This is probably my best kept secret in Sydney in terms of things to do. I love coming here to…read morezone out, it's like going to a spa, but cheaper! Great new facility complete with bright vibrant colours on the driving range to represent the grass, lakes and sand. Really stunning just to look at, let alone play here! How it works is you pay for the golf balls in the pro shop, head outside to the range to the golf ball dispenser, place a bucket near the nozzle, scan your receipt and watch the magic of the balls being dispensed. There are two levels and there are auto tees in some bays. The driving range is sloped in such a way that the balls drift towards "drains" which suck in the balls and return them to the dispenser. The facility is very well maintained and looks new and sharp. The standout is the staff. They are true professionals, passionate, know their stuff, and friendly. The lessons are expensive but really worth it if you're looking to improve your game - they really helped me as they were personalised to improve specific issues I was having, rather than structured as a crash course on how to play. There is also mini golf with 2 themed courses, a cafe, and the pro shop sells a range of clubs, bags, and other gear. I'm drawn to the pretty vibrant colours of the driving range and they were what got me into golf. Have come back time and time again.

Sweet double storey driving range on one side, putt putt on the other, this place must have been…read morebuilt with dads-who-get-caught-sneaking-out-for-a-few-holes-and-then dumped-with-the kids-while-mum-goes-out-for-errands in mind. There's a spacious and breezy cafe area with decent sandwiches, coffee and cakes which you can take onto the putt putt course, but there are no bins on the one-way course meaning you have to walk through others' games to get to the one near the entrance. None of the fun windmills, castles with drawbridges or dancing monkeys on this putt putt course, it's just stretches of green, pretty wooden bridges and ponds. And since I have no golfing capabilities whatsoever, the many ponds on the 18-hole course just meant wet hands for me. Highest score meant the I won, right?

This place is more like a factory than a proper swim school. The lanes are overcrowded and there is…read morea lack of feedback and assessment on each child. They have even now made the experience worst by changing the interface of the app and deleted the section where parents can see their child's assessment checklist. We are thinking of leaving once we can find another swim school nearby. A few of the parents I know have already taken their children out of Carlile.

When it gets too cold in winter or too hot in summer I don't have an excuse not to exercise thanks…read moreto this indoor pool at Cherrybrook. (Ok so not sure if that's a good thing cause I wouldn't mind having an excuse to skip out on exercising once in awhile). The opening hours aren't as great as some other pools but at least you never run into the issue of having more than 3 people in a lane. I've rarely encountered having 3 people in a lane at this pool anyway. Located in a great neighbourhood so everyone that swims respectful, polite and friendly. Makes for comfortable swimming.

This pool is great- the staff are grand and the water is warm in winter and refreshing in summer!…read moreAlways crystal clear and clean. Really safe venue and nice to go to. They have swimming lessons and a small gym

We just recently became patrons with our little girl who takes swim lessons there…read more The quality of the lessons are superb. We've been to different pools, but here suddenly she flourishes in the pool. The pool is quite modern, with an indoor slide and a little adventure world for the little ones. There is an outdoor pool, everything is still pretty new and clean. At time you can't find parking at their car park, which is frustrating as street parking is rare. The only downside is the staff. Arrogant pushy unfriendly girls working at the reception and the school. I nearly slapped one little tart who came and started to tell me off about something she got wrong. Not sure where they take their attitude and confident from that this is how you talk to clients. Thus my 2 star rating. The clientele is made up of Chinese, Indians and Caucasians. So don't expect a fistfight. Last not least. The coffee shop seems to be serving Caucasians first. So depending if you like that sort of behaviour, could be good or bad.

I absolutely LOVE Curves Thornleigh. I have tried other gyms over the years, only to realise that I…read moredid not need all the extra bells and whistles. I needed a friendly place to work out with structure, so that I knew what to do at each workout! The staff at Curves Thornleigh are down to earth, caring and compassionate. They take the extra time to help and understand all their clients. They make the workouts fun and the half hour goes very quickly. The facilities are all kept in great condition and the gym is always kept clean and tidy. The club membership cost is in line with most other gyms. I would highly recommend this gym to anyone who is trying to get back into exercise or for those wishing to do a great workout with limited time. Thank you Curves Thornleigh

I know a lot of younger women would never dream of going to Curves but for some of us over 40 and…read morethere are some younger it's a great place. And yes lots of older women really do enjoy this type of cercuit training too. If you want to up your work out you can do Curves Plus. And let me tell you what a big difference this makes in my work out. This will make you sweat. Regular Curvres is great for people who are just starting to do some physical activity again or have had knee surgery. The staff up at Thornleigh are terrific and very encouraging. So if any of you ladies feel funny about going to a mainstream gym, you might like to try Curves.

Sigh. I heart Wahroonga Park…read more It's the perfect place for picnics, for climbing trees, or for scribbling in your notebook and soaking up the sunshine. Strolling through just this afternoon I was delighted by the sweet aroma from the rose gardens and the dappled light streaming through the latticed walkway. There were families strewn about with balloons, eskies and blankets - there was even a teen strumming on a guitar. Yes, it's that idyllic. And with the stylish rotunda and stunningly manicured gardens, you can understand why couples would get married here. For parents, Wahroonga Park has the added bonus of a fenced playground (though it could do with another bench or two for weary souls!), which is a mere stone's throw from a caffeine fix at Coonanbarra Cafe across the road. I think that might just make this park worth its weight in gold!

Wahroonga Park is one of the most picturesque parks I've ever seen, but it's one kids will…read moreappreciate as much as adults. The park has a fenced off playground with a sandpit, seesaw, slide, train and other equipment, as well as a set of swings just outside. Open grassy space provides plenty of places for families to have a picnic and play games, though the trees dotted everywhere do limit larger sports. The park is right next to Wahroonga Station. On the other side of the train line is a set of shops including bakeries, newsagents and more. However, you don't have to walk that far to get something to eat, as opposite the park there is a small cafe which sells milkshakes and biscuits for the kids.

Me: "So Mr5... what did you think of the park..?" Mr5: "It…read morewas AWESOME!" Me: "What did you like about it?" Mr5; "um... because we played with scooters... and Mr2 was playing with the bike... on the track..." Me: "Anything else..?" Mr5: "I was climbing ... on the pirate ship...and I looked happy." So.... what else do you need to know about this park. It has been given the seal of approval. It has a BBQ area that you can use, undercover seating, and even tennis courts for those so inclined. It is an "awesome" park. :-)

It's rare to find one of Sydney's rare and hidden gems, and when I come across one, it's an…read moreexhilarating feeling. On one hand, I want to keep the place hush hush so that it doesn't become spoilt by mounds of people, and on the other hand, I want to recommend it to everyone I know. (I guess I've chosen the non-selfish route this time around!) The garden itself is quite small and is a bit steep - it leads down to some very steep bush. During Spring, the flowers are in bloom and the gardens are a kaleidoscope of colour. There's also a scary looking water dragon.

I had a lovely afternoon walk here. But you need to wear enclosed shoes if you go in the bush as…read morethere are lots of leaches.

All the locals told me that this place was "run down" and talked about it like it was a joke, so I…read moredidn't go for my first two years in Australia. Finally, I decided it didn't matter what they thought, so I went... And I loved it, just like I thought I would! First of all, it's $27, compared with $46 that the nearby zoo charges. It's only Aussie animals, versus the zoo which offers the same animals that you see at any zoo in the world. But what I loved about it was that everything is included in the entrance price. You don't have to pay any extra to go in with the kangaroos and pet them (my Yelp profile photo is from here). You don't have to pay any extra to go in with the koala, pet it, and take a photo with it. Those things at a typical zoo would have high extra charges, on top of the admission price! There's quite a few shows to see, including the sheep-sheering and boomerang-throwing show, which I recommend. They're nothing fancy about the shows and they're all pretty informal, but I recommend planning ahead to figure out what time you need to be at each place. It's a small park, and there's not too much to do between each show time, so you really have to be strategic if you don't want to be bored while waiting for the next show on the list.

I was like a little kid running around pointing at the animals and getting to feed them and taking…read morecloseup photos of their cute noses. There were different kinds of kangaroos, wallabies, koalas (including a BABY), wombats, bats, dingos, some pretty colorful birds, a tawny frogmouth, a cute little shetland pony, and more. What a nice way to spend a morning.