The thing that I really loved about this park was that they had converted the old railway sheds…read moreinto a barbeque shelter. The tracks are actually still visible leading up to the place. Oh, and there are restrooms as well, which is something that I tend to appreciate quite a lot. The park itself is pretty large, and quite well maintained also. Nice place to relax.

Honestly, this park isn't all that special, though I can't really knock a park all that much…read moreconsidering that any amount of greenery in the middle of a city is a pretty good thing, and this place is certainly one of those places. Look, it really isn't all that big, and there isn't really all that much here, but still it is a splash of greenery which still makes it pretty good.

Compact park on a gentle slope towards the beach. Flat paved paths criss-cross the greenery and…read moreshady trees. We'd heard about Friday Chill - a series of free open air gigs in the park every Friday evening in the summer - and came along on two evenings during our stay. Bring a picnic and some refreshments (or order pizzas to the park like the group near us did!) and enjoy the music as the sun goes down.

It's amazing that this place is free! (minus parking cost). It's like a mini zoo, with many animals…read moreto see like a wombat, wallabies, reptiles, and many birds. It was fun for us and the kids to walk on the one-way boardwalk and see all the different animals exhibits. Then there's a big grassy area, duck pond, cafe and fun playground. Highly recommend!!

Blackbutt Reserve is a nature preserve that is free to the public. During my visit I was very…read moreimpressed at how well maintained the grounds are kept, how well the animals are cared for and how accessible the parking was. You can almost see as many animals at a park like this as you would in a typical zoo. We saw wallabies, koalas, peacocks, various birds and reptiles as well as wombats. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone local or from afar. You cannot go wrong here.

Amazing view that will never get old. A prime spot for walking, picnicking, car or people watching,…read morerelaxing and whale watching. Bring the kids for a play in the park and lunch by the rotunda. Or grab some cardboard for a slide down the hill. A popular spot for lawn parties and wedding ceremonies. A shame The Mattara Hill Climb is no longer held here but you will still see plenty of cars treating it like their own hill race. Cons for me are the regular smokers and obnoxious music blaring out of at least one car every visit. I've hit 30. Everything annoys me lol.

Neat park but it not very well lit at night which is a little sad. On the bright side (see what I…read moredid there?) it has a fantastic view of Newcastle that makes for some very good photos. There's also the Anzac memorial walk which is very close by and worth certainly worth seeing.

A great place by the lake, especially for families. Abundant picnic space. Massive, fully fenced…read moreplayground. Cafe for coffee cravings. Pool facility. Bike/walking path along the water leading back to Warners Bay. Markets on the weekend and of course (if you're willing to chance the curse), Carols by Candlelight. Parking can be a bit challenging due to the popularity and sporting events. Single lane traffic on the main road can get very busy also.

A park for the whole family something for everyone. From a family picnic to bike riding or u want…read moreto go for a walk and family equipments for the kids too. Often they have events held here like the Sunday Markets to Christmas fire works. There are always something here.

What a cute little community. We didn't have too much time here maybe 45 minutes to grab a meal and…read moreget back on our bus for our Hunter Valley wine tour. We first sat at one restaurant and nobody even came to take her order, we are chosen this restaurant because they serve wine. So we return to the other restaurant that did not serve wine and had an amazing lunch that was brought to us very quickly. Well my friend ordered I went and grabbed a bottle of wine from the bottle shop around the corner. The bottle shop Staff was extremely friendly and help me select my wine, even offering me a few tastings to make sure I liked it before I bought it. How cool! I wish we had more time to spend here and there seem to be a lot of cute shops and things to do easily could've spent 2 to 3 hours. I know it's unrelated but being on a bus tour on a strict time schedule does not make for a relaxing day

I can't speak too much of the gardens as I was here for the Christmas Lights Spectacular but what I…read moredid see has me planning a return visit for Spring in the new year. The lights are here for their 10th year now and I'm pleased to see the addition of rides and food stalls. Great for kids and families however I came with my partner and we both enjoyed taking photos of the lights and changing sections, ie fairy garden, candy land, story book and world attractions. The paths were rarely congested but be sure to follow the one way direction for easier flow of the crowd. Plenty of parking.

Shame about the brown grass (completely understandable though) but still a lovely location,…read moreespecially for a wedding. Open area for a large or intimate outdoor ceremony with a massive space inside the building for the reception. Looked especially lovely by night lit up with lights. The public toilet situation isn't ideal but the walk across the lawn isn't far. There are miniature trains somewhere but I didn't explore that.

Woooo! Let's go see some kangaroos and all Australian things!…read more AMBIANCE: Parking: There's a parking lot! We didn't have any issues finding parking, but we did go on a weekday. Vibes: It's not near your major big cities of Australia, maybe an hour away from Newcastle area. A very spacious area which is good for the animals. I spent a good 1.5 hrs here but that's probably because 1hr was spent feeding the kangaroos (they had an albino one). They had a good range of animals I dig the passport game, feeding spots, and general information. They have snacks if you do get hungry. TL;DR OVERALL: 5 Stars. I love this place! Who doesn't love feeding kangaroos. This zoo has it all, which I appreciate. There may be many zoos, but this is definitely one worth visiting if you're in the area. Tips: * Careful when feeding the giraffes!

This small park offers opportunities to see a variety of animals up close. Many of the enclosures…read moreseem small, especially for birds. Peacocks are loose everywhere. The lemurs seemed to be having a big argument due to the noise, but a sign indicated they were just communicating. Animals not native to Australia are also on view, such as American alligators, camels, giraffes and lions. Kangaroos can be fed and petted, including some unusual albino kangaroos. Giraffes can also be fed-- an ice cream cone filled with grasses. The pathways are freshly raked, and it's a great animal park for toddlers as it's not too big. There's also a cafe for drinks and snacks that has shaded picnic tables.