They get the most of their natural features around here. The cliffs are impressive viewed from…read moreafar. Up close, separated bike and pedestrian paths run across land and occasionally boardwalks over the length of the cliffs, passing picnicking sites and athletic facilities along the way. A couple of sets of stairs scale the cliffs if you want a workout, which the people of Brisbane seem to because there are tons of workout classes on the parklands atop the cliffs, as well as some broad views of the city. Transit access is a little weaker than some other local spots, with only one stop on the slower of the Brisbane boat services (the faster CityCat skips this area completely for some reason), and few buses to be had even on the top side. But if you want to traverse the area on the ground, you'll find nice things.

Things I would prefer to do when visiting the Kangaroo Point Cliffs:…read more1. Lay in a part shade-part sun grassy knoll overlooking the river on a picnic blanket. 2. Sip one of Brisbane's best iced coffees from the Cliffs Cafe 3. Stand at the top of Kangaroo Point Cliffs and look at the beautiful view of the city I call home and think, "You know what? We're pretty lucky." Things I actually did while recently at Kangaroo Point Cliffs and won't admit I may actually have enjoyed: 1. Run the infamous Kangaroo Point Cliff stairs along with other crazy (sorry, FIT) people on a Sunday morning. I only made it twice before my legs became an ad for aeroplane jelly and said, "heck no you're not doing that again." But somehow I find myself craving a visit again this coming Sunday to better my record. INSANITY. Jokes aside my points are this: Kangaroo Point Cliffs is one of our cities best vantage points to take it all in. To appreciate our beautiful city and see the views from Southbank to past the Story Bridge. To take in some outdoor activities including rock climbing if you're with a Riverlife group or to cycle your way along the river front. To gather the weekend papers, a picnic blanket and a take away coffee to lay on the grass and read the day away. It is also a pretty nifty spot to enjoy the NYE fireworks and/or listen to concerts happening at Riverstage.

Stretching from the now ever popular Eat Street Markets to Northshore Hamilton, this former…read moreindustrial estate might be in a state of waiting but while it is, boy george, they're using it to their advantage. From cafes to shipping container markets and big top circus shows, Northshore Hamilton is a blank canvas. While it's not the easiest to get to on public transport (about 1 hour on the city cat from the city), there is ample parking for those who are driving.

Outside of my own sentimental affection for this park (I used to sleep under it's trees on long…read morewalks home from the Valley), Bradshaw Park is actually a lovely little park to go and have a picnic while in the 'burbs. It's got a barbeque there if you want to put some snags on, and it's got plenty of shade provided by the grove of trees there. The park is also big enough for you to have a game of cricket or footy if that's your thing. The Kedron Brook bike path runs through Bradshaw Park, giving cyclists a nice place to rest alongside the waterway.

What is there for two recent university graduates do on a Tuesday afternoon other than chill out in…read morePerrin Park and play in the playground? Perrin Park is quite beautiful with is expansive grassy areas, footpaths, fenced area to unleash your dog, plenty of parking spaces, clean toilets, fresh play equipment (some of which is still under construction since the recent flooding), and plenty of trees and shade to rest under. Tucked away in Toowong, this park offers a place to escape. The park is deceptively big with different sections split in the middle by a little creek. There are also some quite fun bike-things to play on. And the best bonus of all is that when I visited it today, there was a mama and a papa duck and 5 little ducklings (one for each star I give this park).

This is the sort of park I wish existed when I was a kid. As it is, I love it as an adult. Why?…read moreBecause finally they've put mini-roller-coasters in parks! Well, not exactly a roller-coaster - but as close enough as we'll get for free in a public park. What is described in elegant fashion by the Totaltravel website as "a pedal powered carson on a circular track" is like a giant toy train on a wheeled closed circuit. Unlike most trains, but similar to vehicular locomotion in The Flintstones, your feet are used to power the train. As fast as you peddle you can't break the kiddie-safe speed, but it's still awesome to ride, like you're a toy human in some giant's train set. I'm not the only immature one, either. The first time I glimpsed the roller-coaster addition to the park and yelled for the driver to stop the car, my companions (in their 20s and 30s) also got out and jumped on. That meant a few of us were late to uni classes. Totally worth it. There's old-school swings (read: new, but not awesome like a giant train) in the playground and there's also a rebound wall and off-leash park for dogs. *This biased review has been brought to you by the creator of the We Should Replace Public Transport With Roller-Coasters Facebook Group.

Did you know before I saw this park, I thought the Mansfield Place Wishart park was one of the…read morebetter ones for kiddies to go to... but I stand corrected. This park has all you need for your kids to have a super great time: 1) Shade - lots of shade for everyone, not just a big tree people hog! 2) A huge ass play area - which stretches about 50 meters! 3) Lots of things for little kids and big kids to play on, with space between so the little ones don't get clobbered! 4) It's across the road from Oxford St, hello... cafes! Restaurants! Food when they get feral. I love this park, it's definetely the best one. I stand corrected. It's in such a great neighbourhood too, really close to the Bulimba ferry which means... close to the water!

This little patch of land by the river seems to be a sop the developers provided to the council…read more(probably in exchange for some prime riverside land). There's not much in the way of trees (although they are growing as fast as they can bless them). There is a kids play ground and a fenced off leash dog area so if you have kids or pets you will no doubt see the point of visiting.

Rikki Bailey park is a decent park with equal amounts of pros and cons. It's not particularly…read moreattractive, however, it does have ample play equipment. Let's start with the pros... Pros - There is playground equipment - Includes, slides, swings and climbing apparatus - There is a half-court basketball court - Picnic table and chairs under gazebo - Plenty of trees - Plenty of space Cons - Playground equipment looks quite weathered - There are too many trees creating hiding areas in the bushes - The play grounds dry and full of twigs and sticks - There are no parking bays, just side road parking - Far from amenities like shops, cafes and transport - Not the most attractive park Not the sort of park you go out of your way for. It has most of the features needed of a park, but it does look at little dodgy.

Melrose Park is situated on the corner of Roseleigh Street and Rose Street in Wooloowin. It's a…read morepretty all round public space for young families and young adults to hang out at. There's a giant playground full of jungle gyms, rope castles for the tille one's to climb. In addition, the council have also installed a two-plated electric barbecue for an afternoon out. What's best is that the area has plenty of green covering to help you avoid getting sunburned. Connected to the playground is a small and tight skate park with a 4ft quarter pipe, a little fun-box and a selection of blocks and rails of different height to grind. The park itself is a little hard to manoeuvre around and if it gets too busy there's going to be a long wait for you to get a line on. Melrose also has an adjoining concrete basketball court and cricket nets. If you're hungry or thirsty there are shops about 200m up the road.

Like many of Brisbane's parks, Woolcock has gone over the last decade from being nothing more than…read moredirt, grass and a few lonely old swings to a respectable modern park. Woolcock is part of Brisbane's sweeping overhaul of park beautification and standardisation: sprawling, rolling and well-maintained grass; a playground including awesome swings that regrettably weren't around when I was a kid; and a path for power-walkers... in Woolcock's case, the path is stone and called Reflexology Walk. I'm no reflexology follower, but after loudly reading the sign with amusement I figured if I was going to talk the talk then I'd better walk the walk, so off went the shoes and I was taking the path to better health. Well, that's what the sign said; aside from the pleasant sensation of smooth pebbles on my feet, I did not develop the inferred health superpowers. However, it snakes by a creek and call me a cynic but it's damn pretty. Overall, like a park should be, the vibe is relaxed. Though not officially a dog park, many people bring their pets here for friendly interaction and some off-leash playing. The park also draws in a weekend crowd of families wanting to BBQ somewhere picturesque and not overcrowded: no one likes having to duel a stranger with tongs for the rights to a picnic bench. In terms of events, around a year ago I accidentally stumbled upon a fair at Woolcock. Though I'm not sure what it was in aid of, there were many real estate company tents set up, looking lonely beside stalls selling trinkets and fairy floss. People with dogs chatted with others about their respective pets and blocked the pathway (me included). There was also a sausage sizzle which I lined up for and heartily enjoyed even though I knew the meat was probably 40% cardboard. My dog also loves it here, as it's frequented by some of the people outside of our family who can actually stand her.

Ah Woolcock Park. I lived around the corner from here in 2002 and was among the first residents…read moreto enjoy the then newly upgraded facilities. I used to congregate here with my friends for a vegie-q, some yo ho ing and maybe a spot of fire stick twirling. Look I was young alright? It's nice to see the facilities have been well maintained in the intervening decade. This is a lovely park for families, friends or, yes, groups of urban hippies to enjoy and the BBQ's are still available (God I love that Brisbane parks have BBQ's, take that Melbourne! We finally win a point!) If you're in the area this is a little urban oasis that you should definitely come visit.