Sydney has a lot of beautiful parks, but the expansive Callan Park has to be one of my favourites…read more Home to and starting point of Sydney's Bay Run (http://www.bayrun.com.au/?page_id=33), Callan Park is the perfect setting for exercise, dog walking and water-side strolls. Plus, as it was once the grounds of Callan Park Hospital for the Insane, it has bucket loads of eerie history. Heaps of off-leash dog areas means that any trip to Callan Park will often involve puppy encounters. The bays here are great for taking your pup for a swim as well (although locals say not to let them venture out too far due to lurking giant dog eating fish i.e. sharks) and double as a nice place to pop your own feet in the water. There's one inlet in particular that is my favourite spot to clear my head, a rock jutting out over the glittery water with five or six old wooden boats propped up on the shore. The bay run is a beautiful exercise backdrop, but if 7kms is a little daunting then the Callan Park Oval is an equally nice spot and committed crowds come here to prove it. If you prefer to escape the heat of middle-of-the-day exercise, the sports field lights are switched on at night, meaning you can get your night-time run in without tripping on an exposed root cloaked by the night. Callan Park Hospital for the Insane is now home to Sydney's School of Contemporary Arts (SCA). Many of the original wards remain, and a trip to the grounds at night time make for a particularly creepy experience (especially if you have a great story-teller in your midst). The history is worth checking out, but if it's not your kind of thing then the buildings are quite beautiful none the less. In summary, Callan Park is a) Beautiful b) Water-side c) Picnic friendly d) Exercise friendly e) Dog friendly f) Historical g) Interesting/Eerie h) Beautiful

Another one of Sydney's fantastic parks is Callan Park, located South-East of Rozelle and North of…read moreLilyfield. It's a very large park situated on the former location of the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane. It was part of the Rozelle Hospital complex with lines Iron Cove. I'm not sure if there may be some institution buildings still being used, but you can definitely see them scattered across the land. Now, it's filled mostly with empty ovals where people run laps, play with their dogs, or picnic. There are also lovely paths to jog or bike along (including the Bay Run, which passes right by), kids' playgrounds, and a playground designated for "cardio," with chin-up bars, benches, and poles. According to the Sydney City Farm website, the park was actually designed using 19th century landscaping meant to be therapeutic. For me, a run along the cove was definitely therapeutic.

Although at the time I didn't know the name of this place, I had discovered it while driving around…read morelooking for locations to do some photography. And yes, it's a great place for taking pictures, try the sunset for pictures of the harbour panorama. Or, if you're the more professional type, and have some clients or models, try this location for some beautifully backlit head shots and group photographs After a while it was no longer a place I'd go to do photography, but to take girls I'd met, it's the perfect view, quiet and intimate and relaxed. Take a bottle of wine, a blanket, and maybe some cheese if you're getting hungry, it's incredibly romantic sitting on the grass, and soaking up the views. If you're getting to 'hot' there, cool off in the beach besides the park, it's also very secluded enough for some skinny dipping. It's always open, and a great venue for families during the day, and couples during the night.

The Green Point Reserve is amongst Sydney's most precious green spaces, primarily because it offers…read moreviews of the entrance of the Harbor at Watson's Bay. I'm proud to say that this reserve was the first opportunity I had to witness panoramic views of the city and it's natural splendor. You can see the entire skyline from here. Moreover, it is the best place to photograph The Gap, which is the massive ocean cliff that drops straight into the Tasman Sea. Around the reserve you can find some eucalyptus forest and other native fauna (the only thing better would be if wild koalas were hanging from the trees!). Ultimately, I think that it is best served as a place for picnics, as it is quiet and covered in lush grass. The only draw is that it is very hard to find some shade since most of the area open. Regardless, only requirement is that you bring your camera and walk down to the South Head area for spectacular photo ops. It's open 24/7, but I'm sure sunset is the best time to come.

This seems to be the location for the cruise ship to park and people to disembark. Several small…read morecafés in the area but the best is at least a block off of the main park area. Make sure you head out into the city and find all the fun places to shop and eat.

I never knew this was called First Fleet Park. Just 'the little park next to the MCA with the fab…read moreviews of Circular Quay and the Opera House', or 'where to wait and watch the ferocious one-legged seagulls before you catch a ferry'. Or, at the moment, 'where to have a bit of a sit and people-watch under the divine purple snow of the jacaranda trees'. There's an enormo grove of palms, some big kangaroo paws and a bunch of ferns just planted, making it a welcome bit of green space in such a built up area. It's often a busker hangout too, and whether they're in residence or not, just watching the world go by is the cheapest entertainment there is. Just keep your eye on the seagulls.

This is a quick little lookout that sits adjacent to Kirribilli House (the PM's residence oooohhh)…read more Many people might not know it exists but if you are wandering down in that area check it out because once you get to the bottom of the steps there is a shelf of rock at water level that gives you an unobscured view of Fort Dennison. On the day I visited an angler was here doing a spot of fishing with his pooch, and we struck up a quick and friendly chat. He said he'd caught a few fish. I didn't want to impede on him too much so I took a few quick snaps, and bookmarked the spot in my brain for a return on another day. For photographers, I suspect that if you get down there early enough with the tripod you'd could probably get a spectacular sunrise shot, that hasn't been done to death like every other vantage point in Sydney. Hidden locations like this get a big thumbs up in my book :)

I discovered the Lady Gowrie Lookout entirely by accident. I wanted to have lunch on a Sunday late…read morelunch after completing 21.1km foot race in Sydney's CBD. This epic lovely overlook is basically in a Kiribilli residential sub division that overlooks Sydney's waterways. It's nice that it is basically around the corner from my accommodations here in Kiribilli for a weekend in mid September. Basically for my birthday and to run 21.1 km in and around Sydney's CBD district and on the harbor bridge. You can see leisure boats drift through area and just enjoy the landscape that this area provides. It's quite remarkable though how such a small scenic area can be one of the things to do on a trip here. It wasn't planned by any means, but I just saw a sign on the end of the street and that piqued my interest. I arrived here around 2:30pm after picking up lunch at the Thai Fusion Thai Restaurant nearby. The combination of great scenery and the Sydney waterway made the experience and lunch way more special and nice than to dine in the open air restaurant, especially when there is a public bench and a table for anyone to use. I'm sure that there is more of the lookout to explore, but I stayed near the street level and had lunch on the public bench. I probably have spent about 30 minutes here and noticed about 8 people coming through the area to check things out like me. Tourists do love a good sightseeing opportunity - as did I. The overall experience here at the Lady Gowrie lookout was simple, casual, quiet, and windy. Yes, it was rather windy that Sunday afternoon. It was rather annoying, but I welcomed it since I had ran 21.1km earlier that morning. Felt great to be there to enjoy the rest of the day unwinding from that experience. The lookout was inviting and quiet intimate, especially because it felt like a miniature park, bordered by water. I'm sure that the houses here along the water fetch an expensive amount of cash, but I'm sure it is well worth the stunning gorgeous views everyday. I imagine the Lady Gowrie lookout is maintained by the city authorities of Sydney or some local Kiribilli government department. If nothing else, private citizens and users of the lookout should keep the area clean and inviting. The Lady Gowrie lookout is located at the end of Kiribilli Avenue in the Kiribilli / North Sydney. I'm glad that my hotel accommodations were a short hop away, so I could discover this hidden gem on a whim. The best part of the Lady Gowrie lookout experience was that there is no admission fee required. That was clearly the best, although most of these type of parks and open green areas are usually free of admission. I was happy that there wasn't any type of gate or anything blocking access to it or needing permission to enter. Public green spaces are meant for the public to enjoy nature and an escape from the real world. Looking at the leisure boats while having lunch was nice. It made me think about what I want to do when I retire. Coming to Sydney and having a boat is a nice dream, so I will hold onto that dream till it becomes a reality. The ambiance was perfect and terrific. If you can drive here, there's always street parking along the residential areas where you can find them. Certainly walking is good too, especially when you can walk on the Sydney harbor bridge! However, if you are like me, there is a train station here in Kiribilli / North Sydney, but I decided to use uber to get here, so my legs can have a rest after that 21.1 km run mentioned earlier. For the most part though, I enjoyed my time here having the best time - watching the boats and wishing I was on one of them. Just for fun and just for a day, just to be one of those people who have a boat. Lol I would like to recommend coming here, if you like to have an alternate meal experience, rather than being at a nearby restaurant. Come do your take aways here and let nature do its thing. The surf helps soothe the soul and the boats help emphasize that I need to earn more to buy a boat! I would recommend coming here, if you just want something different. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. The table could be cleaner, but it's a nice green open space for anyone to enjoy. Support local! A

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!

Nice park with a nice, although small, playground. The playground is definitely for young children…read more I think I wouldn't recommend it past age 5. The park itself is large with lots of space to run around. Not a lot of shade though.

Tranquil and nice park in Kensington! I like to come here after work to be in touch with nature,…read moreread a book, get some sun and relaxing. There is not much to do/see, but there is a playground for the kids and some benches to enjoy the park.

Your sanctuary to temporarily escape from the city hustle and bustle, if you wish. Who would have…read morethought that such a simple park as this would blend in so nicely into Surry Hills Crown Street territory. Perfect. Popular with families who have little ones, they get to enjoy the Surry Hills vibe too. Perfect locale, right across the road from the library with free WiFi, and must I say from awesome and popular Gelato Messina too. Grab yourself a scoop (or two) of quality ice cream in a cup, and enjoy in a park, as opposed to on the street scape. A fairly good picnic destination for families and couples too.

I don't know how anyone can stand to eat lunch at their desk. People talk about how breaks make you…read more40% more productive, the staggering stats on our nation's rates of vitamin D deficiency despite being one of the sunniest countries in the world, and really who wants to work when there are breaks to be had! And particularly not when you have places like Shannon Reserve nearby. Shannon Reserve is prime lunch eating property with plenty of seating, sun (please select from dappled or full), a plethora of takeaway vendors nearby and no ibises! The Veggie Patch Van is usually parked a few metres away on Tuesdays too. One of my favourite features however is that it's probably the second best place in Sydney after the airport for people watching. Inner city hipsters, mothers' groups, office workers on their lunch breaks, immaculately dressed children, Sydney's homeless, musicians jamming on their guitars, people doing yoga, dogs big and small with their owners big and small... Shannon reserve gets them all! If the sun never set, this would be where I would park myself all day long with a scoop of Gelato Messina from across the road, a pair of sunnies and a smile on my face.

Not a long trail. Maybe one and a half miles? Not as dramatic views but not as inundated with…read moretourists . Part of the path is wooded, which is a nice contrast to the coastal areas. Pathway consist of boardwalks, through the woods, or over rocks . sneakers will do fine. One end of the trail is sharks beach, which is a nice area to take a dip to cool off. Trust me once the sun breaks out, even on a fall day, It's nice to take a dip. There are also showers at the beach.