Urbex, otherwise known as urban exploration, is the act of exploring abandoned urban environments.
Urbex is a wonderful hobby with so much to offer; imagine exploring abandoned houses, mental asylums, train stations, mansions, or even theme parks. It can be such an amazing adventure to look through the abandoned buildings of the past.
If you’re a NSW native and you’re looking for some urban exploration, there are a ton of really interesting and cool abandoned places in NSW, but most of these are located in Sydney.
I’ve done a little bit of Ubrex near me in Western Sydney, so I know the ropes so to speak. For any newcomers though, I’ve compiled a quick list of the best places to explore in Sydney; so without further ado here are my top 5 picks:
5. The Waterfall Sanatorium
Waterfall – 50 Minutes Drive From The Sydney CBD
Opened in the early 1900s, this Tuberculosis Clinic treated patients in Sydney suffering from debilitating tuberculosis. The old hospital is now covered in vines, trees and shrubs, and has been completely overrun by nature.
It looks like something straight out of a zombie movie; desolate, lonely, and eerily beautiful.
4. Mittagong Abandoned Brewery
Mittagong – 1hr 20m Drive From The Sydney CBD
The Mittagong Abandoned Brewery, otherwise known as Tooth & Co, was the home to one of Sydney’s most popular brewery factory throughout the 1900s.
It’s been 30 years since this place was abandoned, the building is a massive brick structure that is a pleasure to explore.
3. Rozelle Tram Depot
Rozelle – 8 Minutes Drive From The Sydney CBD
Any Sydney-sider knows that Sydney doesn’t do trams anymore—that’s Melbourne—we’re all train, bus, car, or bike. But that wasn’t always the case, trams used to be a viable part of Sydney public transport until 1961 when the last tram ran in Sydney.
This old tram depot is a blast of colour and steam-punk vibes, there’s something cool to pick up every few metres, it really is one of the coolest places to explore in Sydney.
2. Caringbah High School
Caringbah – 30 Minutes Drive From The Sydney CBD
Caringbah High School, coined the ‘The School’ by many urbex enthusiasts, is an abandoned high school 30 minutes from the Sydney CBD. In contrast with so many other abandoned places in Sydney, The School is a fairly new addition to the list, abandoned less than 9 years ago.
Having suffered major fire damage, the building is half burned down, with some areas only accessible to urbex explorers. Some rooms are highly dangerous and explorers are advised to exercise extreme caution!
The classrooms are still littered with old school supplies, including books, paper, headphones and spray cans.
It’s impossible not to admire the strange almost post-apocalyptic beauty of the building—and you’re sure to be flooded with childhood memories roaming the empty halls of this school.
1. Abandoned Water Tunnels
Location Unknown
I’ve left the most exciting and intriguing place for last. These abandoned water tunnels are a series of interconnected tunnels running underneath Sydney. The crazy part is the community of people that live WITHIN these tunnels.
You heard me right.
There’s a small community of people living within the old water drains, known as the Cave Clan. With the tunnels being almost completely dry, some people have even managed to hook up electricity to live comfortably deep underground.
Unfortunately, the exact location of these communities is unknown due to council legalities, but it’s fascinating to think of people living deep underneath the city.
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