Doonside, Sydney: Things to do and attractions
Doonside in Western Sydney is home three main tourist attractions: the Featherdale Wildlife Park, Nurragingy Reserve and Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens.
Doonside is not one of Sydney’s best known neighbourhoods. In fact, most people in Sydney would struggle to tell you where it is, let alone what the best things to do in Doonside are.
For the record, Doonside is in Western Sydney and is generally regarded as being part of Blacktown. Blacktown proper (home of the Blacktown Drive In cinema) lies to the east however. And Rooty Hill lies to the west, on the other side of the Western Sydney Parklands.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- 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.
Doonside tourist attractions
Doonside, however, packs in two fairly impressive tourist attractions. The best known of these is the Featherdale Wildlife Park. This wildlife park is a staple of day tours to the Blue Mountains. The tour buses stop at Featherdale on the way up to the Blue Mountains, allowing passengers to have a koala encounter, hand-feed kangaroos and get some photos of ultra-cute quokkas.
Most people visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park won’t have a clue where they are – they’re just passing through faceless Sydney suburbia.
If you make it to Doonside under your own steam, however, the neighbourhood’s western fringe is given over to the Western Sydney Parklands. There are several walking trails to enjoy here, but the highlight is the Nurragingy Reserve.
Things to do in Doonside: Chang Lai Yuan Gardens
The Nurragingy Reserve is one of Sydney’s best places for a picnic. Massive picnic shelters with public barbecues can be rented out by large groups. The Nurragingy Reserve is also home to the Chang Lai Yuan Gardens. These pretty Chinese-style gardens opened in 2012, and come with a stone bridge, gazebo and pavilion. They might not be the most spectacular gardens in Australia, but they certainly offer something photogenically different.
More Sydney neighbourhoods
Abbotsbury | Bondi Beach | Camperdown | Chippendale | Cranebrook | Drummoyne | Elizabeth Bay | Erskineville | Gladesville | Harris Park | Neutral Bay | Oatley | Parramatta | Point Piper | Surry Hills | West Pennant Hills