The Best Picnic Spots in Sydney, and Why We Chose Them
- Maria
- May 13
- 6 min read
We didn't choose our locations because they looked nice on a map. We scouted every single one, at different times of day, in different seasons, from the perspective of a couple who just got engaged and a group of friends who deserve a beautiful afternoon. Here's what we found, and why each spot earned its place in our collection.
Location 01
Lavender Bay Reserve - the Secret Garden
Harbour Bridge views tucked inside a lush, hidden world
There's a moment, when you descend the stairs from Lavender Street and the water comes into view, where Sydney reveals itself in a way most people never see. The Harbour Bridge framed by palms. Boats bobbing quietly in the bay. The distant hum of the city, somehow made peaceful by the water between you and it.
Lavender Bay's foreshore, particularly Quibaree Park and Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden, sits at the intersection of intimate and iconic. You have one of the most recognisable views in the world, yet you feel completely tucked away.
Why Shore & Side chose it
"It feels like a secret only locals know, and that's exactly what we wanted for our guests."
The combination of intimacy and grandeur at Lavender Bay is unmatched. The Harbour Bridge and Opera House are visible from your picnic rug, yet you're sheltered from tourist crowds by the foreshore's natural seclusion. It photographs beautifully in any light, and the
ferry access makes the arrival feel like its own experience. For proposals especially, the moment your partner turns and sees the view for the first time is simply unrepeatable.
Best for | Best time | Access |
Proposals, anniversaries | Late afternoon to sunset | Ferry to Milsons Point |
Location 02
Blues Point Reserve - The Postcard View
Where Sydney shows off : Bridge, Opera House, and skyline in one frame
If you've ever wanted to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the city skyline all in a single, unobstructed view, Blues Point Reserve is where you go. Sitting at the end of Blues Point Road in McMahons Point, this grassy headland is widely regarded as the best vantage point in Sydney, and one of the finest sunset spots in the country.
What makes it work as a picnic destination is the combination of the view and the feeling. It doesn't feel like a tourist lookout; it feels like a park where locals happen to have extraordinary luck with the scenery.
Why Shore & Side chose it
"It's the view Sydney is famous for, from a spot most visitors never find."
Blues Point delivers the complete Sydney harbour panorama that belongs on postcards, but with the calm, open feel of a neighbourhood park. It's ideal for groups and couples alike, accessible by ferry from Circular Quay (a short, scenic crossing), and produces the kind of photographs that genuinely look too beautiful to be real. For any occasion where the backdrop needs to be unmistakably, unapologetically Sydney — this is it.
Best for | Best time | Access |
All groups, sunset events | Sunset, arrive 1 hr before | Ferry to McMahons Point |
Location 03
Cremorne Point - Our Coastal Sanctuary
Sweeping 360° harbour views from a headland most Sydneysiders have never visited
We call Cremorne Point our "Coastal Sanctuary" because it's exactly that: a headland reserve that feels genuinely removed from the city, reachable in ten minutes by ferry from Circular Quay. The reserve wraps around the point with views that change as you move: Opera House and Bridge to the west, Fort Denison and the harbour entrance to the east, and Mosman Bay on the other side.
What separates Cremorne from other harbour locations is the quality of its seclusion. The foreshore path is lined with palms, figs, and flowering shrubs. There's a historic tidal pool, a small lighthouse at Robertson's Point, and the Lex and Ruby Graham Gardens, protected by the National Trust, that have been growing since 1957. It's a place with genuine character and history, not just a patch of grass with a view.
Cremorne Point has been a destination for picnickers and pleasure-seekers since the 1850s, when it was known as the Cremorne Pleasure Gardens.
Why Shore & Side chose it
"Complete 360° harbour views, without the crowds that other locations attract."
Cremorne Point consistently delivers what other harbour spots promise but rarely deliver: full panoramic views, genuine seclusion, and the sense that you've found somewhere. The ten-minute ferry crossing from Circular Quay turns arrival into part of the experience. Golden hour here is extraordinary, the harbour lights up from every angle. For larger groups, the grassy reserve near the ferry wharf provides ample space while the narrower foreshore path offers intimate settings for couples or small gatherings.
Best for | Best time | Access |
All groups, golden hour | Afternoon into evening | Ferry to Cremorne Point |
Location 04
Clontarf Beach - Protected Coves & Coastal Charm
Middle Harbour's most beloved stretch of golden sand and calm water
If you want water, sand, and the particular kind of contentment that comes from being genuinely at the coast rather than just near it: Clontarf is your answer. Tucked into Middle Harbour with views across to the Spit Bridge, this protected cove offers some of the calmest, clearest water in Sydney's harbour system. The beach is golden, the reserve is lush, and the whole setting has the relaxed confidence of a place that doesn't need to prove anything.
Clontarf sits along the Manly to Spit coastal walk, which means the surrounding bushland has a wild quality that more manicured harbour parks lack.
Why Shore & Side chose it
"The Northern Beaches at their most relaxed: sand, calm water, and a backdrop that never gets old."
Clontarf gives guests the actual coastal experience, not just a view of the coast. The combination of calm harbour water, golden sand, and the lush reserve creates a setting that feels genuinely effortless. It's well-positioned across the Northern Beaches and easily accessible, which matters when you're arriving with guests from all over Sydney. The Spit Bridge and Middle Harbour views in the background complete a scene that is quintessentially Sydney's Northern Beaches at their absolute best.
Best for | Best time | Access |
Birthdays, group celebrations | Morning to mid-afternoon | Sandy Bay Rd, Clontarf |
Location 05
Palm Beach - The Ultimate Northern Beaches Prestige
Sydney's northernmost point , where the Pacific meets Pittwater and nothing feels ordinary
Forty-five kilometres north of the CBD, Palm Beach is not on the way to anything. You come here deliberately, and that intentionality is part of what makes it special. The drive through the Northern Beaches suburbs, past Whale Beach, Bilgola, Avalon, is itself an experience, each headland revealing another stretch of coastline that makes you wonder why you ever go anywhere else.
Palm Beach is a peninsula with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Pittwater's calm, silvery waters on the other. The beach itself is a two-kilometre stretch of fine white sand with Barrenjoey Lighthouse standing sentinel at the northern tip. The lighthouse, built in 1881 from sandstone quarried on-site, is one of Sydney's most photographed icons, and from the right picnic position, it frames your afternoon perfectly.
Why Shore & Side chose it
"The furthest north you can go and still call it Sydney. In every way, it feels worth the journey."
Palm Beach earns its prestige. The combination of ocean beach, Pittwater calm, and the Barrenjoey Lighthouse backdrop creates a setting that simply doesn't exist anywhere else in Sydney. The 45-minute drive becomes part of the experience, guests arrive already relaxed by the coastal scenery. It's the destination choice for occasions that deserve the extra mile: major milestone birthdays, engagements, corporate retreats for teams that have earned something exceptional. Shore & Side setups here look like they belong in a design magazine. Because they do.
Best for | Best time | Access |
Milestone events, full-day | All day, morning is magical | Governor Phillip Park, Beach Rd |
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