A GOOD REST-STOP OFF THE HIGHWAY IN SPRINGWOOD…read more When you are driving east up to Katoomba on the Great Western Highway and you have just passed Springwood Station, you could maybe use a short break from driving. A convenient rest-stop is Buttenshaw Park, right next to the GWH between Lewin Street and Churchill Street, Springwood. This park has formal gardens, a picnic area, a children's playground and PTL restrooms. A pretty big park with flowering garden beds and lawn areas. The City of Springwood puts a lot of work into maintaining the gardens. Buttenshaw Park has this really neat vine tunnel, which you can see in the picture I posted. Sorry the picture quality is not great, but you get the idea. Springwood Aquatic Centre swimming pool is at the northern end of the Park. It's nice enough for a wedding here. First Class Ceremonies, of Castle Hill, does wedding ceremonies in this park.

Birdwood Gully Park has one of the nicest little bushwalks ever. I kid you not. We used to live…read morejust near here and did this loop trail walk a few times a month except in winter. Birdwood Gully Track, inside the park, is a classic easy bush walk of 2.5 km where you see lots of colourful birds, and rainforest trees and ferns. There's a waterfall in the Madoline Glen section and some bridges to cross over the stream. The main entry points are located on Boomerang Road or via Bednal Road. Takes about 30 minutes and is a better bushwalk than most further up the mountain. Check out the pictures on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandy_123/sets/72157628379478729/

Stopped by this park on the way to Katoomba as it sounded pretty good!…read more It wasn't. The Oaks were very disappointing. Why on earth would they plant the same couple of species of Oak over and over? How boring is that? There are so many to choose from, why not go crazy and plant some interesting Oaks. 5 stars for the Monkey Puzzle and the Hoop Pine. At least I think that's a Hoop Pine! I'm 100% sure on the Monkey Puzzle. It's worth going to this park just to see those two trees. They would get 5 stars, but the Oaks brought the score down to 3.

In 1933 this strip of parkland was donated (by the kind of person who has land just to give away, I…read morepresume) in order to have every Prime Minister, or closest surviving relative, plant a tree. The result is this pathway of graduated trees, a couple of statues and a marker commemorating George William Evans on his first official survey over the Blue Mountains. Now, the state of the various trees leads one inevitably to jokes about Aussie PMs characterised as plant life, but I'll just leave you with one observation. The tree planted by John Howard has been chopped off at the neck, and unaccountably fails to thrive.

Nice small park in the village with. Cool theme for a playground (transportation). Plenty of space…read morefor the dogs to run and the kids to play. So glad to have found this when staying nearby.