Great kids playground! the tower to climb to get to the slide is the center of it all. Lots of fun…read moreto climb and slide and climb and slide again( and again,...)

On the corner of Grasmere and Young Streets there is a small playground surrounded by a white…read morepicket fence and shady trees. During the week it is always packed with mothers, prams and little kids. There are swings for big kids and swings for the little ones, a white four horse seesaw I remember from my childhood, a whirl-a-round seat that's a bit hard to twist with more than one adult in there, two slides and a couple of different climbing apparatus. Only a five minutes walk from coffee shops it's a good for mums with prams that want to get together over a take away cuppa whilst their kids play outdoors. Unfortunately there are no bathrooms at this park so it's back to said cafes if the kids (or you) need the toilet.

I attended a small picnic/going away party at this lovely park in early March. Five stars because…read morethe grounds are well maintained. You're at the beach. There are cooktops and plenty of rubbish bins. There's parking and nearby toilets which are also well maintained. Oh and it's dog friendly. The beach access is netted on one side so no pesky creatures can get in to eat the children. The sand is a little silty but it's clean. There's a pier from which children were daring each other to jump in the water. There's a water fountain and a shower to rinse your feet. Plus as we left and walked through the nearby neighborhood I met some lizard friends.

I don't know why this place isn't busier. It's just perfect. A harbourside beach reserve looking…read moreout to Chowder Bay that is dog friendly, has lots of open space, enclosed bathing area, a wharf that's popular for fishing, great picnic areas, brand new toilets and a fab playground to boot. The playground has sand flooring, great climbing structures, swings and even a disability swing. It's a complete mystery to me why it's so quiet during the week but perhaps that's why we love it so much. Parking is paid, which is fine for Mosman residenst with parking permits but a bit exxy otherwise. Bushwalks from the west end of the reserve are head around the Sydney Harbour National Park and though the start of the walk involves a number of steps once on the track it's pretty easy walking along well maintained track. There's an ice-cream van at the weekend and just over the beach is a Bacino Kiosk. Superb spot.

Berry Island Reserve is one of those neat little city sanctuaries that only a city like Sydney with…read moreits beautiful harbor would have. I take my daughter there - rain or shine - and carry her around the Gadyan Track in a Baby Bjorn. It feels like you are going for a bush walk in the country - you certainly don't feel like you're a 10 minute drive and with in sight of the harbor bridge. Make sure you wear good shoes as the track is rocky in areas and muddy when it rains. But don't let that stop you as it is sure to nourish the most smokey of city slicker souls. The kookaburras are in abundance and whenever I've been there during the week I've passed only one or two people on the track so it's not (yet) over run by people. There is a large open grassy area for dogs to run around (yes dog lovers they're allowed on a leash in the bushland areas) and a good slide and swing set for the kids to play on. To get there you follow Shirley Road in Wollstonecraft or walk 5 to 10 minutes from Wollstonecraft railway station. It's a steep walk down to get to the reserve so even the fittest people be prepared to sweat on the way home.

What a cute little garden. Keyword " small ." you literally feel like you're in someone's garden…read more It is submerged so you enter into a different world. Lots of free roaming turkeys. Actually prefer the views from above in Clark Park, so it's easy to do both. If you're just walking straight through it's only probably five minutes but I took my time so 10 to 15. Nice view across the Harbour into downtown.

No pictures cuz photos don't capture the beauty nor location of this garden. This not too secret…read moregarden (lots of people when we visited) can be a bit difficult to find so use mapping apps. Basically a terraced jungle setting in the middle of a metropolis, lots of paths and steps so be prepared for a bit of a workout in the summer. Located near Luna Park, though access between the garden and Luna Park is only through an underpass at the north end of the garden. Lots of shade, tables and benches to sit, and truly nice views of the Harbor Bridge. Free to boot so it's really a must-visit.

Hodgson Lookout is on the upper level of Kurraba Reserve at the southern end of Kurraba Road and is…read moreone of the least well known reserves on this foreshore that has spectacular harbour and city views. The park is accessible by bus, ferry or car with limited street parking. It is a great picnc area with a custom designed playground and massive fig trees to shade from the heat of summer. Dogs are welcome on the Reserve but are not permitted within 10m of the playground. There is seating and even a water bubbler. On New Year's Eve it is one of the only parks where alcohol is not permitted as its focus on a safe environment for families to enjoy. In the 1800's this land use to belong to Port Jackson and Manly steam ship company's for ferry maintenance, the workshops closed in 1974 and the land was purchased by the State Government and Kurraba Reserve, therefore Hodgsons Lookout was created. In Spring, the Jacaranda's rain their purple flower like confetti in the streets surrounding the Reserve with a celebratory feeling of summer is nigh.

Of late I have been driving around Sydney in search of awesome venues, views, parks and cafes, this…read morepark covered everything but the coffee. If you are after a location that has views of the harbour, specifically of heads of Sydney Harbour heads, then you will not find better than this. The views are stunning! The other amazing thing about this park is that only in a Australia would you put a cricket pitch in such an awesome location. Seems almost a waste. Though... if you are looking for the ultimate place to fly a kite in Sydney.... this is likely to be it. Another big plus about this park, especially if you have kids, is the enclosed play area (near the toilets), which also has a BBQ ready and waiting. This place is awesome and a must visit, especially if you have people in from out of town.

If I didn't play football here a few times this season I never would have discovered the…read moreexceptional eagles eyrie that is Tania Park. Just across the Spit and 10 mins from Manly, Tania sits perched precipitously atop a bushy tabletop headland looking over Sydney Harbour and out through the heads into open ocean (and the pirate's law that I'm led to believe is in force in international waters). I watched Jessica Watson sail her yacht The Pink Lady back into Sydney after her record-breaking round-the-world solo voyage as a sprightly 16 year old from here, one of the highlights of 2010. Cracking for walks, dates, sports, dates, and dates. (and hey, do you fly kites? Because if you do, this place is your damned nirvana yo.)

Dr Mary Booth Lookout is probably something that many tourists and visitors to Sydney never get to…read moresee, and they'll be unhappy when they read this review and realised they probably walked, drove or public transported past it several times on their trip. Bummer dude! Why do I rate it so highly: - Look at the view - It's quiet and peaceful - You can have a picnic here - Plenty of room and seating is available - It's FREE to use How do you not miss out next time? Easy. There is a walkway below that runs along the harbour foreshore from Bradfield Park all the way to the lookout. Get on that and when you climb the steps you'll be here. Also there's some sort of Pagoda building with seats in the park, you can't miss seeing that.

Where else can you see the opera house & the Harbour bridge?!? Simply stunning - grab a picnic &…read moreenjoy the sights! Not much else to say as the pictures say it all

Just look at that view! It's the kind that makes you pinch yourself that you're a Sydneysider - and…read moreit's definitely a view that you want to smugly show your overseas visitors. Preferably on New Years Eve. Oh yes I've spent many a NYE on these shores. Every year it seems to be a bit more restricted (more cops, more checks), but the result is that it's a great place for families to come and watch the 9pm fireworks - you'll just have to make sure you send a vanguard EARLY! But actually I prefer Blues Point every other day of the year, when I can wander down with a book and a coffee (see my Allpress rave from The Point Deli) and soak up some sun and that view for an hour or two. Bliss!

This is a view of Sydney Harbour if I ever did see one. The first thing I thought of when I drove…read moredown to this spot was what an amazing place to view the New Years Eve fireworks from. My second though was that it's a pity the grassed area is so small as I imagine every man and his dog would be trying inch their way in to the perfect viewing position. And it's got to be THE perfect viewpoint. The bridge looks complete, your virtually in the centre of it and only far enough away for it to be too close. I probably would attempt it on fireworks night but I would take any out-of-towners there for the complete view. There's also a designer playground... meaning no colourful plastic equipment here - silver shaped climbing frames... on second thoughts it might be workout gear for big people.

Do you love getting nude?…read more Do you lament the restricting nature of contemporary underwear and long to let your skin breathe under God's blue sky, as nature intended afore Eve bit from the poisoned apple and condemned us to a life of self-awareness, shame and rhine-stoned Gucci t-shirts? Well, have I got the place for you: Obelisk Beach, one of Sydney's very few havens for the pants-free lady and gentleman. You'd barely know this place existed but for a sign on Middle Head Road down towards Chowder Bay. Pull the car over, skip down a short bush path and there she blows, a tiny, beautiful stretch of sand where you can shed those duds, spread those legs and wave at the Manly ferries as they chug by with their load of gawking tourists with their telephoto lenses. There's even a little hollowed out area in the shrubbery that serves as a changing room. No camping, fires or pets are allowed, but wangs and hoo-hoos aren't just okay - they're welcomed! Wee!

Raining, windy, cool! Total bliss after the last few days cremating! The water was beautiful!…read moreParking no problems today, 2 others there and $4 for 24 hours because the machine is damaged! Now off for coffee. Craig keeps saying he can't believe you have to pay for parking. Obviously he hasn't been here since he left high school....