A wonderful hidden little strip of nature. A wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of…read moresuburbia, parks like this are largely underappreciated. Brought the wife and kids down here a couple months ago for some live jazz, and whenever we visit friends nearby we picnic with their family here too. Today I brought my laptop and got some work done in the shade, listening to the water fowl play, and the other murmurings of a park. A pleasant reminder that I should share my love of this special place with my fellow suburbanites. Pros: Proximity to life, great walks around the lake, wildlife, great for sunset/sunrise walks. Cons: No Swimming thanks to pollution.

It is amazing how Melbourne's suburbia hides away little pockets of nature. You can be driving…read morealong with the trees on the nature strip and eventually you realise the houses themselves are gone, replaced by the sprawling expanse of a sanctuary. Blackburn Lake Sanctuary is on of these many magical places. Tucked in from the train line and busier surrounding roads, it is near a number of schools, so it's no surprise their field trips will include walking through the park and looking for wildlife. With open park area and play ground for kids, there is perfect space for picnics and events. Community music events - like a jazz festival in February - will often set up shop here for people to attend and listen for free. And after you've stuffed yourself with nonna's best home cooking and cleaned up the paper plates, what better way to burn it all off than with a walk around the lake itself. Not so big that the whole family couldn't do it, there are several smaller paths leading to different places outside the realms of the park. One school actually backs on it, as does a nearby church. All manner of wildlife can be found - ducks, birds, even a fox once or twice. Don't swim - apparently in the 50s they used to, but sadly water pollution has turned that idea quite sour. However, sitting by the water and watching life go by has never looked better.

These gardens were absolutely gorgeous. Personally, I just saw a green patch on my map application…read moreand decided to check it out, and while they were doing some work on parts of it, by the most part it was lovely. It has some gorgeous flower beds, and in normal times it would be a lovely place to spend some time, especially during one of the nice summer days. Like a lot of these gardens there is also a rotunda. Oh, and it isn't too far from some nice coffee shops either.

The address notes one entrance for Gardiner's Creek. In reality, the path stretches a long way,…read morefrom a start near St Kevin's school all the way to Blackburn (a sort of north east trajectory). It's great to jog along, as the path is almost entirely shaded. Sometimes you'll be running with only a tiny distance between you and the houses around you, but sometimes it'll be great expanses of greenery. One could use the word "lush" accurately here. I walk the particular stretch noted with my dog. It's a good distance for a walk, covering about a kilometre an a half, with a convenient bin along the way to drop the, um, rubbish. Look out for cyclists, there are a lot of them.

There are some great places to play hide n seek with little ones, a cafe and a skate park to burn…read moresome energy off. This fort built play area will give hours of enjoyment and with toilets, shade, swings and climbing equipment for all ages there is plenty to do. Enjoy.

Sometimes I wish I had kids, just so that I could have an excuse to spend hours at playgrounds like…read morethis. Then I remember that it's a free world and disapproving looks from the more mature members of the grown-up community does not prevent me from having a jolly good time on what has to be one of the most fantastic playgrounds in suburbia. It has everything. Everything. Wobbly things, running things, things to stick your head into and get it stuck, swings, slides, bridges, flying foxes and other general obstacles. I can only imagine how brilliant a game of tiggy would be (but at night, so as not to injure small bodies with my own lumbering clumsy one). Built by a team of parents, friends and workers, this playground is a wonderful gift to children, child-minders and child-minded alike. A great way to spend an afternoon in the sun, or even the gloom.

Ruffey Lake park has something for everyone. Plenty of…read moreBBQ's and covered tables and benches, fun playgrounds, and a huge off leash dog area. Clean toilets and actual working taps ( yes lots of public toilets have no working taps, no locking doors and just plain gross). I find Ruffey lake very enjoyable to visit and amenities are well maintained. Lots of hills and paths for variety. Definitely a lovely day out!

This is a big park. Like huge…read more It feels like you could be far away from the world, but then you can get a glimpse of nearby houses and a small view of the Doncaster mall sitting up on a hill. It really is nice for a daytime, the sun is out so you should be outside type of day. It's good for a walk around their many paths, or for a picnic on one of their many open hilly spaces. If I was a dog, this would be optimum day out stuff. Because at Ruffey Lake Park, there are dogs galore, on leashes, on the footpath, running around, soaking up some sun rays, taking a dip into the lake, this park is their oyster. The lake itself, is average size, it's nothing to exclaim over, or take in. For seating, if you didn't take a blanket with you and are one of those don't-like-grass people, then find yourself one of the many benches that are laid out throughout the park. For the kiddies, there are two playgrounds with swings and activities, I feel like whenever I've been here, that area is hands down the most populated part of the park. For all of your park needs, Ruffey Lake is a stand out.

The Mont Albert Reserve is one community area that is well loved. It is next to Box Hill Secondary…read moreCollege so I would avoid it around school starting and finishing times each day as it is suddenly inundated with students. There is a football oval that is complete with Cricket pitch. Football and Cricket clubs play here and there is clubhouse on the corner of the reserve, which they use. On the corner to the left of the clubhouse are a few basketball and netball courts. These are gravel but they have the lines marker out with paint. The oval itself is a popular dog walking spot in the mornings. Not everyone is honest about picking up their dogs poop so I would watch your step around the edges of the oval. The grass here is well maintained and is pretty much always looking good. Shade wise there are a lot of trees around the edges of the oval but none on it for obvious reasons.

Mahoneys Reserve in Forest Hill is HUGE. When I say huge I don't just mean HUGE, I mean MEGA HUGE…read more Read on and you will totally agree with me! Reasons to validate not only how HUGE this place is, but also how damn good it is: 1.This place has two general grassy areas surrounded by trees. These are wicked picnic spots with fluffy, comfy grass to lounge on. There are plenty of shaded areas as well as sunny spots. 2. It is right next to the Bob Saker Oval, which has a fence and is great for allowing your furry friend to run around without fearing that he/she might run away. Make sure to clean up after them though as this is used for sport regularly. 3. There is a massive multi-purpose field with goals and line markings used by various clubs. This is fenced off however so you will have to join a club to utilise this. 4. There is a large, un-fenced soccer field complete with goals at one end. This is a little shabbier than the oval with the fence, but at least it's free right? 5. There is a decent sized kids playground behind the oval. It is great for kids, or for getting a good view of the footy games played on weekends. 6. There is a heap of parking spots. 7. There are batting cages around the back of the clubhouse. (Did I mention there was a clubhouse?) 8. The Clubhouse is available for hire. Seriously guys, Mahoneys Reserve is the place to be if you are into sport. It totally rocks and is awesome to relax at on a sunny day.