A wonderful hidden little strip of nature. A wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of…read moresuburbia, parks like this are largely underappreciated. Brought the wife and kids down here a couple months ago for some live jazz, and whenever we visit friends nearby we picnic with their family here too. Today I brought my laptop and got some work done in the shade, listening to the water fowl play, and the other murmurings of a park. A pleasant reminder that I should share my love of this special place with my fellow suburbanites. Pros: Proximity to life, great walks around the lake, wildlife, great for sunset/sunrise walks. Cons: No Swimming thanks to pollution.

It is amazing how Melbourne's suburbia hides away little pockets of nature. You can be driving…read morealong with the trees on the nature strip and eventually you realise the houses themselves are gone, replaced by the sprawling expanse of a sanctuary. Blackburn Lake Sanctuary is on of these many magical places. Tucked in from the train line and busier surrounding roads, it is near a number of schools, so it's no surprise their field trips will include walking through the park and looking for wildlife. With open park area and play ground for kids, there is perfect space for picnics and events. Community music events - like a jazz festival in February - will often set up shop here for people to attend and listen for free. And after you've stuffed yourself with nonna's best home cooking and cleaned up the paper plates, what better way to burn it all off than with a walk around the lake itself. Not so big that the whole family couldn't do it, there are several smaller paths leading to different places outside the realms of the park. One school actually backs on it, as does a nearby church. All manner of wildlife can be found - ducks, birds, even a fox once or twice. Don't swim - apparently in the 50s they used to, but sadly water pollution has turned that idea quite sour. However, sitting by the water and watching life go by has never looked better.

Wow. This park looks like it is out of a fairytale. Rolling green grass spreads in every direction…read moreand the park seems to go on forever. There is an undercover outdoor eating area with a BBQ provided. This is enclosed by hedges and trees making it quite a nice private little section. There are two tables with long bench seats too. The park also has public toilets that are extremely clean. This is perhaps because this park is not ridiculously well known - in fact most people driving down High Street Road have no idea it is there. There is a pond in the middle that is full of lily pads and reeds. The water itself looked putrid. What was disappointing was that the pond itself is completely fenced off to the public. Two seats have been placed to 'overlook' the pond but all you can see is the fence when you sit down so they are a bit silly.

The address notes one entrance for Gardiner's Creek. In reality, the path stretches a long way,…read morefrom a start near St Kevin's school all the way to Blackburn (a sort of north east trajectory). It's great to jog along, as the path is almost entirely shaded. Sometimes you'll be running with only a tiny distance between you and the houses around you, but sometimes it'll be great expanses of greenery. One could use the word "lush" accurately here. I walk the particular stretch noted with my dog. It's a good distance for a walk, covering about a kilometre an a half, with a convenient bin along the way to drop the, um, rubbish. Look out for cyclists, there are a lot of them.

This is a lovely large and picturesque off leash dog park featuring an under cover BBQ area,…read moretoilet, dog water bowls, bush walks in every direction including one to nearby Jells Park. Amazing bird life, as well as frogs, lizards, turtles. Plenty of parking. BYO poo bags and there's no rubbish bins. It's kept well maintained and mowed. Not fully fenced but enough natural boundaries to keep dogs in the main areas.

On the map it looks like a small little trail, shoved and forgotten between suburban streets. I…read morewouldn't be surprised if people expected a little patch of grass with some houses on the side. You're in for a treat if you go. Yes, it is small. One can walk end to end in about 20 minutes. And yes, it is used primarily as a jogging track or for walking one's dog. Who cares, though, when just around a corner is a little slice of bushwalking? It's tranquil, green, there's a creek, there are ducks, there's even a bench or two to sit and think about life.

These gardens were absolutely gorgeous. Personally, I just saw a green patch on my map application…read moreand decided to check it out, and while they were doing some work on parts of it, by the most part it was lovely. It has some gorgeous flower beds, and in normal times it would be a lovely place to spend some time, especially during one of the nice summer days. Like a lot of these gardens there is also a rotunda. Oh, and it isn't too far from some nice coffee shops either.

Mahoneys Reserve in Forest Hill is HUGE. When I say huge I don't just mean HUGE, I mean MEGA HUGE…read more Read on and you will totally agree with me! Reasons to validate not only how HUGE this place is, but also how damn good it is: 1.This place has two general grassy areas surrounded by trees. These are wicked picnic spots with fluffy, comfy grass to lounge on. There are plenty of shaded areas as well as sunny spots. 2. It is right next to the Bob Saker Oval, which has a fence and is great for allowing your furry friend to run around without fearing that he/she might run away. Make sure to clean up after them though as this is used for sport regularly. 3. There is a massive multi-purpose field with goals and line markings used by various clubs. This is fenced off however so you will have to join a club to utilise this. 4. There is a large, un-fenced soccer field complete with goals at one end. This is a little shabbier than the oval with the fence, but at least it's free right? 5. There is a decent sized kids playground behind the oval. It is great for kids, or for getting a good view of the footy games played on weekends. 6. There is a heap of parking spots. 7. There are batting cages around the back of the clubhouse. (Did I mention there was a clubhouse?) 8. The Clubhouse is available for hire. Seriously guys, Mahoneys Reserve is the place to be if you are into sport. It totally rocks and is awesome to relax at on a sunny day.

There are some great places to play hide n seek with little ones, a cafe and a skate park to burn…read moresome energy off. This fort built play area will give hours of enjoyment and with toilets, shade, swings and climbing equipment for all ages there is plenty to do. Enjoy.

Sometimes I wish I had kids, just so that I could have an excuse to spend hours at playgrounds like…read morethis. Then I remember that it's a free world and disapproving looks from the more mature members of the grown-up community does not prevent me from having a jolly good time on what has to be one of the most fantastic playgrounds in suburbia. It has everything. Everything. Wobbly things, running things, things to stick your head into and get it stuck, swings, slides, bridges, flying foxes and other general obstacles. I can only imagine how brilliant a game of tiggy would be (but at night, so as not to injure small bodies with my own lumbering clumsy one). Built by a team of parents, friends and workers, this playground is a wonderful gift to children, child-minders and child-minded alike. A great way to spend an afternoon in the sun, or even the gloom.

King Parade Playground has recently been re-vamped and all the equipment is brand new. It is a…read moremodest playground but it has plenty of grassy areas surrounding it and is great for kicking a ball around or any game requiring serious room. It borders both King Parade and Norma Crescent South in Knoxfield, as it is located on empty blocks of land on a suburban street. It also acts as a useful cut through between these streets- well, for me anyway. Small green plants and large rocks line the footpath on either end of the park - kids seem to enjoy jumping from rock to rock. I have never seen the park particularly busy which is always a nice thing - it means you don't ever really have to wait for someone else to finish with a piece of equipment. It has two swings - one baby and one adult size. There are also two wooden park benches to sit on that face the playground. These are perfectly placed for any adults supervising their kids. When it rains the park gets really muddy and slushy. You will get mud splashes on your clothes if you walk across it when it is like this, so if you're using it as a cut through only I would definitely avoid using it on wet days. Otherwise it is a pretty good playground and park. I happily recommend it.