I'm not really sure why I went and checked this place out, though I do have to admit that I have a…read moresoft spot for parks, especially those of the larger kind (as opposed to those small collection of green places you have dotted intermittantly about the inner suburbs). Anyway, this does happen to be one of those larger parks with some wetlands at the back and boardwalks that take you meandering through it, a large artificial hill in the middle, which is sort of a war memorial (though the actual war memorial is at the bottom), play equipment for the kids, barbeques for cooking, and shade for simply sitting down and relaxing. Also, it happens to be behind a shopping centre, which helps a lot, especially if you are having a barbeque and happen to forget something, namely because you can just duck in and grab what you need. It's, artificial, but still pretty cool.

Love All Nations. Beautifully landscaped. Plenty here for everyone. Walk, sit, wander among tall…read moreor short trees. Climb a mini mountain. Have a picnic. Sit by a small lake. A wonderful local resource for all.

The name speaks for itself- just darling! I spent a couple of days in the Clifton Hill area just…read morenext to this park which was just lovely. It's a smaller park but would be greatly convenient for the locals and is just a lush space to walk the dog, have a picnic or run a few laps of. Very peaceful and really well maintained.

A beautiful park that's about a 15 minute walk away from me, and it took me 2.5 years to notice…read more.. I love this park for a number of reasons: it's beautiful, it's flanked by beautiful houses that you can ogle at, it has less hippies than Edinburgh Gardens, and it has a great community atmosphere. Catch free beats on a hot summer's day while you have a picnic or throw the frisbee. Or put your mat down and do some yoga (not my scene, but I've seen it done). If you're picnicking, bring a blankey, as the grass can be a little harsh on the legs. Those in North Fitzroy should consider coming over the road to Darling Gardens as a nice alternative to Edinburgh Gardens. Like I said, less hippies at Darling too.

On the next warm, sunny day, grab your friends, pack a blanket and whatever food and drink tickles…read moreyour tastebuds and plan to spend the entire day lazing about, laughing and lapping up the sunshine. You won't be the only ones doing it. Folk from surrounding neighbourhoods flock to Edinburgh Gardens on glorious days, some with guitars, some with little stereos, and almost everyone with a bit of beer. It makes for quite a festive atmosphere and it is truly a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors in the middle of built-up surburbia. The tall, leafy trees will provide all the shade you need once you've topped up your tan, and for those who can't get enough solar energy, there are huge expanses of grass just waiting for you to plant yourself on and settle in for a session of sun worship. No worries if you run out of snacks or find yourself with an unquenchable thirst. Ed Gardens are just steps away from Brunswick St and St Georges Road, where you are certain to find exactly what you crave.

There are a lot of old, beautiful trees to picnic, drink and then nap under in this historic old…read morepark and that in itself makes it a stand out to me. It's in a great spot and always plays host to a random assortment of events (Irish Festival or Fitness for the over 80s!) The Mr Burger truck is often parked here as well which is always a plus. Downsides? The bathrooms are revolting (I wish parks in Australia were more like European parks where they have a permanent attendant to make sure it's clean) and I think there needs to be a lot more lighting at night as well as barbecue areas.

BATS!!! We had a wonderful little family hike here to see the famous flying foxes, otherwise known…read moreas fruit bats. Being from Hawaii, this was a totally unique and cool experience as don't really have a lot of bats in hawaii! We walked maybe a half mile from the parking lot and BAM, BATS GALORE! This place is totally worth visiting!

I love coming here, as soon as the weather gets good I'm making any excuse possible for a day out…read morehere. This is a quiet park right off the eastern freeway. It's close to the city, but feels like a whole new place. This park has bbq facilities with wooden tables under pavilions, there's not too many spots so you might want to get in early if it's going to be a long weekend (or exceptionally sunny day). There's also a café here that sits besides the river, where you can dine outside and enjoy the serenity. This is definitely perfect for families as there are bike trails, a playground and did I mention the rowboats for hire. Yes rowboats! There's also fishing available, although I'm not sure if you would catch anything here. If you don't like bats, I probably would come here then. I was lying in the sun with my hunny after a lovely picnic, we didn't notice anything at the time- but after careful inspection of the funny looking leaves on the trees, turns out they were bats. A hundred or more bats, hanging from the nearby trees sleeping. They weren't scary, or noisy or obtrusive, it was just a surprise to see so many up close. Bats aside, this is a lovely park. Perfect for whatever occasion.

Actually, I think they have actually changed the name of this pub, which is really, really annoying…read morebecause I really liked the idea of there being a park named after the caped crusader. I guess it has something with some politician putting up a sign saying 'Thankyou Batman' after he was elected, and everybody laughing at the irony of the billboard (John Batman was the founder of the city of Melbourne, and it is a coincidence that he has the same name as the caped crusader). Still, the entrance to the park does still proudly proclaim it as being Batman Park, so I'll keep the points that I have given it.

Don't honour their swim passes, don't listen to customers, dismissive of enquiries. Overpriced and…read moreunderdeliver.

The 50m pool is excellent. The temperature is perfect at 26, the end turn walls are non slip, the…read morechange rooms are clean and the water clear.