Travel Writing - Submitted for marking

Macquarie Fields, home of the 2005 summer riots, considered the worst suburb in Australia, but only by the people that have never been there, has a great history dating back to when Wally Melish blockaded his house and fought off the police. When you first drive into town you see the entire valley stretched out before you. Ignore the smell of sullage. You drive down into Glenquarie Shopping Centre. James Mehean High School is on the right, named after one of the local founders. Don’t be surprised if you mistake it for a prison. Take a left on to Rosewood and view the historic site where Jason Kelly crashed his car in a police chase beginning the 2005 riots. There is still a shrine marking the spot where he killed his two friends and ran away. Take Eucalyptus Drive from there. Not too far along is the hovel that Ray Martin stayed in to show everyone how compassionate he was toward the local population. A few doors down and you come to the house where the two freaks kept their daughter imprisoned for half her life; she is free now, but still can’t talk properly. Simmo’s Beach is the local swimming hole: don’t let the name fool you, it’s a river. Occasionally a body will float down stream, just swim around it. Simmo’s is part of the George’s River, a little way down river is the spot that an old lady drowned her five kids; rumour has it her ghost can still be heard there, cackling away. Go up stream to the quarry if you are the partying type. Almost every weekend there’s a drug party on there. Go early if you want the good stuff, the cops will not show up until about 11 pm. If you can’t make the party, look for sneakers hanging over power wires, there are some every few blocks marking each drug dealer’s territory. Up near Macquarie Fields Primary we have the local pools. They’re still proud of having a zero death toll. The power station next door is not so fortunate. Kids are often climbing the fence and getting shocked to death. It is an interesting town full of history. Although the places are not charted well, it’s not too hard to find them. Do drop in to this quaint little town, but don’t go in the summer time, the bush fires get quite close.