What a great park!! Previously the Milton Tennis Centre and Milton Bowl this location had been an…read morearea of wasted space that did flood during the floods in 2011. I am so glad this was turned into an amazing park and not another set of apartment buildings. The park is home to the Roy Emerson Tennis Centre which has 6 courts for hire and also has lessons. The playground area is packed on the weekends as it's an a amazing area for kids. While its way more advanced then for my 10month old there is still some great places for him to crawl around but I can see that the amazing rock climbing wall, huge slide and the curling slide would be heaven for any kid. There are 4 different bbq areas with 8 total BBQ that have picnic tables around them. There is decent shade for these areas but also a large grass are perfect for a picnic if you don't want to BBQ. Kids love circling the grass area on there bikes and scooters and it's all within the parents eyesight. There is also a table tennis table and some exercise equipment. Early mornings you may even have a boot camp or personal trainer working out there. Only wish there was a water feature for kids to play in but I guess with the past flooding that may have not have worked. Oh and there are toilets onsite and a cafe which I need to still check out.

What is there for two recent university graduates do on a Tuesday afternoon other than chill out in…read morePerrin Park and play in the playground? Perrin Park is quite beautiful with is expansive grassy areas, footpaths, fenced area to unleash your dog, plenty of parking spaces, clean toilets, fresh play equipment (some of which is still under construction since the recent flooding), and plenty of trees and shade to rest under. Tucked away in Toowong, this park offers a place to escape. The park is deceptively big with different sections split in the middle by a little creek. There are also some quite fun bike-things to play on. And the best bonus of all is that when I visited it today, there was a mama and a papa duck and 5 little ducklings (one for each star I give this park).

This is the sort of park I wish existed when I was a kid. As it is, I love it as an adult. Why?…read moreBecause finally they've put mini-roller-coasters in parks! Well, not exactly a roller-coaster - but as close enough as we'll get for free in a public park. What is described in elegant fashion by the Totaltravel website as "a pedal powered carson on a circular track" is like a giant toy train on a wheeled closed circuit. Unlike most trains, but similar to vehicular locomotion in The Flintstones, your feet are used to power the train. As fast as you peddle you can't break the kiddie-safe speed, but it's still awesome to ride, like you're a toy human in some giant's train set. I'm not the only immature one, either. The first time I glimpsed the roller-coaster addition to the park and yelled for the driver to stop the car, my companions (in their 20s and 30s) also got out and jumped on. That meant a few of us were late to uni classes. Totally worth it. There's old-school swings (read: new, but not awesome like a giant train) in the playground and there's also a rebound wall and off-leash park for dogs. *This biased review has been brought to you by the creator of the We Should Replace Public Transport With Roller-Coasters Facebook Group.

I had never heard of this place until my father suggested I join him and his partner for a wander…read morearound this park. This park is a bit of a mission to get to for anyone who does not live in the area but is worth the car mileage as it is a great place to hang out, have a picnic and roam around. I was not expecting much from this park but as soon as I entered the park, I realised how beautiful it was. There is something very serene about it, that instantly puts you at ease (so corny, I know). The park is very spacious too making it perfect for any picnic parties, it would be a lovely place to jog or walk around. When I visited the place, I even noticed people fishing from the deck over the Brisbane River, I doubt they would have caught anything good but they looked like they were having fun and enjoying the views. If it wasn't for its inconvenient location, I would visit this park more often as it really is a beauty.

If you like taking your kids to parks with playgrounds aren't guaranteed to be crawling with kids…read morealready, this is one of the secret parks you can still get a spot in. There are many trees around and 2 main sheltered areas with plenty of tables. There is also a boardwalk type play area and a rather large general swing and tyre play area about 20 meters away from the tables. Mostly under shelter too for those hot days. Bring sunscreen, a picnic blanket and some bug spray for hotter days, but mostly it's quite breezy if you're lucky. What I love about this park is that it's situated in the middle of Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood lives. Okay... there isn't a Robin Hood living in this forest, but we're still on the lookout for him and his men. Or my single friends are anyway. There are plenty of dads here with kids, and I keep having to tell them, it's not okay because these ones are probably taken. Besides from the nice atmosphere, there are also BBQ facilities, toilets and lots of bins in case you want to orchestrate a kids birthday party here. There is a pretty big carpark and on the weekends there is usually a coffee van parked in one of the slots for your caffeine needs early Saturday morning. I love this park because it's hidden away and not that many people know where it is yet, for those mums and dads out there looking to take their kids outdoors somewhere for free, maybe have a picnic... this is a pretty good hidden gem of a park really close to the city. Not really that super close to public transport, but it's definetely driveable.

One of my good friend's first introduced me to Mansfield Park in Indooroopilly on one stressful day…read moreI was having. He told me that this park is one of his "happy places". It is small and quiet and there are never many people around. It is a tiny triangle tucked in amongst some grand looking houses. We play a game when we go there about what house we would own. There is one that looks like a New England beach house that makes me wish I was back visiting my family in America. The park itself is lined with trees and has a few nice little benches in and around. There is also a small playground for kids. Mansfield Park is definitely a nice little spot to escape to.

Like many of Brisbane's parks, Woolcock has gone over the last decade from being nothing more than…read moredirt, grass and a few lonely old swings to a respectable modern park. Woolcock is part of Brisbane's sweeping overhaul of park beautification and standardisation: sprawling, rolling and well-maintained grass; a playground including awesome swings that regrettably weren't around when I was a kid; and a path for power-walkers... in Woolcock's case, the path is stone and called Reflexology Walk. I'm no reflexology follower, but after loudly reading the sign with amusement I figured if I was going to talk the talk then I'd better walk the walk, so off went the shoes and I was taking the path to better health. Well, that's what the sign said; aside from the pleasant sensation of smooth pebbles on my feet, I did not develop the inferred health superpowers. However, it snakes by a creek and call me a cynic but it's damn pretty. Overall, like a park should be, the vibe is relaxed. Though not officially a dog park, many people bring their pets here for friendly interaction and some off-leash playing. The park also draws in a weekend crowd of families wanting to BBQ somewhere picturesque and not overcrowded: no one likes having to duel a stranger with tongs for the rights to a picnic bench. In terms of events, around a year ago I accidentally stumbled upon a fair at Woolcock. Though I'm not sure what it was in aid of, there were many real estate company tents set up, looking lonely beside stalls selling trinkets and fairy floss. People with dogs chatted with others about their respective pets and blocked the pathway (me included). There was also a sausage sizzle which I lined up for and heartily enjoyed even though I knew the meat was probably 40% cardboard. My dog also loves it here, as it's frequented by some of the people outside of our family who can actually stand her.

Ah Woolcock Park. I lived around the corner from here in 2002 and was among the first residents…read moreto enjoy the then newly upgraded facilities. I used to congregate here with my friends for a vegie-q, some yo ho ing and maybe a spot of fire stick twirling. Look I was young alright? It's nice to see the facilities have been well maintained in the intervening decade. This is a lovely park for families, friends or, yes, groups of urban hippies to enjoy and the BBQ's are still available (God I love that Brisbane parks have BBQ's, take that Melbourne! We finally win a point!) If you're in the area this is a little urban oasis that you should definitely come visit.

Paradise Park is (until now, maybe ;) one of Brisbane's best kept secrets. It has a lot to offer: a…read morebasketball half court, a community herb garden, barbecue facilities, a children's playground and the piece de resistance -- a clay cob oven which you can cook pizza in! Last year I made some pizza bases and sauce from scratch and took them, some toppings and some friends down to our little slice of Paradise for some, well, slices of wood-fired paradise. It was a bit of a learning experience. Turns out that to get the best cooking effect you probably want to get there a few hours early so you can get some coals going. Also, a word to the wise, don't use baking paper on your cooking tray or it will stick to the pizza bases during cooking. It can also be hard to get the cooked pizza from the tray, so ideally you want a good metal sliding implement to extract your bounty. A pizza cooking stone would probably hep too. In the end though we enjoyed our pizzas (and easier to extract calzones) immensely and had a really fun time. There was a weird moment about halfway through our little party that we realised that there was a lone figure sitting in the children's playground, nearly motionless (we'd thought it was a trick of the light earlier). Weird. Good pizza though!

Well gee Oliver, I guess if you're going to review this little well kept secret I may as well do it…read moretoo :) Don't hate us locals! We're just trying to share the love! I bback everything Oliver says and more, the vibe of this park is truly lovely, it's like a gentle little patch of a more innocent, peaceful time just waiting to soothe your cares away. I've never tried cooking my own pizza's there, but I'm damn tempted to now - although heating requirement is duly noted.

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.

Got a chance to see the Belle Lume Sculpture and just wow! So very aesthetically pleasing to the…read moreeyes. Very sturdy and beautiful!

From the owner: Over the last 40 years the staff of Natureworks has produced the masters for most of the "high…read morequality" fibreglass life-size animal art currently being sold on the world market. Natureworks has been sculpting moulding and casting life-size wildlife for almost 40 years. The collection of moulds of sculptural features now numbers over 2000 different individual pieces. Casts can be made in a variety of materials from Fibreglass, Glass Reinforced Cement (GFRC), Hard-Coated Urethane Foam and Cold Cast Bronze. New pieces are being created all the time. They can be adapted for domestic use, playground or zoological standard and are designed, reinforced & finished to varying standards as appropriate to its use.

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 first time I came to Rowdy Rascals was when a friend recommended them to me. They had just…read moreopened up and her daughter in law owned it. Great for kids. My son was under 1... and when I took him there I couldn't believe my eyes. A huge playcentre just for kids. They have a separate little baby/toddler area so the big ones don't clobber them on the way down a slide as well, always a good thing. One thing to realise, this place and many places like it, they get packed. Mother's groups, mum's in general, dad's with mum's, friends with babies... everyone goes there. I can see the reason why. Such a simple idea, provides many parents like myself out there with a little bit of peace of mind. You can actually sit down with a cup of coffee and chat... while your kids go crazy. If you have a young child you will still have to sit with them, but there is tag associated with all kids in this place you get when you get in so no one can escape with your child, always a good thing as well. This is a great idea, I wish there were more places like this... my son who's almost 3 loves it and I go there with friends to catch up every few weeks. They even have a little cafe which serves hot food as well. And they do kids themed birthday parties in little private rooms too! You aren't allowed to bring your own food and drink in here, and here's the bonus thing, kids under the age of 2... free.

I'm disgusted with this place. Apparently they leave the gates open at close of business and not…read morecare if your kids run straight onto the road or not even though you are trying to pack up to leave. The staff member said "It is not their responsibility!" you run a play centre you should be responsible for leaving your gate open, you obviously do not care for the welfare of the children who visit your place. I am terribly disgusted how you are so commercially minded and uncaring for your guests. Coffee was horrendously diluted and food was unhealthy cheap nasty stuff. I will certainly not go back!