My equal fave nature place in the Northern burbs is Queen's Park. It's frequented by families,…read morechildren, the elderly and fitness fans who take advantage of the many perks about this tranquil park. There are two playgrounds either side of the lake, walking and bike tracks, a gorgeous pergola/gazebo complete with white turret roof. Situated right on the lake, this magnificent area is perfect for wedding photos and is quite often used as a place to get married or to have wedding pics taken. When the giant water feature display comes on in the background the beauty of the scene it creates, particularly from the pergola with ferns and lush greenery in the background, truly takes your breath away. The Queen's Lake Cafe is situated on the opposite side of the gazebo next to one of the two playgrounds. They serve up delicious, homely and oh-so-worth-not-packing-a-picnic sort of food. Fresh rolls, focaccia and hot food, as well as perfecto tea and coffee, this is one playground you won't mind taking the kids to! Even though it gets busy here and not as big as Coburg Lake it's always seemed to be more serene and peaceful each time I've been. Seating a plenty, picnic tables, swimming complex, cafe, playgrounds, free BBQ facilities, walking and biking tracks, peace, wildlife, romantic.... The list goes on and on. The best thing to do is come and experience it for yourself, particularly if you live on this side of Melbs.

Ive been going to Queens Park for over 30 years! I used to go there as a little kid with my parents…read moreand now Im still going there as a parent with my little kids now! Queens Park is a beautiful park and is more of a "botanical gardens" than a regular or wooded park. It contains a beautiful lake with 3 man-made islands and a large water fountain in the lake. Many different species of bird live on the islands including ducks, coots, black swans and others. Turtles can also be spotted. The walk around the lake can be done in 10 minutes but its nicer to amble slowly! There are 2 playgrounds in the park - on either side of the lake and have different equipment to each other - meaning that the kids get 2 playground experiences rather than one generic one. Parking is also remarkably easy around the perimeter of the park and it is quite normal to see joggers running through the park or newly weds having their wedding photos taken in the lush setting. The park borders a swimming pool (open in summer) and the Moonee Ponds bowling club and contains a small cafe near the western side playground. The park is perfect for a romantic walk around the lake at twilight with your lover (it is well lit with lamp posts and is not dangerous at night) yet is also a perfect place for taking the kids to burn off some of their excess energy in the daytime and is also a great place for a jog or exercise session!

Situated right in the middle of Mt Alexander road, this place is as central as it gets. Parking can…read morebe a little tricky but there can often be a spot in Mangalore St. It is the perfect place to take the kids on a rainy day or just when you need to get the rugrats out of the house for a few hours. Pros * this place is cheap! $6 per child and adults are free! * It is huge! I mean really huge! There is an indoor bouncy castle, a climbing maze thing, racetrack and a whole stack of other fun things to do! * There are 5 or 6 booths down the back wall that you can book for a party or for any reason really. Cons * If you have a baby, the babies corner is fairly small and bigger kids can jump the back of the chairs to get in so you will often see a 5 year old belly flop into the baby ball pit * Read their terms carefully, when they get busy they can throw you out after two hours. So make sure you ask before you hand over your cash. * All adults must be accompanied by a child. Don't you hate that? This is a great way to get the little ones all tuckered out so you can have a quiet night!

I'm pretty much a fan of anywhere I can take my kids on a rainy day where they can have fun, I can…read moresit down and watch and maybe read a magazine, and we can all eat. So I was grateful to find Tickety Boo, the oldest indoor play centre in Melbs and perhaps the last one I found. Not far out of the city, just up past the Royal Children's Hospital on Mt Alexander rd you'll find Tickety Boo. Open til 5 seven days per week, cheap play rates (around $5 entry for kids to play as long as they want), age appropriate play grounds and toys from babies right up to about 14. A great cafe inside offering healthy and fried foods, plenty of tables and seating for mums and dads, and a stack of mags to allow parents some down time as well. A couple of themed rooms for birthday parties (I prefer World of Kaos' set up in Roxburgh Park but the kids will love this one just the same). Honestly, you don't get this much rest and relaxation at home! And if your kids are 3 and over you won't need to supervise too much, and it's great because you can pretty much watch from any table or seat in the centre.

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.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I wandered into the place. Well, no, I can't really, but…read moreit turned out to be an old brick stable that had been converted into a coffee shop, or at least a place where you can go and grab some brunch. I didn't mind the place, and it is a nice location, in a park. They also served a reasonably nice pot of tea, though nothing all that great. Still, it was nice.

(Visited 12/16/24 MO @ 12:00pm): This "river of mists" would've been welcomed on this scorching day…read morewhile out on a casual walk! A friend and I were on Day 3 of our 12-Day Southern Australia Explorer cruise with Princess Cruises, we took the local train into town, and after some initial exploration, we eventually made it to Birrarung Marr. To be honest, we knew nothing of this place until we casually came upon it. In Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung culture, "Birrarung" was the traditional name of the nearby Yarra River, and "marr" referred to the mist that sometimes settled over the Birrarung. This area was historically used for railway lines and yards in 1856. In 2000, construction of the park began and opened in 2002. The park now hosted a variety of native flora, sculpted terraces, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and was used for numerous events and festivals throughout the year. ArtPlay, a children's art center and gallery was also located on the site. Lastly, pedestrian bridges (William Barak and Tanderrum, respectively) bookend the park. Would we marvel at this public open space along the Birrarung!? PURCHASE Unless you took a river cruise, dined at a nearby eatery, or did some shopping, there were no direct ways to spend money towards the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. SERVICE I saw a few supposed city employees who cleaned and took care of the surrounding area. Otherwise, there wasn't anything else directly related to the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) There appeared to be a decent amount of parking on all surrounding streets (please note any posted signs), onsite parking at the nearby Federation Square, and of course the wonderful public transportation such as the tram system which we conveniently took and then walked the rest of the way - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE As previously mentioned, this was a completely exposed outdoor area with several art sculptors https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=jFWhi7YvYd0e2r9VU2S85A while the park was decorated in Christmas cheer https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=2k72ZA4tgRzz1XZmFCJdSQ and a beautiful downtown city view https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=eBa5d7pRaKR0QezOOy6M7Q just across the river. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting (duh!) while the night stars and electric business and street lights, respectively, filled in the rest. There weren't any TVs while the sounds of construction, conversations, motorized vehicles, and more were heard in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=ch5R0TpstGK_nVzKB0Cw1Q ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Birrarung Marr was a pleasant surprise to had come upon, and it was a relaxing time as we walked from one end to the other before we left on our next adventure. I was a huge fan of public open spaces used for multiple purposes that invited people to feel comfortable, safe, and offered other options such as places to dine or simply people-watch. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00AUD / $0.00USD BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, although there wasn't anything directly you could've paid for to the park, my credit card of choice was accepted at nearly all of the surrounding businesses... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Located downtown near the Yarra River, this park area provides quiet, serenity, and the ability to…read morebike, run, or walk the pathways. Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds are conveniently located within a few minutes from this location. There are shops, vendors, and restaurants neaby to take advantage of. The city of Melbourne do a great service with this public park.

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.

If you've got a kid with energy to burn, this is the place they need to be. My 18 month old nephew…read morehas two speeds; fast and faster. This was an awesome place for him to run himself ragged. Until he ran himself into a table and the fun was over... The big play area has some cool stuff in it. Lots of slides, cushioned rollers and hidey holes *just* big enough for supervising adults to squeeze through, and in the centre a big funnel that sucks up and spits out balls. This delighted the kids to no end. There's also a smaller kids area for the 1-3 year olds and a jumping castle for bigger kids. They say suitable from 1-12, but I'd guess probably 1-9 is more accurate. There is an option to leave your kids there while you shop, but none of the [very] young attendants came anywhere near the play area. Not sure if it was because there were no unsupervised kids at the time, but probably only a decent option for older kids that can look after themselves. I don't know what the standard pricing is for these kind of places so I thought $10 per kid for 1-2 year olds was a tad steep given their attention spans. It's $4 for supervising adults which covers the 'complimentary' drink. Then again, he loved it and will no doubt sleep well after the run around so I'm sure his Mum got her money worth.

I am unable to post my feedback directly onto this companies FB page, as they keep deleting my…read morereview. So I will have to post it here. I do not appreciate your company deleting my review of your facility. This is social media, and you need to take the good with the bad. Perhaps the best way to 'handle' my poor review of your facility, is to respond that you will try better next time, and perhaps look into allowing children under 1 year of age in for free or a reasonable fee, since you do not have any real play facility for them. I will re write my review below so you can adequately respond, should you choose too. Also know, that my mothers group of 129 women are linked to this page, and are expecting to see my review here. So disappointed in the Docklands Monkey Mania. We called the day before and confirmed a deal, as our group of near 10 mothers had young babies 5 months and younger. The staff member gave her name and said 100%, what she was saying could be done. As each member of our group arrived, the manager Prim was at the entry, and proceeded to 'argue' with each mother in our group, stating that the staff member gave us the wrong information and the deal was not possible. Then after arguing, he gave us the original deal 'just this once'. He knew from the first mother, that there were at least 10 of us under the impression we could get that deal. And yet he tried to push each and every mother to pay full price. I found his attitude to be condescending and his behavior ridiculous. Our entire group paid the adult entry, PLUS each of us ordered lunch (which took over an hour to arrive). I don't think Prim understands business. I don't think he understands that perhaps a group of near 10 mothers should be treated respectfully so they choose to return again. However, I can tell you, none of us will be. Prim ensured we each knew the 'deal' we had been offered was never to be repeated. The 'deal' was to allow our 4 month old babies into the play center for free, instead of $10.50. Why in the world should we pay $10.50 per infant, when there are no facilities for the babies to play. There was not even a safe area to lay out a mat to allow the babies to play on the ground. As stated, I am hugely disappointed with the way each and every one of us were treated upon entry. We will not be returning ***********UPDATE*************** Holly from Monkey mania responded to me via facebook message with Dear *Me* and the Mothers Group, You appear internet savvy as displayed by your proficient use of Facebook. We would have expected that with those skills you would have seen our entry pricing on our website prior to attending and failing that respected our large entry fee poster at our reception. Instead you have chosen to rely on a conversation over the phone with an employee that was held during a busy school holiday day. As much as we would like to throw our wonderful facility open to all our customers for free, unfortunately we are a business that strives to provide a safe and clean environment for our customers. To do this we unfortunately have to charge. Shame on you for calling a staff member's behaviour, who is merely following policy, as "condescending and ridiculous". You further assert that there are no facilities for anyone that was in your group to play. Interestingly, the video footage of that we have just viewed would seem to contradict that. You also assert that everyone in your group ordered lunch. Again our video footage would contradict that. I do note that you removed that comment in your second posting. For those that did order lunch, we do apologise as our kitchen did have an electrical issue today that did cause a delay. For that we are extremely apologetic. ************************** You decide if you want these sorts of people around your children, teaching them manners and such.

Oh Yarra Park, how I love you! Especially given that you are essentially my backyard (and more…read moreimportantly my little puppy Willis' too)! With your wide tree lined paths, playground by Jolimont Station, the Avenue of Legends bronze statues and the sporting mecca that is the MCG in your grounds, what's not to love? I love to walk my dog there most days and often head down for some sets of "stair runs" at the MCG! There are lots of off leash dog areas to let the fur children run riot for a while, and the council also provides lots of dog waste bags, so if you get caught out, you can still be a responsible dog owner. Even though this park is so close to the city it's pretty peaceful once you wander in. It's full of cars during footy matches so you have to avoid it at those times. But apart from that, it's a great local park to have!