My equal fave nature place in the Northern burbs is Queen's Park. It's frequented by families,…read morechildren, the elderly and fitness fans who take advantage of the many perks about this tranquil park. There are two playgrounds either side of the lake, walking and bike tracks, a gorgeous pergola/gazebo complete with white turret roof. Situated right on the lake, this magnificent area is perfect for wedding photos and is quite often used as a place to get married or to have wedding pics taken. When the giant water feature display comes on in the background the beauty of the scene it creates, particularly from the pergola with ferns and lush greenery in the background, truly takes your breath away. The Queen's Lake Cafe is situated on the opposite side of the gazebo next to one of the two playgrounds. They serve up delicious, homely and oh-so-worth-not-packing-a-picnic sort of food. Fresh rolls, focaccia and hot food, as well as perfecto tea and coffee, this is one playground you won't mind taking the kids to! Even though it gets busy here and not as big as Coburg Lake it's always seemed to be more serene and peaceful each time I've been. Seating a plenty, picnic tables, swimming complex, cafe, playgrounds, free BBQ facilities, walking and biking tracks, peace, wildlife, romantic.... The list goes on and on. The best thing to do is come and experience it for yourself, particularly if you live on this side of Melbs.

Ive been going to Queens Park for over 30 years! I used to go there as a little kid with my parents…read moreand now Im still going there as a parent with my little kids now! Queens Park is a beautiful park and is more of a "botanical gardens" than a regular or wooded park. It contains a beautiful lake with 3 man-made islands and a large water fountain in the lake. Many different species of bird live on the islands including ducks, coots, black swans and others. Turtles can also be spotted. The walk around the lake can be done in 10 minutes but its nicer to amble slowly! There are 2 playgrounds in the park - on either side of the lake and have different equipment to each other - meaning that the kids get 2 playground experiences rather than one generic one. Parking is also remarkably easy around the perimeter of the park and it is quite normal to see joggers running through the park or newly weds having their wedding photos taken in the lush setting. The park borders a swimming pool (open in summer) and the Moonee Ponds bowling club and contains a small cafe near the western side playground. The park is perfect for a romantic walk around the lake at twilight with your lover (it is well lit with lamp posts and is not dangerous at night) yet is also a perfect place for taking the kids to burn off some of their excess energy in the daytime and is also a great place for a jog or exercise session!

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.

All the above stars are from the kids! If it were my choice of venue it would be the nearest day…read morespa and I'd be horizontal gettin' all Zen n stuff! But this is their day and it's a place any child would happily divorce their parents to move into 24/7 if it was an option. Lots of slides climbing gear etc etc ( you can tell I'm impressed huh?) but an adequate cafe, coffee wasn't too bad either! So here I sit happily dreaming of day spas while my kids scream with glee amongst the tens of hundred of other kids doing the same thing......bliss.

NOTES: ~ Bring some good tennis shoes or hiking boots. I…read moredidn't expect us to end up here when my friends and I went out for a drive and ended up needing to navigate through Kangaroo poop and rocks with open-toed heels. La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is great for people who want a nice experience of Australian wildlife, but don't have the money to go deep into the outback. I fit the bill, and I genuinely really like this place! It is quiet, serene, and even better if you play the Jurassic Park theme song in your head while wandering through the pristine jungle-like reserve. Prepare to meet KANGAROOS! We saw some adorable kangaroos and silently watched them for a bit of time. Because the kangaroos aren't kept in cages or enclosures, the experience at this wildlife sanctuary is even better than an actual zoo! The kangaroos are free to roam - just be careful not to piss anything off! La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary is a fantastic nature experience and I would definitely bring anyone here. In fact, it makes me quite jealous of students attending La Trobe University! They get easy access to a beautiful reserve!~

This place is sooo fun. The play ground was huge, the slides were really fun to go on, and the food…read moreis amazing! This is a perfect way to spend a birthday party, and a rainy day. This is highly recommended to me. And now I recommend this place to you. Trust me, it is so fun, time will fly past in an instant.

My kids loved it. So did there dad big kid. Customer service was excellent friendly helpful. Great…read moreway to spend hot or rainy day.

Templestowe you have done it again with yet another totally awesome park. This one is located on…read moreThe Grange and is surrounded by large houses. The park itself is always pretty quiet as not many cars tend to peruse this street. There is a fun playground with lots of unique play equipment. It is very colourful as well. There is a swing set, a climbing frame and some springy toys for young children as well. For older patrons there is a netball and basketball hoop complete with little concrete squares to allow a small game. For cricket fans there is even a set of three wickets in the middle of the reserve. There is plenty of grass to run around on and a nice scattering of trees that provide just the right amount of shade. To help you enjoy the surrounds are three wooden seats. It is a really nice place to relax on a warm afternoon and is big enough for a few people to share without feeling cramped.

Bounce like it's 1999 children. Neon colours, no shoes allowed and pretty much do whatever you want…read more(within reason and only if you follow the safety rules) place of happiness. Bounce Inc brings out the youthful, well respected rebel in us all. The basic facilities are well kept. The seating areas are clean and there's a hipster inspired Tuck shop. As well as a gift store. The staff are here to help you be happy. Whether that's some helpful advice on how to do basic tricks or jumping into a game of dodgeball to help even the scores. Maybe it's all the brain shaking that goes on here but these were seriously the happiest staff and most helpful staff I've ever come across. You truly learn to appreciate The Big Ass Fans as you bouncing around. Near silent but providing such welcome cool relief. There's 5/6 areas to explore including a dodgeball arena, basketball hoops, The wall and my personal favourite the track work and huge air bag. That's for your pleasure when your doing flips and stuff. A word of warning. You'll have a lot of fun here. Don't spoil your fun with incorrect clothing. Try avoid any stuff materials like denim (jeans) or super floaty yoga style tops. A basic close fitting tee and shorts or cropped leggings work well.

What an absolute hoot! Trying to get more active, and do it…read morein a fun way, I dragged 8 mates along with me for an hour at bounce. And by an hour, I mean we didn't get started until 5 past, and most of us were well and truly done by 10 mins to the hour. Jumping up and down is tiring man! (Come on, we were all aged from 26 to 36, the kids out there didn't break a single sweat!) They've got multiple styles of trampoline, from regular mats, to ones on the wall, ones with bends, a few to jump off the end into a giant pit thing (like my use of technical terms there?), some you can jump up onto actual wooden walls, a slam dunk area, and even a dodgeball section. For the real experts you can strap on a foam board, not dissimilar to a snowboard or wakeboard, and practice your jumps. It's $16 for an hour, or get together 10 of you and it drops to $13. Or get 9 of you and pay for 10 and still works out cheaper. The loss of 1 star is for the toilets. They were filthy, and stunk. And being a place with children, Unflushed every time I went. Im going to start doing something fun every week, and shall call it #wearekidswednesday so any ideas greatly appreciated! Fun Fact - you can pay $5 for a wrist band that you swipe before some of the areas, and it films you for 15 seconds, and then you can go and download / share you looking like a grown ass idiot with your friends! (Unfortunately mine isn't working though, so waiting on them to contact me)

Absolutely disgusting, do not go here. Do not waste your time. It is the dirtiest place I have ever…read morebeen to. As for the toddler area, all the toys are broken and dirty. I have been here twice and contacted them, but had no response. Do not go here; it is the most disgusting, dirtiest place I have ever been to.

I strongly believe that Crocs playcentre is the most fun playcentre in Australia. Firstly the…read moreslides are amazing there are different varieties of slides. Secondly when you don't know what to get your kids to eat get the crocs meal it is really yum. Thirdly there is a baby area so babies can play to. That is why I think you should go to crocs playcentre. Written by RH - aged 8

This park has not come up in my radar before despite its location, and what a shame that was!!!…read moreI managed to visit on a day off and sunny winter Melbourne day with the dog. Amazing great space and there's access to the water for the water loving dogs to dip in and out as they please. There's a few different sport zones ( soccer field, golf ) so you have to be mindful of visiting when there's a sporting event/ match. Otherwise it's a free run for the dog. There is also a no dog golf zone so watch out for stray golf balls of around this zone. Bike path runs next to the river and lots of benches to sit on. Love it and I will definitely visit more!

A firm favourite with our dogs! A truly enjoyable experience for all. Our dogs have many regular…read morefriends who visit, from Cavaliers to English Mastiff's! All dog owners are respectful.

This park is actually a part of the Darebin Creek Parklands, and it is a rather charming place as…read morewell. I walk past it reasonably often, and one of my local supermarkets is located nearby. Mind you, it is more a park for children to play in, so I guess I'm a bit too old to take advantage of that. Still, it is rather nice, and they do keep it in pretty good nick. Also, there are some nice shelters here as well, so that's pretty good as well.