If you are on a quick visit to Australia and want to see a little of the Australian bush, this little natural oasis - just 6km and only four railway stations north of the Sydney city centre - is the place for you. Smoothey Park is a located in a natural valley surrounding Gore Creek on Sydney's lower North Shore, which flows over a series of races and falls into Gore Cove on Sydney Harbour. A walking track from Milray Avenue follows the creek through a tract of natural rainforest populated by grass trees, red gums, peppermints, flowering shrubs and tree ferns. It's a truly delightful short walk down to the harbour and back, where those with keen eyes will also be surprised by an abundance of birdlife.
How to get there: by train, alighting at Wollstonecraft Station on the North Shore & Western Line. Exit Wollstonecraft Station from the city, turn right and follow the path to Milray Avenue and Smoothy Park.