King Parade Playground has recently been re-vamped and all the equipment is brand new. It is a…read moremodest playground but it has plenty of grassy areas surrounding it and is great for kicking a ball around or any game requiring serious room. It borders both King Parade and Norma Crescent South in Knoxfield, as it is located on empty blocks of land on a suburban street. It also acts as a useful cut through between these streets- well, for me anyway. Small green plants and large rocks line the footpath on either end of the park - kids seem to enjoy jumping from rock to rock. I have never seen the park particularly busy which is always a nice thing - it means you don't ever really have to wait for someone else to finish with a piece of equipment. It has two swings - one baby and one adult size. There are also two wooden park benches to sit on that face the playground. These are perfectly placed for any adults supervising their kids. When it rains the park gets really muddy and slushy. You will get mud splashes on your clothes if you walk across it when it is like this, so if you're using it as a cut through only I would definitely avoid using it on wet days. Otherwise it is a pretty good playground and park. I happily recommend it.

The Tim Neville Arboretum in Ferntree Gully is a perfect spot for an afternoon out with a young…read morefamily. There is a large playground that has been recently renovated and is brand new. It has a child safe gates and a fence around it to encourage supervision. It is a pretty popular playground and gets quite busy on sunny days. The park has two really pretty lakes complete with ducks. There are boardwalks and bridges to walk over and a nice track that meanders all around the park. To appreciate the peace and the beautiful scenery make sure to take a seat at one of the park benches scattered all around - they are perfectly placed for the best views. Although if you are coming for peace and quiet you'd be best off coming during a weekday as on weekends and school holidays there will be kids everywhere. The Knox Bicycle Track runs alongside the park making it a great picnic lunch spot if you're going on a big ride. Kids often ride their bikes around the tracks in the park and there are plenty of grass areas big enough to kick a ball around and be more active. Supervision of kids is essential around the lake as there are no barriers or anything to prevent people from falling in. Dogs are common visitors to the park and must be kept on a leash at all times. The park is really unique in that it caters to every member of the family, young and old and it really is a beautiful spot. Very popular for wedding receptions and events there is a pergola at one end that often plays host to quite a crowd. There are adequate parking spaces available as well as side street parking.

With the outer east slowly building up and attracting more and more new residents to the area, one…read moredifference we have to the west is the amount of greenery we hold dear. At the foot of the Dandenongs, between Fern Tree Gully and Boronia, sits the Tim Neville Arbouretum, a huge expanse of lakes, fountains and open space that has been a favourite for picnics, weddings and lazy Sunday afternoons for as long as I can remember. As a kid we used to come here on our bikes and tear around the paved track that winds its way through, across the footbridge and past the amphitheatre, that is home to yearly Christmas Carols by Candlelight. Perfect on a warm day, there are also BBQ's to use, and plenty of rooms for a large group.

This is a lovely large and picturesque off leash dog park featuring an under cover BBQ area,…read moretoilet, dog water bowls, bush walks in every direction including one to nearby Jells Park. Amazing bird life, as well as frogs, lizards, turtles. Plenty of parking. BYO poo bags and there's no rubbish bins. It's kept well maintained and mowed. Not fully fenced but enough natural boundaries to keep dogs in the main areas.

Wow. This park looks like it is out of a fairytale. Rolling green grass spreads in every direction…read moreand the park seems to go on forever. There is an undercover outdoor eating area with a BBQ provided. This is enclosed by hedges and trees making it quite a nice private little section. There are two tables with long bench seats too. The park also has public toilets that are extremely clean. This is perhaps because this park is not ridiculously well known - in fact most people driving down High Street Road have no idea it is there. There is a pond in the middle that is full of lily pads and reeds. The water itself looked putrid. What was disappointing was that the pond itself is completely fenced off to the public. Two seats have been placed to 'overlook' the pond but all you can see is the fence when you sit down so they are a bit silly.

Lakewood Nature Reserve has only recently developed into its current fleshy state. It has dense…read morebushes and trees and lots of natural grasses. There are little tracks that wind there way through the dense growth and these are quite enjoyable to explore. They are only dirt tracks however so if you are going on a wet day it does get quite muddy. There are also concrete paths that are a lot wider, which connect the reserve with Lakewood Lake. A lot of magpies and native birds live in the reserve and you will definitely see a lot of activity amongst the treetops. There is also a drinking tap supplied. This is useful both for humans and for dogs because there is a smaller at dog height.

Collier Reserve is on the corner of Burwood Highway and Stud Road in Wantirna South. It is the…read morestarting point for a few great bike tracks. One leads up to Belgrave and Ringwood, and the other to Dandenong Creek and Scoresby Road. I have been on both bike tracks and they are both fantastic. The reserve itself is pretty cool. There is a gravel carpark off Burwood Highway, or you could do what I do and park on Alderford Drive, which is behind it. The reserve has a little creek running through it and it looks really pretty, despite some rubbish, when you stand on the bridge and look at it. There is a big line of trees and bushes that curtains off a big grassy area from the main roads although it is pretty noisy there all the time because the roads are busy. The last time I was there, there were some boys playing footy in the grassy area. It is a decent size but not exactly up to a footy oval. My favourite part about the reserve would be the metal arches that go over the bike track. They are really artsy with bike parts welded into the arch. They're hard to explain, but look at the photos to see what I mean. If you're on one of the bike tracks for a long ride, this is a really neat place to stop for a rest - make sure you bring a light blanket though as there aren't any benches to sit on.

Talaskia Reserve is located inbetween Angliss Hospital and a primary school. It is quite a popular…read morespot and the little playground is often quite busy. There is a footy oval complete with goals and a fence all the way around. There is ample room around most of for spectators or for kids to run around. The fence nearest the car park has rocks right up to the fence so you can't watch from there. The car park is quite large, however often parents use it when they are picking up their kids from school and it can get quite busy around those times. If it gets full there is hospital parking just across the road as well as street parking. There are also a few tennis courts alongside the playground and a few tennis clubs operate here. They are red dirt courts, which I hate because I have white runners and they always get dirty. My favourite part about the reserve is the little ducky ride in the playground. It is a giant springy toy in the ground that rocks back and forth but it is super cute and the kids love it.

Way way way over packed, full or tourists and litter... really not worth the walk in my opinion…read more Not enough parking, no bins, a few toilets and a small cafe at the start. A couple of playgrounds that were overpacked.. Not worth the drive either :(

Greenery? Check. Fresh air? Check. Uphill walking tracks that will guarantee a good workout? Check!…read more I love the 1000 steps! It seems to have gained in popularity over the years so if you're coming on a weekend, prepare to arrive super early. I came at 8am on a Saturday, quite pleased with myself at waking up so early and the carpark was entirely full. It does detract from the experience a little bit but I'll just have to learn to share. Returning on a weekday was completely different. Barely any people on the track and I thoroughly enjoyed my walk up those steps! The 1000 steps don't take too long to complete and the hardest part is that last 5-10 minutes where the steps get bigger. Thankfully, there are plenty of rest stops and people are generally courteous about moving out of the way if your smashing out a workout without needing a rest. I love the sound of water running, kookaburras laughing and the different birds rustling around in the trees. The only slight inconvenience is the parking situation at peak times and high volume of people passing through.

This place puts even the fittest of fit to shame. If you think this is just a nice stroll up the…read moremountain, you'll wish you wore your exercise clothing instead. In case anybody wonders (and people always do), there are actually less than 1000 steps. But the walk uphill before the actual stairway makes up for the shortage of steps of the stairway. Before you start, there is a sign that tells you to leave your water bottle and other belongings. As long as you know not to litter, you can disregard that sign. I'd recommend going up the stairs and then taking the other non-stair path back down. But then everybody has their own preferences. Plenty of shade, so you won't be baking in the sun. On the other hand, you can't actually see your progress since all you'll see are more and more stairs. There are certain parts that are leveled, and you'll see a few benches available to sit. Most people we encounter along this trail seem to be at least somewhat fit. The most resilient hikers end up being the older individuals. Overall, it's a great place to get a good exercise. You'll be compelled to finish the trip the moment you start.