Nurragingy Reserve: Is this park the best picnic spot in Sydney?
Nurragingy Reserve in the Western Sydney Parklands offers large picnic shelters and the Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens. It’s a great picnic spot for large groups, but small groups may as well head elsewhere.
Nurragingy Reserve in Doonside is part of the Western Sydney Parklands. It’s arguably the most formal, sculpted section of the sprawling parklands, and is a popular wedding venue.
A major factor in Nurragingy Reserve’s appeal is the five large, sheltered picnic areas. These five picnic areas are bookable for special occasions, such as birthdays and wedding receptions. They’re designed to accommodate large groups. The Casuarina Shelter is the biggest of the lot, with an estimated crowd capacity of 200 people.
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- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
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- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
Nurragingy Reserve picnic shelters
Play equipment and barbecue facilities are also available. Meanwhile, bouncy castles can be put up when booked in advance. The Rosella Shelter, Grevillea Shelter, Lomandra Shelter and Kookaburra Shelter have slightly smaller capacities – 150 people – but also have the play equipment and barbecue facilities.
These Nurragingy Reserve picnic shelters can be booked via Blacktown Council, but they’re really designed for large gatherings. If you just want a picnic for a small group, try the likes of Parsley Bay, Bronte Beach or Elizabeth Bay in the Eastern Suburbs.
Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens in Nurragingy Reserve
Nurragingy Reserve’s other major selling point is the gardens. There are several around the 63 hectare park, with the Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens the most impressive. These gardens are a fairly recent addition, opening in 2012 as part of a sister city initiative with Liaocheng. The gateway, stone bridge, gazebo and pavilion are the most photogenic elements.
For overseas visitors to Sydney, Nurragingy Reserve isn’t really worth going out of the way to visit. If you’re planning a day out in Western Sydney, however, it can be combined with nearby attractions such as the Featherdale Wildlife Park and Blacktown Drive In cinema.
Head a little further east, and you’ve got one of the most impressive heritage buildings in Sydney. Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta has a strong claim to being the oldest building in Australia. There’s also excellent walking in the Cumberland State Forest or Bidjigal Reserve in West Pennant Hills.
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