be of a minimum age of 50 to play! Come and give it a swing, or visit the website for more information!

Images sourced from: BrendaJohnston, Giphy