Spots for summertime fun

Balmoral Beach, Balmoral
Pack your providore goodies for an afternoon of lazing on the lawn at Balmoral. The iron lace band rotunda is a popular spot for wedding photos so if you head down on the weekend, you will be treated to a lovebird’s eye view of Sydney nuptials.

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden, Lavender Bay
Iconic Sydney artist Wendy Whiteley transformed a disused plot of State Rail-owned land between Clark Park and the viaduct into an oasis of green calm with a sparkling blue vista. If you’re lucky, you might even get to give her a hand with the weeding.

Nielsen Park, Vaucluse
Tucked behind the multi-million dollar mansions of Vaucluse lies Nielsen Park, a shady picnic spot amidst sandstone cliffs. Take a dip in the secluded harbour beach or grab a coffee from the old-world kiosk.

Bronte Beach, Bronte
Get there early to bags a table and set up for the whole day of swimming in the rough-and-tumble surf or the ocean baths. Pack your own BBQ gear (but be prepared to wait in line) or buy lunch from the colourful strip of cafes and takeaway joints.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
The crème de la crème of tourist experiences in Sydney is drinking a bottle of Champagne on the lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Make friends with the white cockatoos (they happily pose for photos), spot the Bronwyn Oliver sculptures in the garden beds or pull up a bench in the fernery to admire some Jurassic foliage.