#ECXploring: Parks

Towards the west of North Shore is Blackman Park, which is considered one of the best parks in the area. With a reputation like that, we just couldn’t resist checking it out for ourselves.

What makes this park stand out is the fact that it lies next to the Lane Cover River, allowing for really scenic river foreshore bushwalks. They’ve got trails for joggers, dog walkers, and people who are looking for that #natural Instagram aesthetic.

Whether you’re craving family time on Sunday, a day out with the kids, or a place to kick a ball around, Blackman Park can facilitate all that and more. The place is open and it’s got all sorts of facilities like picnic spots, play equipment, and sporting grounds. This park also has outdoor workouts, and basketball and tennis courts.

Clearly, this one’s for all the athletic ones in the family who are looking to break a sweat and chase the sunset.

This is hands down our favourite park thus far. If you take a bit of time to explore and walk or cycle along the shared pathways, you’ll find private little flower gardens, perfect for small picnics and get-togethers. There are free electric barbecues and shaded areas next to the grassy banks of Lake Belvedere – should you ever have to plan a community or corporate event, make sure you reserve a site at Bicentennial Park!

For those who want to have a little adventure, the winding timber boardwalk will lead you to riverside wetlands, which is complete with the Badu Mangroves from Parramatta River. You’ll also be able to climb up to the highest point in the park, which is the Treillage Viewing Platform, and see Homebush Bay along with the city skyline.

It’s a great place to be social and put your explorer hats on! We can sing its praises for pages, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself to find out how lovely it is.

If you’re after a park that’s rich with history and has that classic feel to it, then stop right there and look no further. We were surprised at how modern this park was and loved that it was scenic and private – the perfect place to be on a weekend. The park really embraces its history by integrating it with the architecture, combining flower beds with memorial statues. The Sir Lionel Lindsay monument in particular overlooks the manicured gardens, acting as a centrepiece for the entire park.

The floral life here is like something straight out of a Disney movie. The main gardens have blooms at every corner and it’s structured through classic architecture, boasting both quality and quantity.

Their newly revamped equipment and large sports field makes this all the better – it’s a playground jackpot for all ages. Take the person you like here on a first date. Take your mum on Mother’s Day. Definitely take your kids! With all its bright colours and beautiful scenery, Wahroonga Park is the place to go if you want a fun day out.

Your ECX editors snooped around Beauchamp Park too, which is in the upper park of the Scott’s Creek sub-catchment and is part of the Willoughby Council. The park itself has beautiful flora and fauna sightings, home to possums and lizards and an array of birds. (They say you might even be able to spot a flying fox, if you’re lucky.)

Beauchamp Park is known for its vegetation, and you’ll find that a lot of the trees actually date back to the original Blue Gum High Forest. It has a beautiful rose garden and thanks to the community effort of residents who lived next to the park, the council decided to restore the Spring Gardens. The new range of flowers have been carefully selected to not only match the theme of the park, but also be weather tolerant.

This one’s definitely family friendly, so if you’re looking for a beautiful, local park where you can let your dogs run to their hearts’ content – look no further. It’s only a 10-15 minute walk from Chatswood CBD too, so you can take a nice stroll here along the spring gardens before checking out the mall markets by the train station which are open every Thursday and Friday.

A beau-champion of parks.