Beare Park

Want a playground in a truly spectacular location? Beare Park is for you. Right at the end of Ithaca Road, nestled amongst million dollar apartments, is a beautiful park with a small playground at the top.
The park has plenty of flat open lawn for ball games and well established shade trees. The playground is under a giant fig so it is shady even on hot afternoons. The equipment is probably more suitable for toddlers than preschoolers, although there is a small climbing frame which will keep our three year old amused. The equipment is all fairly new and in good nick.
The main attraction of this park is the marina and the views over Garden Island to the Harbour Bridge. Right on the Harbour, the views really are breathtaking. It's a great little spot for a quiet picnic, populated mostly by locals topping up their tans and watching the boats trundle in and out of the bay. If you have a little one keen on boats, a trip to this park will keep everyone happy. If it's a hot day, you can paddle your feet (or more!) in the water on the marina steps or snooze in the shade of the lovely Jacaranda trees.
That all sounds like a great rap for the park, but it has its problems. The soft fall is tan bark, not a favourite of mine. There aren't any seats for grown ups (although the grass is lovely), the park is not fenced, there are no toilets and while there is technically a car park, it's a rare thing to park within easy stroll of this little gem.