10 secret Sydney spots you might have all to yourself

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden

Wendy Whiteley was best-known as the muse of artist husband Brett Whiteley – until she created her own living masterpiece. This botanical wonderland in picturesque Lavender Bay, overlooking Sydney Harbour, was fashioned from overgrown, unused railway land that had become a dumping ground. Today, there are no signposts to this garden that’s filled with intriguing nooks and crannies, and attracts a huge number of birds. Instead, you find the entrance simply by looking for the colossal Moreton Bay fig tree neighbouring Whiteley’s tower-topped home.

Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden, Lavender Bay

Eveleigh Treehouse

Eveleigh Treehouse is, in fact, two treehouses forged from metal from nearby Eveleigh Works, one of the world’s last remaining industrial blacksmithing workshops. Located in South Eveleigh (a precinct previously known as Australian Technology Park), the artwork was made by Sydney artist Nell and design collective Cave Urban to resemble the area’s native gums. Elevated walkways connect the playful pods that make you feel like you’ve entered a magical forest, free from the stresses and concerns of everyday life.

Eveleigh Treehouse,  South Eveleigh - Credit - Mark Pokorny

Milk Beach

It’s a mere slip of a beach with a tiny crescent of sand – but it’s angled towards one of the harbour city’s most spectacular views (of the two unmistakable architectural icons in the hazy distance). Milk Beach is located in ritzy Vaucluse but this multi-million-dollar view is free for all to enjoy. Wander from Nielsen Park’s Shark Beach (climb the stairs tucked away at the western end of the beach) and mosey along the secluded Hermitage Foreshore Track to reach this pearler of a beach. On occasions, you’ll have the place completely to yourself.

Milk Beach, Vaucluse

Paddington Reservoir and Gardens

We don’t know what it is about aquatic ruins but they’re awfully photogenic. Case in point? Paddington Reservoir and Gardens, in the Eastern Suburbs, is a heritage-listed reservoir that supplied the city’s water from 1878 until 1899. It became a service station with a park overhead, but today its chambers have been opened up to show its bones. Some worldly types say it now reminds them of Rome’s ancient Baths of Caracalla. It’s a surprisingly peaceful haven given its location on busy Oxford Street.

The heritage-listed Paddington Reservoir and Gardens, Paddington

Badu Mangroves

Squint and the angular raised boardwalk zigzagging through the Badu Mangroves could be a fork of lightning. That’s how surreal it feels to wander through the 65 hectares of riverside wetlands in Bicentennial Park (part of Sydney Olympic Park). While exploring the mangrove forest and coastal saltmarsh on the low-impact trail, look for Australian white ibis, sea eagles and ringtail possums – they’re just some of the animals that live in this fragile ecosystem. It’s oh-so-quiet, too, helping that sense of disconnecting from city life.

Badu Mangroves at Sydney Olympic Park - Credit: Sydney Olympic Park

Sculptures at Botany Bay

How best to commemorate the day that forever changed this island-continent? Three thought-provoking bronze sculptures on Kurnell’s foreshore mark the 250th anniversary of the day of contact between Aboriginal Australians and the crew of the Endeavour. Wander along the rocky foreshore of Kamay Botany Bay National Park to discover the intricately patterned mother whale and her calf, a woven fishing net cast in bronze, and an abstract work representing the ribs of both the Endeavour and a whale, the totem of the Gweagal people.

The Whales bronze sculpture at Kurnell, Kamay Botany Bay National Park - Credit: Lisa Sturis/DPIE

Macquarie Lightstation

Perched on the cliffs at Vaucluse, Macquarie Lightstation is Australia’s oldest lighthouse and a hidden gem for harbour views with hardly a soul around. The historic sandstone tower is surrounded by grassy headlands, and if you visit early in the morning, you just may have the sunrise over the Tasman Sea all to yourself.

Australian Botanic Garden

Australia’s largest botanic garden, at Mt Annan in south-western Sydney, sprawls over 416 hectares. Specialising in native plants, its collection showcases more than 4000 species. Hit the visitor centre first to find out how to make the most of your visit, which could include dropping by the Banksia Garden, the Bird Hide, the Ironbark Woodland and the Mallee Eucalypts. The beauty of these gardens? They’re so vast that quite often you’ll feel like the only people on earth.

Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan

Dangar Island

Step off the ferry and leave the city behind – Dangar Island is a tiny, car-free haven sitting at the entrance of the Hawkesbury River that feels like another world. Just 30 hectares in size and home to around 300 people, the island is mostly bushland. Stroll along quiet tracks, discover hidden sandy beaches or simply watch the river sparkle in the sunlight. 

Bradleys Beach on Dangar Island 

Collins Flat Beach

Tucked between North Head and Little Manly, Collins Flat Beach is a tiny, sheltered cove that’s easy to miss but hard to forget. On a calm day, you can stroll along the soft sand with only the lapping waves for company. Spot little penguins at dusk, or simply soak up the quiet harbour-side vibe.

Collins Flat Beach, Sydney Harbour National Park - Credit: Natasha Webb/DCCEEW