What a great little park…read more Firstly there is a sheltered kids playground which caters for all ages. Just next to that is a barbecue area complete with tables, benches and gas barbecue which is also covered. On the other side if the playground is a dog run. And what a dog run for pooch. The fenced outer circle is an obstacle course for Fido. The inner fence circle is a mini oval which is the off-leash area. All of this is next to the Woodside rugby and soccer oval. Whoever planned this deserves five stars!

Tucked away in a bend of Brisbane River is Colmslie Beach Reserve, aka the Octopus Garden Park…read more It's so much fun and has something for everyone. It's on the river, with a little sandy shore, so you can fish; there are quite a few picnic tables and barbecues (but get in early on weekends); there are wide open spaces for kicking a ball around and lots of shady trees to spread a picnic rug beneath. The funnest part, however is the kid's playground. The Octopus Garden has lots wood and rope climbing areas, big sandpit, water play features, giant colourful fish and octopus play areas and a flying fox. For kids and kids at heart, this place has a lovely vibe, with a backdrop of the river and the Gateway Bridge in the distance, Brisbane City Council's done a really good job here. Check it out.

The recent upgrading of this park makes it one of the best equipped of all the parks along the…read moreWynnum, Manly and Lota foreshore. It's right at the end of the Esplanade, so has a great view over the bay to Straddie and also around to Wellington Point. It has a huge new playground, with shadesails, slides, forts and timber walkways. It also has very nice new picnic tables and barbecues, accessible toilets, shared walkway/bikeway and a seperate area with fitness equipment for anyone keen to do some circuit training. Oh, and obviously these days you can't camp at all; this name is an historical reference to its turn of the century popularity as a holiday camping spot by the bay.

Nice place to spend the day. Was a small town, but now the houses have been turned into all manner…read moreof shops. You can browse through secondhand books, handmade crafts, an eclectic array of antiques, visit the local pub, even have a haircut or a henna tattoo. A few good places to eat too.

I recently took my son and daughter here for a 3rd birthday party and boy was I surprised at the…read moresize of the park. There were 2-3 separate areas with playgrounds for kids, all age appropriate and all catering to kids of all ages. There were at least 4-5 other birthday parties for kids happening here as well as ours and what a great place it was, there's lots of trees, shelter and barbeque spots, bins, toilets, a pretty good sized car park so it's easy access and mostly flat. Hardly any water. This is the perfect place to have a kids birthday party, where they can play close by and you don't have to worry about them. What a great discovery, i'll definetely be back here for a picnic or whatnot soon.

This park has childrens play equipment and million dollar views closely located pubs and shops,…read morebeautiful beaches and bike tracks.

This is my absolute favourite park in Brisbane. Shady trees provide hours of entertainment for…read morechildren and their monkey-childlike fathers as they run around playing games and seeing who can climb the highest. Situated next to a park with play equipment such as see-saw boards, swings, a train, climbing pirate ship complete with climbing rope net, fireman pole and slide, and so much more. Fully fenced with plenty of bench seats and covered seating areas for those who are past the climbing stage and inclination to swing around the play equipment like a three year old aka mums. You can stop in here for a quick play or a longer adventure, with the beach a stone's throw away. Not the best for building sand castles but all you need for a splash in the waves on a warm day. Being situated so close to the beach means on warm days, you barely notice it thanks to the constant cool ocean breeze. If you're coming in winter, bring your jacket and your beanie, that breeze has a bite. However, these aspects are not why this is MY favourite park. Sand and climbing trees are not enough to woo this caffeine lover over, despite happy girlies tuckered out after hours of play with me enjoying the blissful silence and peace that comes with happily entertained children. It is the fact that a walk over the road opens me up to a world of great coffee shops, sandwich 'bars', fish and chip shops and other similar take away options. It makes it a full day adventure for them, and me.

Such a fantastic playground in an ideal location in Broadbeach. Regular swings, a merry-go-round…read moreswing, super fun slides, sand pits, sway tables, imaginative play areas, little water components and lots of soft areas to run around and be a kid. Good shade, seating, good bathroom facilities, right by the beach and the Oasis Shopping Centre, not far from good coffee at No Name Lane and there's even street parking and a grilling area nearby. Heaven for a parent of kids under the age of 6 or 7. Very happy to have discovered this excellent free resource in Broadbeach.

I used to go to this park as a kid and it's just overwhelming how many things you can do there…read more Even to this day I go there all the time after the beach. The massive swing is wicked and there's massive slides with it. If your going to go have fun at a park and don't like crowds or having to pay then this is the best choice for all ages.

Damn, this is one fancy suburban park. They don't make parks like this on the south side. Since…read morebecoming a full time mummy, my sister has become an expert on Brisbane parks. She could tell you which park is suitable for different age group, which park has the cleanest BBQ areas or has the most shade or has easy parking or has the best slides. It's a real eye opener tagging along and watching how kids interact with the playground. Whoever designed the Hamilton playground has thought of everything. There are three different designated play areas. One area is clearly for toddlers because the steps are low enough for them to climb up and there are simple slides and seesaws low to the ground. There's an adventure style playground for the older kids (and short adults like me!) with a climbing net and flying foxes. What I was most impressed with was the miniature road set. My nephew was worried that it was a 'real road' and pronounced in a sing song voice that I should get off the road. Once I explained it was a 'pretend road', he happily raced around the track on a pretend motorbike breaking all the road rules but at least giving way to pedestrians. There's an off-leash dog area attached to the park. This looks like gambolling doggy fun with an obstacle course for the bigger dogs. And when you're tired of running around, pop across the road to Portside for a coffee and cake.

In my opinion, Newstead Park is the nicest Sunday afternoon hang out in Brisbane. Granted, it's not…read moreas huge as New Farm Park, but the benefits of this are that there's often more space and less crowds. And the trees are beautiful! A friend of mine celebrated their birthday in Newstead Park recently and it had been years since I'd hung out there. We had an afternoon full of food, friends and fun. There's an infectious relaxed vibe to the place and it's hard not to relax when watching the City Glider ride by on the river. Oh, the river! It looks so beautiful from the angle, especially on a beautiful day. It would be a beautiful place to host a wedding or any special occasion. Another friend of mine from overseas has fond memories of Newstead Park and maintains that some of his best times in Australia were simply spent taking a picnic there with some friends and kicking a football around for an afternoon. It proves that it's one of the best picnic spots in all of Brisbane.

This park is small but perfectly formed. The river curves beautifully around the manicured lawns…read moreand there's plenty of gorgeous old trees for shade. Kids can roll around and scream without bothering anyone, and adults can eat cheese and sip wine while enjoying a relaxing afternoon (what is it about the river that just instantly chills you out?) This is definitely a great picnic spot and although it is popular it never feels too crowded.