Located about 5km from Hornsby or 25km from Sydney, this has got to be one of the best National…read moreParks on offer. There is not much that you can not do here no matter your interest. If you are after camping, picnic areas, hiking, bike riding, BBQ areas, canoeing, fishing, swimming, or even boating/sailing, then this is the place for you to head to when you get a spare day. I say day as to make the trip here worthwhile, that is about how much time it will require. Besides that, as entry to the park is not free, if you are after your money's worth, you should try and stick around a bit. While the obvious fee is the $11/car ticket machines you see everywhere, the website goes into a little bit more detail. While I have not yet had to pay anything more than the $11 before, the details of potential other charges from the website include: Daily entry fees: if you're arriving by bus or car and walking or cycling to The Basin you'll need to pay daily entry fees of $4 adults, $2 children (pre-booked groups) or $4.40 adults, $2.20 children (groups without a booking); there is no daily entry fee for teachers/educational supervisors (1 adult per 10 children). Also, while I added an approximate opening and closing time for the gates to Yelp, different gates have different opening and closing times depending on the time of year. Thus... Gates to Bobbin Head and Appletree Bay are closed from 8pm to 6am during daylight savings periods, and 5.30pm to 6am at other times of the year. Gates to West Head are closed from 8.30pm to 6am during daylight savings periods, and 6pm to 6am at other times of the year. In this park, vehicle entry fees are $11 per vehicle per day. Be sure to check this park out if you have the chance as it really is stunning. Best of all, the Bobbin Inn actually has half decent coffee and breaky on offer (review http://frid.co/smNIYr ) so you might want to start your day there... :-)

Extending from Collaroy beach pool south to Long Reef life saving club, the aquatic reserve is a…read moredesignated protected habitat for sea life, which thrives on the rocky platform that borders the Long Reef headland. Exploring the platform at low tide is a simple and interesting diversion for kids. Park near the golf club, either in the paid foreshore carpark or in the neighbouring streets, and make your way on foot along the beach to reach the rocks. Signage explains the wildlife and plantlife you are likely to see. A path climbs up from the outer point to to top of the headland, where you get a different perspective on the geography of the site, and one of the best views in Sydney stretching from the city skyline all the way north to Barrenjoey Head. The Park is a haven for fish, and whilst it is illegal - and highly penalised - to interfere with shorelife, individuals can fish for fin-fish off shore with lines or spears. An historic fisherman's hut is maintained on the northern side of the headland, dedicated to recreational fisherman. Convenient sinks with running water are provided for the successful to gut and clean their haul, with an enthusiastic bunch of pelicans and seagulls on-hand to enjoy the spoils.

First time visitor to this awesome place where we decided to catchup over a bbq with friends…read more Access is by boat, ferry or water taxi. Unsure if you can drive here as I didn't see any cars. What struck me immediately is the local swamp wallabies that coexist with the visitors and rangers. Sightings on the day included kookaburras, various birds and reptiles. It is the only place in the Ku-ring-gai Chase where you can camp. Being part of a national park, ongoing conservation and preservation is by way of entrance fees ($3 per head), which is separate to camping fees. Restrictions applies to this beautiful place i.e. fires. The campsite is well maintained and very clean. Plenty of hiking opportunities for those who are keen as it is surrounded by hills and mountains There is a body of water that is safe for some water sports. Bbq facilities is also available which we took advantage of. Beechwood Cottage is a historical property which is available to hire for functions and events. This place is great if you want to get away for the weekends with or without the kids. It overlooks Pittwater and is just a beautiful place to hang and chill.

This is a great beach and camping area, with mountains all around. Access is by boat or trails…read more No vehicles allowed. It's not a pristine sand beach, more like sand based mud, but has nice calm clear water on the back harbour side. The place has lots of space to picnic and relax. Everything is clean. And the kids get to run after the wallaby(ies) when they hop by. We went in by boat, which is a great way to arrive. There are lots of tent campers, most of which seemed to arrive and bring their gear in by boat. Several ferries service the area.

Honestly, I really only touched a small part of this park, but I have to admit that it is pretty…read morebig. In fact there are multiple ways to get into the park, including by boat, though that involves you taking a bus all the way to the top of the Northern Beaches (though you can also get a boat from the Central Coast). It's a pretty awesome place to hike, and there are some amazing views as well. Oh, and if you are wealthy enough, there are even houses on the coast that you can pretty much only get to by boat as well.

Who knew that there was a dam in Manly, let alone one in which you can swim with ducks and swans!…read moreThis gorgeous spot has pretty much everything you want in a bushwalking spot - walking tracks, picnic areas, wood fired BBQ pits, play equipment, swimming, a waterfall... there's even what looks like a water ski jump ramp in the middle of the lake! Stay late enough and you might get some furry visitors, particularly if you have food out. We had to chase away a greedy possum, but were also lucky enough to see a heavily pregnant bilby! If you ever visit do go for a swim. The water's gorgeous and you might even find an orange frisbee at the bottom of the lake, lost during what seemed like a genius idea of playing water frisbee. Who knew that frisbees didn't float! Let me know if you find it, yeah?

Build a viewing tower!…read more Hello .... did you hear me? BUILD A VIEWING TOWER This lovely bushland walk in the hills above Manly has so much potential. It's a circuit walk of just under 7.5km, accessible from various points but most commonly reached from the park near the dam wall off King Street. You can complete the circuit in either direction, following red arrows that keep you on track. Be warned that these are a little intermittent and there are cross paths that share access with various mountain bike routes of the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park, but if you keep the dam consistently on one side of you, you can't go far wrong. It's certainly a blessing to be able to feel this far from civilisation so close to the city. The track is unsealed and you do not come across buildings, roads or cars for its entire length. It is just such a shame that there is no point at which you are high enough or sufficiently clear of the tree-tops to see the view across the dam and down to the coast, which I am sure would be magnificent. An aesthetically thought-through viewing tower would add a great deal to an already pleasant outing. At the park near the dam there are picnic facilities, toilet blocks and barbecue pits that can be booked through the council. It is possible to swim in the dam, and it is used by kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders and so on. I would hate to be unlucky enough to land there on a day that the ski jump was in use though - the power boat noise would be ruinous.

This is one of a few boatsheds that enable you to have a boating trip in nature, while you're still…read morein the city! Lane Cove has some gorgeous mansions each with their own boatshed and lush front gardens you can peak at from your hired vessel. Take care though-the river has its sharks and stingers :)

A very safe place to try out Kayaking is at Lane Cove National Park as the river is very calm and…read morestill. It is a hidden gem in the inner west. The water is generally easy to row in and there are only a few people kayaking. The Boatshed is a blessing to the park. It offers Kayaks, Canoes and Paddle boats to explore the water. You can hire in half hour blocks or for the whole day. The kayaks are in very good condition and the compulsory life vests come in a range of sizes. I came back earlier than my scheduled time and was offered a Bike ride for the remaining 15 mins. That gesture offered by the owner has made this a 5 star review. I realised my love for mountain biking again and the road to ride on is not too bad.. Quite a fun day. Oh, the boat shed also sells ice-creams and crisps and non-alcoholic beverages. Not to much variety, but enough to keep you refreshed if you forgot to pack your picnic basket.

The Collaroy Curse has been what we've called it forever - a reference to the absurd amount of…read moreseaweed that turns up on Collaroy at the whim of Mother Nature. Seaweed isn't Collaroy's only problem - erosion is an absolute disaster here, creating artificial mountains on the edge of valleys where sand should be. But Warringah's northernmost beach is still beautiful; it's still a beach patrolled by life savers and guards; it's still a great spot for a swim, surf or sunbake; it's still got a beautiful ocean pool. And it's still a wonderful place to go for a walk or jog if you're feeling fit - you can walk the entire 3.2 kilmetres to Narrabeen if you so desire! Conveniently located shops, a carpark for those willing to pay or blessed with a sticker and a nearby enclosed park, Collaroy makes a good beach for anyone - provided no seaweed floats in!

Collaroy is Sydney's second longest beach which runs for 3.2km south from 20m high Narrabeen Head…read morein a long arc to the rocks and low cliff at Collaroy Baths. The beach has two names, Narrabeen in the north and Collaroy in the south. The beach faces the east and receives increasing protection to the south from Long Reef which protrudes 2km out to sea. This beach holds memories for me being the first time I was caught in a rip. As a teenager I learnt how valuable those school swimming lessons are also learnt years later after my experience Collaroy holds about 17 rips on average in a continous bar. Even with lessons Im not a strong swimmer so this beach is etched in my memory. It has four surf clubs along this stretch and the waves are of more depth at the Narrabeen end of the beach. It still is in my opinion the most breathtaking when it comes to length and on perfect days like today so mesmirising you can sit for hours.

Our original plan was to go to Bondi Beach but so many locals said Manly Beach was nicer so we…read moreheaded there. So easy to get to, we walked to the ferry from our hotel and got a direct boat to the Manly harbor. A couple of blocks walk and you are on the beach. The weather was not all that great for swimming so we watched the surfers for a bit then headed on the trail that takes you out to the North Head and Burragula lookout. The sights and paths along the way are beautiful. We saw an echidna moseying along the way which was cool.

With the construction from Sydney, the drive was less than ideal. Manly Beach was clean but not as…read morebeautiful as I thought it would. There are restrooms. Also in walking distance are numerous shops and restaurants.