Enmore Park is a lovely space to come for a bit of chill-out time. Whether you want to find a quiet…read morespot under a tree to read a book, or you're bringing family and friends for a picnic, there's enough space and lush green grass for the entire neighbourhood. It's also super flat, so you'll often see kids learning to ride bikes along the paths or running amuck in the playground. (Must admit, I was tempted to join in.) A big drawcard is the Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, which has had a reno and now offers an eight-lane 50-metre pool and a mini pool for toddlers. There's also a café and a gym in the complex. The park sits close to the border of Enmore and Marrickville. There's usually parking available around the outskirts of the park or there's a bus stop directly out the front. If you need a bit of replenishment, stop by the café, head across the road to Serendipity ice-cream or take a stroll to the pub Vic on the Park.

do appreciate these green spaces in the middle of the urban sprawl that happens to be inner Sydney,…read moreespecially when they have facilities like this one. In fact, there is a fairly modern indoor swimming centre here, which is pretty awesome, and the park itself is quite nice as well. There are also some nice places around it, included what appears to be a really cool pub.

Gladstone Park is a beautiful place to lie in the sun or sit in the shade of their big, beautiful…read moretrees. Situated opposite The Little Marionette, a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop off Darling St in Balmain, Gladstone Park is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee/bite to eat without having to sit in a noisy or cramped cafe. Across the road on Darling St you'll also find a pizza shop, a Thai restaurant and a Vietnamese restaurant, making it the perfect location for early dinner picnics too. What's more, the Park's location opposite the Balmain Hospital makes it a nice escape from the hospital walls (this is coming from someone who hates hospitals, so having a park directly across the road is perfect for me). The Gladstone Park Bowling Club shares the park's turf, and the neighbouring primary school seems to also, making it less of a peaceful escape around lunch time. Often filled with Mum's Clubs and lunching locals, Gladstone Park provides a giant green and grassy mattress/lounge chair, ideal for sun soaking and coffee sipping. NB: Dogs on-leash only.

Gladstone Park sits atop an old reservoir. Once upon a time developers wanted to turn the reservoir…read moreinto an underground parking lot, which might have made this park less enjoyable ... but so this has not happened. This is a good flat park, with a nice mix of big trees for shade. There are the obligatory palm trees too, now getting very old and rather tall. There's an old basketball court, some rudimentary looking play equipment, and a few old brick relics. Gladstone Park is adjacent to Balmain Primary. The Park also has its very own bowling club (Gladstone Park Bowling Club) right in the middle of it. That effectively means you can be inside Gladstone Park, drinking a cold schooner, watching the old folks in their whites. Not bad. These days Gladstone Park is looking a tad dry and brown (but then again, so is everywhere). They have recently added an accessible ramp on the Darling Street side (for a long time this park was inaccessible from most sides, so this was long overdue). Gladstone Park gives you a feeling of being up high, elevated off the main drag of Darling Street. It's not super lush, but it has a great community vibe. One drawback, as Rachel said - it's on-leash only, which sucks, if you're a dog. (So - not a great dog park.)

This place is massive. By massive I mean 55 hectares. There is so much stuff here it is worth…read morechecking out their brochure/map (pdf) http://frid.co/qFdcqE I have only been here a few times, and that was for the Hornsby Bushland Shire Festival which is on once a year around September. It is always a crowd pleaser. Heaps of food stalls, arts and craft, and shows for the kids makes the day pass pretty quick. This year my boys enjoyed the Sponge Bob Square Pants show the best. While the $5 entrance fee (per car) on the day of the festival is a donation, I believe on any other day the park entrance will still cost you $5. Though for a picnic area this huge, with ponds and bridges, play areas and sand pits, gardens and paths... you will not lack for things to check out. It even has BBQ facilities. You might even want to bring along the push bikes for the kids and let them ride around. Certainly worth checking out if you are in the area.

A top location to take the family for a BBQ, picnic or just a stroll with the kids. There are a few…read moreparks scattered across this large well maintained park and also some nice lakes to feed the ducks. For those in need of a coffee there is also the opportunity to grab one at the cafe near the main park!

Pass through famous Cronulla and head north on a road that appears first to take you to an…read moreindustrial estate then a wasteland, and you come to Kurnell, a surprising little beach side suburb on the southern edge of Botany Bay. Kurnell is at the entrance to Kamay Botany Bay National Park, a park that pays tribute to the headland's extraordinary history and natural beauty. It is the site of the first contact between Aborigines and European explorers - Captain James Cook landed there in 1770, with his colleagues naturalist Joseph Banks and botanist Daniel Solander (hence Botanist Bay, which is now Botany Bay). There are monuments to several of the early European explorers, as well as exhibits that explain the location's historical Aboriginal significance and the impact European settlement has had on it. Walking tracks from a central Visitors Centre head around a loop taking in the various monuments, and towards the ocean coast where the sea pounds the limestone cliffs incessantly. Views are spectacular, especially on a sunny day when you can truly appreciate the beauty of the endless Australian sky. In season, Cape Solander is a popular whale-watching spot, and you can also choose to trek all the way along the coast back to Cronulla (around three hours). At the Visitors Centre there is a small museum, and education centre used by local schools, a gift shop and a kiosk selling coffee, drinks and snacks. Toilets are available and there is no shortage of excellent potential picnic sites.

Nice park, and manageable by walking. It seems a little too geared for cars to me, though, with…read moreroads going right through the middle of it. And if you're on the wrong side it's hard to ignore the refineries, desalination plants, and airport takeoffs. But on the right side there are paths through the bush, dramatic cliffs, and whale-watching from the shore. Cooks' landing place also has a memorial.

Growing up in Bexley some of my greatest childhood memories took place in this park. From the…read morecountless soccer games to playing stuck in the mud on the playground equipment, I doubt anyone could ever find this park boring. For the kids, there are an aimless number of activities; from playing on the equipment, kicking a ball around on the huge open field or bike riding on the paved footpath. For adults, the footpath is open for bicycles or runners, but the sheer enjoyment of peace and quiet while the kids play should make any parent sigh with relief. Besides the huge open grounds, winding bicycle trails and two separate playgrounds, the park also offers cricket pitches and Bexley Oval for everyone to enjoy. So whether you're just there for a quiet picnic or for entertainment for the kids, Bexley Park will always be a big winner in everyone's books...especially mine.

This is a large park catering for different sporting events and for recreation…read more At one end of the park is the modernist playground for the little ones. The local council has paid a small fortune to provide this park for the local community. The swings are timber trimmed and the play equipment is a Thomas Tank. Playing fields are available for baseball. There are cricket nets for various teams for training. Then there is just the open space for running teams. Of an afternoon it is doggy playground. All the locals bring their dogs along to socialise. There is a huge range of dogs and the people are very friendly. Just don't forget your doggy bag.

Big and spread out playground with a lot of fun stuff, from the giant (and wide) slide to the…read moreflying fox to the splash pad water play area! We enjoyed our time here after lunch! Only downside is just how crowded it is. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't school holidays... We had to wait several minutes for our turn on the flying fox, but other than that, I suppose it wasn't too bad.

This park is located on the other side of the Harbor. Lots…read moreto see and do. Looks like a lot of Locals and Tourist hang out here. With many attractions near by.

Bicentennial Park is a heritage site, opened in 1980's to celebrate Australia's bicentenary in…read more1988. Things to do - Walk, run or Cycle along the pathway - Feed the ducks and fishes - Hire a Bike - Enjoy a picnic on the grass - Barbecue or just grill corn - Ponder at the Sundial structure - Exercise on the bars and rails - View the surroundings from the Treillage Tower - Bird watch with or without binoculars - Seek solitude at the Hedge - Visit the wetlands - Sip coffee at Lillies Cafe If you want to get away from the city without leaving the inner suburbs head to bicentennial parklands. Avoid the weekends, if you're looking for peace and quiet time.

Great spot for picnic, barbecue, bike ride, or gently walking around. There is a kids play area,…read morelots of bike tracks (and a bike hire facility). Lots of different areas of vegetation to explore. There's a few ponds, the river and also an area with fountains. Parking can be quite difficult on the weekends though