Victoria Park Playground

Victoria Park's playground benefits from sitting in one of the inner west's great green lungs — a 9-hectare park that stretches from Broadway to the University of Sydney. The long flying fox is the playground's signature piece, sending kids zooming across a satisfying distance with proper speed. It's one of those flying foxes where the queue is constant but moves quickly, and kids immediately run back for another go.

The rest of the playground is solid without being spectacular — climbing structures, swings (including a nest swing), slides, and a sand play area. What elevates Victoria Park beyond equipment is the setting. The park itself is beautiful, with mature fig trees, a large ornamental lake with ducks and water birds, a running track, and expansive grassy areas. On a sunny weekend, the whole park buzzes with families, students from nearby USyd, runners, and dog walkers.

The playground is located at the Parramatta Road end of the park, set back from the road behind plantings. It's not fenced. There are public toilets in the park, though they're basic. The nearest cafes are on Glebe Point Road or King Street, both a 10-minute walk in either direction — this is cafe-dense territory.

The location is very well-served by public transport: Broadway bus stops are adjacent, Redfern station is about a 15-minute walk, and the light rail stops at Glebe are nearby. Street parking on City Road and surrounds is metered and time-limited. For an inner-city playground with a great flying fox in a proper park setting, Victoria Park is hard to beat. It's the sort of place where you might start at the playground and end up spending the whole afternoon.