Observatory Hill, yes "Observe" and enjoy!…read more If you work in the city and want a place to get away from the stress of work and collect your thoughts, without tramping through the CBD in a vain search for solace; then this is the closest one can get to a small slice of nirvana. The many park benches sit under the sweeping branches of majestic figs, the eye drawn downwards to the view of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the heritage buildings in the near distance, the observatory and pergola behind, a master painter's vision come alive! Read a book, eat a sandwich and even, if only for a fleeting moment, feel guilty at the sight of people jogging, cycling and exercising; you will never feel alone in your serenity yet, in this small fraction of the city, you will be all consumed by an immeasurable and perfect calm.

I'm not really sure how well the observatory works here with all of the light pollution from the…read moreSydney CBD, but I didn't come here (initially) for the observatory (though I will probably go there the next time I am in Sydney). However the gardens themselves afford a wonderful view of the harbour (and the bridge, if you consider the bridge to be anything more than, well, a bridge).

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.

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

This was relatively close enough for an outdoor experience. It really is create your own adventure…read moreas there are a lot of things to do here. We decided to do the wedding cake hike, here was our experience. Directions: What's nice is that this is a common hike,; the directions are simple if you're at the main entrance. Hiking Difficulty: If you're coming from the main entrance, it really isn't that difficult, if you're on the trail, you don't need fancy hiking shoes. Overall: 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the hike here. I admire the different scenery from the ocean to the rock patterns. Shading changes now and then and it took maybe 1.5 hrs total. There are many more things to see, so be sure to plan and schedule things accordingly. TL;DR Tips: * Parking is free but limited * Bring hiking shoes to be safe. * Wedding Cake Rock is now gated off * 2nd Oldest National Park in the world!

Royal National Park is the second oldest national park in the world, with Yellowstone in USA being…read morethe first. About a 45 minute drive from Sydney CBD, Royal National Park is definitely worth a visit if you want to get away from the city. With the lush beauty, peaceful surroundings, various wildlife, scenic hikes, and relaxing beaches, Royal National Park doesn't disappoint. As part of a small tour group, we visited the Royal National Park back in January 2014 and enjoyed the gorgeous views from Stanwell Tops and Sea Cliff Bridge; the cool, calm waters and warm, soft sand from Jibbon beach; and a mild hike along The Coast Track for a breathtaking panoramic view of the blue Pacific Ocean. Whether visiting Royal National Park on your own, with family or friends, or as part of a private tour group, there's plenty of activities to suit your needs: hiking, biking, picnic lunches, canoeing and kayaking... the list goes on. It's the perfect place to spend a day or two to relax.

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

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.

Sydney Harbour has certainly changed over the the years, namely because a lot of the industrial…read moresection has been moved out and sent down to another part of the coast (namely Botany Bay and Newcastle). This, the harbour looks a lot greener than it used to, particularly with this section which used to be an oil refinary. You can still see where the tanks used to sit, though they aren't there any more. Instead it has basically been turned into a park, and there as some pretty awesome lookouts here as well.

What can I say. On a spectacular blue sky day such as when I walked through this park, nearly any…read morepark would seem sensational. Being so close to the harbour with a view of the Sydney Harbour bridge however gives this surprisingly large park an edge. I would classify this park as a picnic haven. With the wide expanse of grass and the large old trees looking down, this park is, on a word, peaceful. What surprised me was that heading towards the water, past the toilets on the right, were stairs down to a sports field. I envy the.teams who play here as it has a truly awesome view of the boats bobbing up and down. While not a park with masses of play equipment, for those that bring your own kite, soccer ball or cricket bat, I am sure you'll find a way to pass the time. :-)

A very nice Citi park near city center. With the name reserve, I expected it to be more of a Nature…read more area. But think of it as an urban park with spectacular of views of the harbor. On one end they created a natural swimming pool out of a cove . If you want more shaded area, you can walk up the stairs or use the elevator to walk on the plateau overlooking the Harbour

Barangaroo Reserve is Sydney's newest Harbour foreshore park - marking the transformation of one of…read morethe city's oldest industrial sites into a spectacular, six-hectare headland open space for Sydneysiders and visitors to embrace and enjoy. It can be a bit hot and sunny getting here. I walked from South Barangaroo to the Reserve and had to cool down in the shade while viewing Wellama, a contemporary re-imagining of Welcome to Country, commissioned for the entrance to the Cutaway in Barangaroo Reserve. The breezes from Sydney Harbour helped a lot.