Bodies of Water in Sydney
THE 10 BEST Sydney Bodies of Water
Bodies of Water in Sydney
Category types
Types of Attractions
Nature & Parks
Nature & Parks
Awards
Travellers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travellers across the globe.
Traveller rating
Neighbourhoods
Good for
17 results sorted by traveller favourites
- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, number of page views, and user location.
Recommended Outdoor Activities (185)
Revenue impacts these recommendations, learn more.
Bodies of Water • Beaches
Bodies of Water • Water Parks
Balmain
Bodies of Water
The Rocks
Bodies of Water
Open now
Bodies of Water
What travellers are saying
- Sm00thtravelPort Huron, MI250 contributionsWe went to the harbor the first night in Sydney and every day after. It is undoubtably a place of constant activity and attraction! One can stroll the harbor and see the iconic skyline or stop at a coffee shop,restaurant or ice cream parlor to enjoy the view. Not to be missed!Written 6 December 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jorajudy FCyprus20 contributionsBeautiful spot by the river water. You can watch the airplanes take flight, you can enjoy the nice view, have a barbeque. Perfect time to relax outdoor and one of a nice hidden spots for a date haha.Written 25 May 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Dimitris LSydney, Australia51,971 contributionsPort Jackson is Sydney Harbour. Those who live in Sydney justifiably consider it the most beautiful harbour in the world, but this is obviously biased. Nevertheless it is one of the most wonderful harbours around! The views are absolutely magnificent from any point you care to stand, whether on land or from the water. It is a lovely, almost enclosed body of water, and several rivers and creeks drain into it. The jewels in the crown of Port Jackson are the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, but there are many other beautiful spots as well which are not hard to find. Take a few steps and you are in the Botanic Gardens, or board a boat and the whole harbour is your oyster! One of the best ways, if not the best way, to enjoy the Harbour is to get a ferry. It is very cheap and convenient. It will take you wherever you wish, really, and you will enjoy the most amazing views. Try it if you can!Written 9 December 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Fiona FSydney, Australia742 contributionsWhat a great hidden gem in Sydney. With limited parking it’s best to get here early but the parking is free which is very rare in Sydney. It’s a beautiful location and so lovely. We took our two teenagers children along and had a breakfast at the little coffee shop. It gets really busy late on in the day but it’s a perfect location for a picnic and for big groups. Great spot to cool down and have a swim. Showers are provided bro rise off the salt water. Will be back for sure.Written 19 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Dan LBunbury, Australia8,798 contributionsI'm not sure if we departed Sydney Olympic Park Wharf or Meadowbank Wharf at the end of our tour for the ferry trip back to Darling Harbour. In any event, it was all new to us and our fellow tourists and we enjoyed the views and the many sights on the riverbanks as we headed back to Sydney. The river seemed polluted in places but then it could also be the effect of tannins in the water. Plenty of water activities with anglers, competitive and recreational rowing and a few hardy swimmers. Happy that we ferried back instead of the bus.Written 27 December 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Fiona FSydney, Australia742 contributionsWhat a great pool. So many areas to sit and it was great to cool off. Not much parking but we were very lucky as someone was leaving when we arrived. Kids loved jumping of the middle pontoon. Great upgrade of the pool .
Downside was then steps stairs and the kiosk was not great. Wonderful that they accept the fitness passport.Written 21 January 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Dan LBunbury, Australia8,798 contributionsWe arrived approx. three hours ahead of our scheduled boarding time, already a good crowd in attendance. Spoke to one of the staff and advised to join the queue and get on board early. All paperwork in order and I reckon that we were in our cabin within thirty minutes. Process was highly efficient. Terminal is a bit out of the way and other than the embarkation process not much else seemed to be happening there. In fairness, we didn't have a look as we were delighted to board early.Written 27 December 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- mrdom8,442 contributionsStunning location out on a spit with wave-swept rocks - provides some excitement when the waves get into the pool. No shade anywhere near it. A decent size but pretty shallow.Written 25 May 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom11,690 contributionsThere are a lot of waterways and ponds in Centennial and the park is so big that its hard to know where to start but I always think that this is one of the nicest spots.
It’s a large pond, more the size of a small lake, and is absolutely teeming with wildlife. There’s no shortage of ducks but the black swans are the highlight. At any given time, you will also see ibises, coots, moorhens, cormorants and flocks of white cockatoos swooping from the paperbark gums beside the pond.
Wooden viewing platforms jut out over the water on the northern side and are a good vantage point for spotting fish, turtles, eels and giant carp as big as your arm.
A short but lovely maze of narrow paths, called The Wetlands Interpretative Trail, leads you through the reeds and native plants along the water’s edge and is punctuated by several sculptures, mosaic artwork and signs with information about the wetlands area. This is only a very short trail but is a really nice activity for little children.
Entry to the park is free.
Car parking is available very close to the pond which makes it easy if you are planning a picnic and need to carry things in. Otherwise The Spruce Goose Diner, is right beside the pond and does coffee and take-away food, mainly burgers.Written 7 April 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - JElliot32New South Wales, Australia3,971 contributionsThe Sydney coastline boasts a string of beautiful swimming pools, carved into many of its headlands and rock platforms. To me, North Curl Curl pool is the pick of them all, a real hidden gem. It is located at the end of a point and it takes a bit of a hike through the bush to reach. It has an irregular shape, but it has a deep end and you can still do laps if that is your thing. The thing that I really love about it is the large rock that sits up in the middle of pool, great for relaxing on after a dip. The site has good areas of shade too, in the shadow the headland on its northern side.Written 5 February 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom11,690 contributionsNawi Cove is one of the very scenic spots along the Barangaroo Foreshore Walk. The whole Barangaroo area is a fabulous harbour-side walking area with a lively, smart new restaurant/bar quarter. I just love this walk, especially on a sunny blue-sky day, when the water sparkles.
Nawi Cove itself is a very small, sheltered bay bounded by shelves of golden Sydney sandstone.
There’s a public deck, and a jetty and a boardwalk promenade so that you can walk right alongside the water.
Eagle eyes might spot the words, ‘Munn's Slipway C.1927’ carved into several of the large sandstone blocks down by the waters edge. This is a nod to Nawi Cove’s past.
Over 200 years ago, British immigrant, James Munn had a large, successful boatyard here. Recently, the remains of Munn’s slipway and ramp were uncovered.
Of course, the history of the cove is much older than that even. The area was once rich in cockle shells and fish and supported a large Indigenous community. The name ‘Nawi’ references the Indigenous canoes that pre-dated the colonial shipyards.
If you start the Foreshore Walk from the King St Wharf end, then Nawi Cove is about half way around.
At the end of the walk is a similar bay called Marrinawi Cove which is open for swimming. This is a great way to do the walk in summer - by the time you reach Marrinawi Cove, you’ll be ready to cool off with a swim.
For now there’s no swimming at Nawi (although there’s been talk of opening it up so we shall see).Written 3 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Mairwen1United Kingdom11,690 contributionsA natural lake alongside Sydney University, this was originally part of a tidal watercourse called Blackwater Creek which stretched from Glebe to Waterloo and was mostly a watering hole for horses and livestock.
These days it’s an attractive feature within Victoria Park and is named after Bill Northam, who won the gold medal for yachting at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. It was the same year Dawn Fraser won won her third 100m freestyle gold so, all in all, Australia did well on the water in ’64.
The lake is not large enough for boating or water activities but giant, shady trees on one side provide a good place to relax on the grass and a walking path winds its way beside the the lake leading to a small bridge, which was once part of the main entrance to Sydney University.
The path is suitable for pushchairs or small children on scooters.
A particularly nice aspect are the 2 tiny little islands in the centre of the lake. The smaller one has a single, spreading willow in the middle and the larger has a bronze fountain statue modelled on Bill Northam’s winning yacht, the Barrenjoey. Sadly, the fountain is looking a little unloved and doesn’t seem to be working any more.
Considering that you’re in the middle of the city, there is a lot of wildlife. Peer down into the water and you’ll spot turtles, fish and big eels. Ducks, ibises, seagulls and even the occasional pelican flock around the lake.Written 4 March 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - mrdom8,442 contributionsBig park on old docklands with lawns, trees, a promenade with fishers, dogs, a wharf, views of the harbour bridge. Beautiful.Written 4 May 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom11,690 contributionsLake Kippax is one of the few picnic areas in Sydney’s Moore Park. Mostly the park is dominated by sports venues and entertainment centres.
It’s a pretty lake with a central statue, waterbirds and a surround of mature, shady Moreton Bay and Jackson fig trees. Several picnic tables and seating are available but mostly people spread out blankets under the trees.
If there were no other park in the area, this would be an ideal spot. However you are spoilt for choice because nearby Centennial Park offers far more picnic areas and is much larger and prettier. Really for a park or a picnic, Centennial Park is the go-to place.
As far as lakes go, Lake Kippax is quite small and is not big enough for water activities. The main feature is a central statue which is affectionately referred to as ‘the Lady of the Lake’. Designed by Diana Hunt in 1967, she represents Australian female athletes and their achievements. There was a lot of excitement around female athletes at the time. Only a few years earlier, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Australian swimmer, Dawn Fraser won her third successive 100m freestyle gold for Australia and excitement was at fever pitch.
The lake has a special historical significance within Moore Park.
It is one of the last few remnants of the original park, which date back to 1866. A the time, the park included a zoo with a bear pit, a lion and an elephant which was a gift from the King of Siam. The zoo and most of the parkland features of Moore Park have long since vanished but the lake still remains, as does an ornate sandstone water fountain beside the lake (1888) and the very large, majestic fig trees to the north of the lake which were planted in the 1880s.
In the early 1900s, the lake was a very popular spot for people to sail model boats. From about 1919, model boat regattas were held regularly here, and in September 1931 a model seaplane competition was held. Nowadays, it is just an attractive landscaping feature.Written 9 February 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Dimitris LSydney, Australia51,971 contributionsHen and Chicken Bay is a lovely area on the Parramatta River, at Abbotsford, New South Wales. There is a nice, self contained park for young children to play, there is a large green park for playing games or for a stroll and there is a walkway for walkers and joggers. You can also sit down and have a BBQ or a picnic. And the views over the river are wonderful. This is a really great location for a nice day out for a family with children or indeed for anyone wishing to relax.Written 22 July 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
