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After years of planning delays partial openings, the Inner West's GreenWay finally opens in full this Sunday. Here’s your guide to exploring the full 6km route this weekend – whether you've got 30 minutes, a whole morning or a pack of kids on scooters.
Illustration Credit: Inner West Council
A New Way to Move Through the Inner West
Anyone who’s tried getting from the Cooks River to Iron Cove knows the struggle: disconnected paths, awkward crossings and no clear way through. From Sunday 14 December, that all changes.
The GreenWay is a 6km environmental walking and cycling corridor linking the Cooks River at Earlwood with the Parramatta River at Iron Cove and the Bay Run. It mostly follows the Inner West Light Rail and Hawthorne Canal, threading through Dulwich Hill, Lewisham, Summer Hill, Haberfield and Lilyfield.
New tunnels and underpasses under roads like Parramatta Road and Old Canterbury Road mean you can now move between the two waterways almost entirely off-road – on a sealed, shared path that's pram-friendly and bike-friendly the whole way.
Opening Day at Johnson Park
To celebrate, Inner West Council is throwing a free community event at Johnson Park, Dulwich Hill from 10am – 1pm on Sunday. The free celebrations include:
Live entertainment and family-friendly games
Workshops and activities
Food and a ribbon-cutting
Self-guided tours along the GreenWay
You can meet some of the artists whose work now lines the corridor
The park sits right on the GreenWay beside Constitution Road and Dulwich Hill Light Rail. The event is mobility accessible and welcomes service animals, so it's an easy one for prams, wheelchairs and anyone who just wants a gentle wander to see what's new.
Short on Time? Try a 30-45 Minute Taster.
If you’re short on time, start at the busiest section.
Dulwich Hill sampler: Hop off at Dulwich Hill Light Rail, walk or ride through Johnson Park and along the new path to Lewisham West. Check out the new tunnel under Old Canterbury Road and the public artwork by James Gulliver Hancock in the Mills Precinct. Turn around when you hit Summer Hill, or loop back via local streets and grab a coffee in Dulwich Hill village.
It’s a quick way to sample the new tunnels and artworks without committing to the full 6km.
Got a Morning? Do a 1-2 Hour Route
With 1–2 hours, you can comfortably tackle half the route with plenty of stops.
Iron Cove to Summer Hill: Start at the Bay Run near Iron Cove and follow the GreenWay signs into Richard Murden Reserve and along Hawthorne Canal. It's a nice waterside path with ovals, playgrounds and shady trees.
Continue past Marion Street and dip through the new Parramatta Road tunnel into Gadigal Reserve, where you'll find two of the standout new artworks – a sculptural "earth core" by Benjamin Muir and an interactive nature-play sculpture by Jasmine Sarin and Jane Cavanough that doubles as a kids' climbing space.
Finish with coffee or lunch in Summer Hill, then jump on the light rail to head home.
Ready for the Full 6km?
If you've got 2–3 hours, go end-to-end.
Start at the Cooks River end near Earlwood and follow the GreenWay north. You'll pass:
Quiet residential streets and links near the golf course
New parkland and artworks around Hercules Street and Jack Shanahan Reserve
The big cluster of parks and playgrounds in Dulwich Hill – including the beloved heritage play rocket in Johnson Park
The off-leash dog park and rail heritage around Lewisham West
Bushy sections and public art through Gadigal Reserve
Canal-side parklands at Hawthorne Canal before you roll out onto the Bay Run
On a bike, the full route takes about 25 minutes to ride. Walking, it's roughly 75 minutes, but add extra time for playgrounds, photos and snack breaks. The volunteer walking group Sydney Day Walks clocks it at 2 hours 15 minutes excluding breaks.
Public Art to Hunt Along the Way
The GreenWay Public Art program has added eight new works across the corridor. A few to put on your list:
Gadigal Reserve (Summer Hill) – Benjamin Muir's sedimentary rock-inspired sculpture and Jasmine Sarin & Jane Cavanough's Glossy Black Cockatoo interactive playspace
Lewisham West – James Gulliver Hancock's work near the light rail station
Davis Street Tunnel – Dr Floria Tosca's immersive tunnel artwork
Johnson Park – Carla Gottgens' piece alongside the iconic rocket
Constitution Road Tunnel – OxKing's bold tunnel work
Hercules Street parklands – Two artworks by Mark O'Ryan and James Voller
Council's GreenWay map shows exactly where each work sits, so you can turn your walk or ride into a treasure hunt.
Illustration Credit: Inner West Council
Coffee, Playgrounds and Practical Stuff
Where to Begin:
Lilyfield / Iron Cove – for canal views and an easy connection to the Bay Run
Johnson Park – central location, with toilets and playgrounds
Earlwood / Cooks River – to link straight onto the Cooks River path
Playgrounds & green pockets: You'll find equipment and open lawns at Richard Murden Reserve, Hawthorne Reserve, Gadigal Reserve (the nature play sculpture), Johnson Park (the old rocket), Hoskins Park, Laxton Reserve and Arlington Oval, plus the new off-leash dog park at Lewisham West.
How to get there:
Light rail: L1 runs the length of the corridor with stops at Lilyfield, Hawthorne, Taverners Hill, Lewisham West and Dulwich Hill
Train: Dulwich Hill station (T3 Bankstown Line) connects to the southern end; the Sydney Metro extension is expected to meet the GreenWay by the end of 2026
Car: Limited street parking at James St Lilyfield, around Marion Street in Leichhardt, near Johnson Park and Keith St Dulwich Hill
Why the GreenWay Is a Big Deal for the Inner West
The GreenWay has been talked about for almost two decades. According to reporting by the Guardian, environmental consultant Bruce Ashley first sketched out the concept in the mid-1990s after exploring around Parramatta Road and realising you could link the Cooks River to Iron Cove by stitching together bits of path, creekline and the old goods line corridor.
Local environment and cycling groups including the Inner West Environment Group and Cooks River Mudcrabs spent years regenerating bush along the route and advocating for the full corridor. The Greater Sydney Commission identified the GreenWay as the number one priority "green grid" project in the Eastern Sydney District Plan back in 2018.
Today it's:
A safe, car-free route for walking, riding, scooting and pram-pushing
A way to move between schools, parks, shops and stations without hopping in the car
A biodiversity corridor, linking bushcare sites, wetlands and canopy plantings between two major waterways
It’s one of the few places in Sydney where Aboriginal, industrial and community histories overlap in a single walk.
The corridor runs across Gadigal and Wangal Country, with parts also known as Djarrawunang (Magpie). Long Cove Creek (now Hawthorne Canal) sat on the boundary between Gadigal and Wangal Country. The waterways were abundant with oysters and fresh water for tens of thousands of years.
The bushcare, planting and fine-tuning will keep going for years – but from Sunday, the path is finally yours to explore.
Key Details:
Event: GreenWay Official Opening
When: Sunday 14 December 2025, 10am – 1pm
Where: Johnson Park, Constitution Road, Dulwich Hill
Cost: Free
Accessibility: Mobility accessible; service animals welcome
Route length: ~6km between Cooks River (Earlwood) and Iron Cove / Bay Run
For more information visit the Inner West Council Website.
