Driving around with children, looking for parks can be an interesting rollercoaster. Having found a…read morecouple of parks earlier in the day, and spent most of their energy at the Blaxland Riverside Park (review http://frid.co/oXg9Nh ), we were just looking for a bit of green to have a picnic. This small reserve, right in front of the Chizwic ferry, had everything we required. The nice grassy slope and shady trees provided the perfect spot to spread out the picnic blanket, and watch the boats go by. While it had no playground, and the water meant a greater than usual vigelance was required when watching the boys, it was very relaxing here. We were also grateful for the toilets located near the ferry as when little boys need to go, it is not in 5 or 10min... :-) While this place is somewhat out of the way, it might come in handy if you are ever in the area.

I finally got around to being able to explore this place. Well, not quite since this place is…read moremonumentally huge, and it is absolutely impossible to pretty much explore every nook and crany in the limited amount of time that was available to me, but I did get a decent chance to wander around a large part of it, and at least say that I have been to Centenial Park, or at least more than just running in there and looking for a toilet. They do have barbeque areas, and quite a few of them, but they also have lakes, and just plain old good parkland to wander around.

Better than a hundred parks! This park is huge! It's a…read moresprawling park, full of all kinds of amenities! There's so much to see and do here- it's a fantastic park in the middle of Sydney. I rode a bike through here on the many improved trails that crisscross through this public space. Through here, there were teams practicing rugby, enough bicyclists to start a biker gang, joggers, runners, and people who were out to just take in the sunshine. As you cross through this park, you find lots of green open spaces large enough to play a full game of rugby, without running into a park bench or a tree. There's restrooms available. My favorite thing about this park is the huge stone gates at each entrance that remind you that you're entering an important public space. There's monuments throughout the park, and plenty of parking! I felt safe riding through here, just due to the sheer number of people who were out having a stroll in the park!

What a fabulous green space. Sydney is full of wonderful areas to sit or take a walk and just enjoy…read morenature. This being the largest park and smack in the middle of the city, it is quite impressive. Large mature trees, walkways, seating areas, multiple fountains, memorials, an art gallery and even a museum. My favorite part was the huge chess game and the watching the folks playing getting into heated discussions as bystanders were taking sides of the two players and loudly voiced their continued advice. What a fabulous addition to the city. The only problem are the birds as seems to be the case all over Sydney. Mostly the Ibis, which seem to be also called bin chickens. They are everywhere, quite aggressive and therefor not so well liked.

Hyde Park is absolutely lovely! It's home to such a bunch of grand trees like I've never seen…read morebefore! It's obvious by the lushness of this park that it's well taken care of and a national treasure. It's easily accessible by foot and the Museum station. It's close to all kinds of attractions and has amazing city views from all angles. I definitely recommend visiting it and maybe sitting to have lunch if possible. If you're into chess, there's a human sized chessboard.

It was a beautiful day to be at Bayview park. Parking was plentiful, although there were a lot of…read morepeople with boat trailers. We sat at a covered concrete picnic table for awhile, enjoying the boats and birds (especially pelicans) in the brilliant blue water. We decided to stroll in the direction of the dog park, even though we didn't have a dog with us. Best decision ever! It was so much fun watching dogs cavorting on the leash-free beach with their doggy and human friends. There's also a grassy, leash-free area for non-water loving dogs and owners. The pure joy demonstrated by people and dogs playing in the water was priceless.

This little park tucked away in Castle Hill one is fantastic as the paths are long and in a big…read morecircle so, all going to plan, they kids come back to you! There's even a tennis court to potter around on, under cover picnic tables and playground equipment. Love our afternoon here.

This was a rather delightful park just a short walk from Hurstville, and just across from the…read morerailway station. In fact, the park itself is quite big, and the facilities are pretty good as well. Not only is there a decent sized oval, but there is also restrooms, which is something that I always appreciate. This is definitely a nice place for a day out, or even a picnic.

You can never really prepare for a visit to Belmore Park…read more I use the term 'visit' loosely, as this grassy knoll's location between Central Station and the (semi-dodgy) Haymarket end of the CBD has its fate set as a thoroughfare rather than a destination unto itself. Still, any post-train ride stroll through is sure to greet you with an eclectic selection of peoples. First up are the overbearing charity reps (I believe the derogatory term is 'chuggers'?) who lurk behind the eastbound lane bus stop, spreading across the park walkway into a human net guaranteed to catch a few suckers. From there on you'll pass the tai chi group, a dedicated and ever-so calm crew who arrive from 6.30am onwards. At the gazebo, note the homeless guy casually typing away on a brand new lap top. Finally, beware of flying soccer balls when exiting the park onto Hay Street if passing through during the afternoon - there seems to be a rotating group of backpacker football fans, usually European and playing shirtless. If stopping off at the bench seats during your lunch break, be sure to carry a substantial bag of pebbles with which to ward off the audacious iris birds, ready and waiting to peck you down over that cooked tuna sushi roll.

Great place to relax before catching the train to airport for a flight.read more

We took a walk down to this pretty park from our nearby apartment. It's got a bit of everything -…read morewalking/running paths, great water views, tennis courts, play equipment for the kids and more! We walked along the bay for a bit, and stopped at the marina for a drink. There are signs warning you that sharks have been spotted in the bay, so not a place for a refreshing dip. But if you have a boat, it sure seems like a nice place to dock it. For a place so close to the CBD, it was quiet and felt like smiles away from the noise of the city.

Rushcutters Bay Park has a few hidden gems (ok maybe not that hidden) that are great if you are…read moreactive or not. The monkey bars at the south end are actually a great area to do a workout. Watch out for peak hour - right after work - sometimes there are groups of people being coached in that area so you might need to wait for specific stations. There are tennis courts at the south west side of the park - book them online but if you try for early evening there are some people that have standard bookings each week. Later at night is good since they have a great lighting system. Even better is during the day with fewer people around. There is a cafe here that is decent for a coffee but there are so many other coffee shops nearby that you may want to walk a bit. At the Cruising Yacht Club there is a restaurant as well. Fantastic outdoor deck seating and fish and chips are ok. Of course nice cold beer is available as well. You can get reservations and some weekends are very busy. Never tried the indoor seating (why would you when you are by the harbour?). The whole park is dog friendly so be prepared for some visitors if you are having a picnic. Some dogs running 'free-range' but never had a problem. Just make some new friends.