Aqua Descent: Lugarno

This next suburb sounds fancy because it has an Italian-sounding name. Let's see if it's fancy for realsies. 

Lugarno

Getting into Lugarno involves taking a stroll across Gannons Park from Peakhurst Heights. 

The way in features this turtle, 

and ancient markings to the gods. 

Anyway, I begin Lugarno in this slice of suburbia, 

where I'm immediately obligated to go steeply uphill in order to get stuck into the suburb. 

Highlights include some kid's awesome private playground,

from where I had to continue my vertical ascent. 

This eventually led me to the main-ish road that runs through Lugarno, Forest Road. 

At first glance, Lugarno's fancy name didn't come to fruition, with perfectly fine but mostly modest homes up this way.

This one's front yard was under construction. 

This leads to the local shops, 

Which are about as local as any other local shops. 

Here, we have Häuß of Hound (accents added for style),

this pleasingly blue pool shop, 

and other more usual local services like a pharmacy and bakery. 

Oh, in case you're wondering about the bakery, they have the best cheese and bacon pies in the known universe, according to critic and scholar, E Rox.

Anyway, I continued on past the shops, 

turning into Blackbutt Ave (hehe). 

Now, Lugarno is on the Georges River, and according to the map I could avoid having to go all the way to the end of the suburb to get to the water if I headed down this way. 

This meant looking at this fox, 

archy house, 

and general Lugarno streetscape. 

Things here did start to get a bit more upmarket compared to previous streets, with the houses having lawns, 

and some of them even had a second story. 

Alright so it's not super swish, but it goes okay. 

Being that I previously had to contend with that steep descent, and I was trying to get to the water, it was only a matter of time before I had to start heading on downhill. 

Here, some gumnuts bonked me on the shoulder as I walked by, 

you can get married in a kombi,

and the houses did start getting bigger. 

The environment also got bushier, which is a good sign. 

On the right track. 

I headed deeper into Lugarno's nether regions, 

and the street soon turned into more of a path.

Sadly, my tactic to avoid having to go all the way to the end of the suburb turned out to be a scam, as these were the sorts of waterfront views I was able to enjoy from here. 

Ooh. 

Aah.

Beautiful. 

But it wasn't entirely a write off. For instance, there was a curly dog on this balcony, so that was something. 

Sadly, this meant my only option was to go back the way I came, 

uphill this time.

Surprisingly, although the way back was steep, it wasn't as difficult as I was expecting. 

Roofy.

As I got back to the main road, the bus out of Lugarno that I thought I'd missed immediately materialised and whisked me out of there.  

Lugarno: Don't bother trying to shortcut water access.