Best Accessible Parks near SDA Housing Sydney

Sydney is blessed with many thoughtfully designed and beautiful parklands, many within close range of the CBD and with easy access from transport. Amongst the busy business, dining and shopping areas Sydney is famous for, are many natural escapes where locals and visitors can take respite.

Thankfully, many of the parks in this area have been designed with inclusivity in mind, with some notable standouts like Centennial Parklands, Barangaroo Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Wheelchair friendly pathways, disabled parking and accessible toilet facilities feature at all of these areas, to help you get your nature fix within an hour travel time from Liverty’s ‘The View’ SDA Housing Sydney property.

Visiting a park can be difficult for people living with a disability, but Sydney’s parks have a wide range of facilities to help people of all abilities experience the parklands, including smooth pathways, accessible gates, toilets, cafes and restaurants, accessibility information and programs.

Centennial Parklands

Centennial Parklands, part of the Greater Sydney Parklands, has more than 30 million visits per year, and is known as ‘the lungs of the city’. Located approximately 5 km south-east of Sydney’s CBD, it can be reached by car in about 22 minutes and 60 minutes on public transport from Liverty’s ‘The View’ SDA Housing Sydney property in Rockdale.

Centennial Parklands makes up around 360 hectares including Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park. These three main parks are listed on the State Heritage Register of NSW, and hold national, state or local heritage significance.

The parklands feature formal gardens, ponds, grand avenues, statues, heritage buildings and sporting fields. They attract a wide variety of sporting enthusiasts participating of watching over 35 different sports, including soccer, rugby, touch football, golf and cricket and even horse-riding facilities! Renowned for its’ diverse flora and fauna, Centennial Parklands houses Norfolk Island pines, Port Jackson figs, Banksia Scrub and Holm oaks.

The parklands are well equipped with facilities to help you enjoy your stay, with a restaurant, café, kiosk and visitor information counter, event space, an education centre, an entertainment precinct and an exhibition space. The beloved children’s playground Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden is a must visit!

Accessible features of Centennial Parklands include flat, accessible paths, shaded picnic areas, and accessible toilets, a wheelchair-accessible path to the lookout, an accessible swing in the Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden, and accessible parking.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Australia’s oldest botanic gardens are found in the heart of Sydney and provides a stunning array of natural wonders, with views of Sydney Harbour to top it all off!

Established in 1816, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is not only beautiful but is the oldest scientific institution in Australia, that contains an astounding collection of plants from Australia and overseas acquired over a period of 190 years. Learn more about native and exotic plants and explore the themed gardens, the plant displays in the Calyx and the famed Spring Walk.

The Royal Botanic Garden encompasses 72 acres, with another 130 acres of open parklands that together make up The Sydney Domain. The Garden forms part of a large natural amphitheatre, sloping down towards Farm Cove.

Best of all, the Royal Botanic Gardens is an accessible park and garden, designed to cater to diverse abilities. It contains wide hard paved pathways covering the main garden routes and most areas are accessible by walker, wheelchair and mobility aids.

Many of the facilities including picnic areas, toilets, cafés, restaurant, shops and venues are accessible. There are also tour experiences, restaurants, cafes, visitors centre and bookshop, with accessible options and options to hire a wheelchair.

Transport options to the gardens are plentiful, with public transport and Opera House access routes, multiple accessible parking options and nine accessible entrances.
Located only 2km of Sydney’s CBD, it can be reached by car in about 18 minutes or 45 minutes on public transport from ‘The View’ Sydney SDA Housing in Rockdale.

Barangaroo Park

Another of Sydney’s accessible parklands is Barangaroo Reserve, a six-hectare space of public park right on the waterfront. 75,000 native plants from 84 different species, green lawns, wide open spaces and breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour combine with the 10,000 sandstone blocks that create the reserve’s foreshore to make this space an unforgettable one.

The park’s rolling coastline and plant-filled landscape creates plenty of private, shaded spots and idyllic picnic hideaways, most of which have views over the harbour.
Culture lovers will find plenty to enjoy, as the reserve is home to many public artworks and tours. There are Aboriginal cultural tours and multimedia experiences that tell the fascinating story of First Nations History, school and private group tours.

For those that love to get active, there’s a network of cycling and walking trails around the park plus the beloved Marinawi Cove swimming spot nearby.

There are transport options aplenty with train, ferry, bus and cycling links to Barangaroo Park and car parking (including dedicated accessible spaces) underneath the reserve. Located less than 2km of Sydney’s CBD, it can be reached by car in about 20 minutes or 40 minutes on public transport from ‘The View’ Sydney SDA Housing in Rockdale.

Barangaroo aims to be accessible to all visitors, of all ages, including those with additional mobility requirements. It is well equipped with accessible facilities, from the accessible entrances, wheelchair-accessible pathways to the accessible toilets, plus buggy services within the reserve and lifts connecting the carpark to other levels and the reserve. Assistance animals are welcome in all parts of Barangaroo.

Sydney Park

Sydney Park is a multi-award-winning metropolitan park with 40 hectares of lush grass, landscaped gardens, playgrounds, children’s cycle track, Sydney’s largest skate park, picturesque wetlands, a sports oval and outdoor fitness areas.

The park has several creeks that flow throughout, that attract many different types of birds – twitchers can take in the spectacle from the many spacious viewing decks provided.

The park is also well-appointed with facilities including a café with accessible options, public art and memorials, accessible picnic area, shaded areas and seating and for the dog lovers, there are plenty of off-leash areas, and even has a doggy paddling pool! A recent upgrade saw Sydney Park acquire nearly 200 new native trees, more electric barbecues, picnic areas, seating and toilets, so it’s now even more appealing for a visit!

The unique sensory playground holds a special place in the heart of Sydneysiders, with tactile features and many different types of equipment for children of all ages, abilities and experience that will stimulate the senses.

There are good transport options with train links to Sydney Park and four car parks. Located 6km south of Sydney’s CBD, it can be reached by car in about 11 minutes or 35 minutes on public transport from ‘The View’ Sydney SDA Housing in Rockdale.

Sydney Park has many accessibility friendly features, including parking, unisex wheelchair accessible toilets, multiple benches and a wide, hard-surfaced, and generally well-maintained main pathway.

Hyde Park

This famous spark, the oldest in Australia, features 16 hectares of green space over two blocks in the heart of Sydney. The park contains around 580 mature exotic and native trees and various theme gardens.

Steeped in history, the park is just as well-known for rich history and heritage as it is for its beauty, with ornate fountains, statues and memorials to be found throughout its grounds. Hyde Park is also a favourite destination for cultural festivals and events.

Located less than 1.5km from Sydney’s CBD, it can be reached by car in about 20 minutes’ drive or 35 minutes on public transport from ‘The View’ Sydney SDA Housing in Rockdale. Hyde Park is close to transport, with two train stations nearby and both bus and light rail options also available. Accessible parking spots can be found in the carpark on Elizabeth Street.

Hyde Park has good accessible facilities, with good paths throughout for wheelchairs, an on-site café that fits 90 people, plenty of shaded areas, accessible entrances, walkways, picnic areas and toilets, inclinators, lifts to the Anzac Memorial, plus a touch tour and video magnifiers for those with vision impairment. The Hyde Park Barracks has wheelchair access with ramps and lifts, free wheelchair hire, and descriptive versions of the self-guided experience for visitors with disabilities.

Other accessible parks in the Sydney area

• Bicentennial Park
• Pirrama Park
• Tumbalong Park