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The Grounds of Alexandria

May 26, 2021 / Alexandria, Dog-Friendly Sydney, Pets, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

The Grounds of Alexandria

The iconic Grounds of Alexandria is an iconic cafe, restaurant, bar, garden, bakery & patisserie, coffee roastery, animal farm, florist and more.

The Grounds opened in April 2012 on the site of a former pie factory in the industrial area of Alexandria. The concept for the Grounds, by the entrepreneurial duo Ramzey Choker and Jack Hanna, was to create a thriving urban sanctuary to bring people together.

Since its opening The Grounds of Alexandria has grown and changed to include two dine-in venues: The Cafe, The Potting Shed, an outdoor takeaway dining area, multiple event spaces, a florist, kids play area and animal petting area.

The Grounds is extremely popular and is most busy Friday through to Sunday. There is parking on site, however it can be hard to find a spot on these popular days.

I highly recommend booking a table in advance to guarantee a spot, or grabbing takeaway and eating it outdoors.

The Grounds of Alexandria hosts fantastic seasonal events such as Easter brunch and Mother’s Day high teas and themed installations – the current one at writing being The Secret Garden, which you can learn more about here.

The Grounds is stroller and wheelchair-friendly, kid-friendly and even dog-friendly. Dogs can dine in The Cafe but must have an outdoor table and must not sit on the chairs.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A/2 Huntley St,
Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: 02 9699 2225
Get Directions

Read about our previous trips to The Grounds.

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Avoca Beach NSW Australia: Great for kids and dogs!

May 13, 2021 / Australia, Central Coast, Dog-Friendly Sydney, NSW, Pets, Travel / 0 comment

Avoca Beach NSW Australia

Enjoy the sparkling water of Avoca Beach, the perfect spot on the Central Coast for families (and dogs!).

Located about 30 minutes from Gosford, Avoca Beach is a popular spot for locals and Sydney-siders. Avoca Beach stretches 1.7km, with a beautiful shallow rock pool at the southern end.

There are plenty of cafes to enjoy a hearty brunch at the southern end also. The cafes all feature outdoor seating, making this a fab spot for families and dogs to enjoy casual meals right by the water.

We love to grab snacks or smoothies from the Avoca Beach Kiosk next to the life saving club, or a delicious meal at Point Cafe.

Point Cafe offers all-day breakfast, a kids’ menu and a variety of dishes to suit dietary requirements.

There is a large, fenced playground behind the surf life saving club, and a grassy park next to it.

A large bathroom block is located next to the playground.

Keep walking past the rock pool and you’ll find a rock shelf with more little rock pools that are great for exploring.

For more aquatic fun, hire a kayak, pedal boat or stand-up paddleboards from Aquafun Avoca Lake and splash around the lagoon.

The official off-leash dog area is from the surf club parking lot down to the North Avoca end of the beach on the opposite side of the lagoon. This is technically the space between two beaches, Avoca Beach and North Avoca Beach.

Avoca Lake backs on to the beach. Hire kayaks, pedal boats and stand-up paddleboards from Aquafun Avoca Lake and splash about the sparkling waterway or paddle to the large island in the middle of the tranquil lagoon.

If the weather isn’t in your favour, catch a movie at the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre, which opened in 1948 and is a lovely little single screen vintage theatre.

The fourth Sunday of every month you’ll find the Avoca Beachside Markets creating some extra bustle in town, with lots of local food and crafts on offer.

Avoca Beach NSW is an easy 90 minute drive north of Sydney and an 80m drive south from Newcastle. To reach it by public transport is a bit of an effort but do-able – catch the train from Central to Gosford or Newcastle to Gosford, then change to a bus to take you to Avoca Beach. It will take around 2 hours to reach Avoca Beach via public transport.

I’d suggest staying a few days either at Avoca Beach or in the general area to explore all of the Central Coast gems.

Avoca Beach NSW is located at the end of a long no-through road. There is limited parking so allow time to find a spot if you are on a schedule, or arrive early to ensure an easy park.

Get more info on Avoca Beach.

Find more things to do on the Central Coast.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Explore the best Sydney gardens and parks.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Chase waterfalls in Sydney.

More things to do on the Central Coast.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Things to do in the Southern Highlands.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

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Plan amazing NSW road trips.

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Sirius Cove Reserve and Beach Mosman

April 28, 2021 / Beaches, Dog-Friendly Sydney, Outdoor Play, Pets, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Sirius Cove Reserve and Beach Mosman

Sirius Cove Reserve in Mosman, on Sydney’s lower north shore, is a dog and kid-friendly oasis with a calm beach, shady playground and grassy picnic space.

Sirius Cove Reserve is a dog-friendly hideaway in the suburb of Mosman in Sydney’s lower north shore. Often referred to as Little Sirius Cove, this charming natural treasure boasts a quiet beach, a playground and a large picnic area.

This peaceful paradise is an oasis for families and even for well behaved doggos. Sirius Cove is the perfect spot for both kids and dogs to enjoy a splash in the ocean.

Named after HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet that arrived in New South Wales at the end of the 18th century, the reserve is located just west of Taronga Zoo. With a huge, grassy area including picnic tables, shady trees, a fenced and shaded children’s playground, drinking fountain and a toilet/shower block, Sirius Cove is a popular spot for locals to spend their weekends.

Sirius Cove beach is 250m wide and surrounded by a sandstone wall. It faces south into a deep bay that flows into Sydney Harbour. As a result of its sheltered location, the water is very calm. There is a large sandbar that extends right out from the shore, making it shallow enough for kids and dogs to walk out onto.

Unleashed dogs are permitted in the park, on the beach and in the water all day from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays this is restricted to non-peak hours before 9am and after 4pm. Dogs are permitted on-leash the rest of the time.

While these rules are in place, when we visited on a weekend at around 10am, ours was the only pooch in the park on a leash.

Sirius Cove is also a great starting point for walking trails that head to Taronga Zoo Wharf, Bradleys Head and Chowder Bay, or to Cremorne Point.

It’s also a great starting point for the walking trail going east to Taronga Zoo, Bradleys Head and Chowder Bay, or going west to Cremorne Point.

If you take the Taronga Zoo Wharf trail, it will take you past the “Curlew Camp Artist’s Walk”. Curlew Camp was a famous gathering spot for artists, writers and musicians in the late 19th century.

The camp was located just around the corner of Sirius Cove, at Little Sirius Cove. The camp was ultimately abandoned in 1912 when the area was chosen to build the new Taronga Zoo.

Sirius Cove has a designated parking area, however this often reaches full capacity especially on weekends. parking then overflows into the free street parking nearby.

You can also catch the ferry to South Mosman and Mosman Bay wharves west of Sirius Cove, and Taronga Zoo wharf east of Sirius Cove and take the 20min hike to arrive at the Cove.

Buses also service the area. Check the bus timetable on the NSW Transport Info website.

Sirius Cove
Sirius Cove Road, Mosman

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Explore the best Sydney gardens and parks.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Chase waterfalls in Sydney.

More things to do on the Central Coast.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Things to do in the Southern Highlands.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Plan amazing NSW road trips.

Pick your own fruit: fruit picking Sydney.

The best things to do in Western Sydney and Parramatta with kids.

Visit the most beautiful Sydney gardens.

Explore Sydney’s best parks.

Find things to do in Wollongong.

Find the best high teas for kids in Sydney.

Rose Bay Dog Beach: The Best of Sydney with Dogs

April 27, 2021 / Dog-Friendly Sydney, Pets / 0 comment

Rose Bay Dog Beach

Enjoy 24 hour off-leash play with your doggos at Rose Bay Dog Beach, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

The Rose Bay dog beach is a happy off-leash zone, where city pups can stretch their legs in the sand and calm ocean water.

The beach is very shallow and calm, making it a great place for dogs to run through the water. Low tide is the best time to visit. The beach can get crowded with dogs at peak weekend times.

Dumaresq Reserve, on the north side, has off-leash play times are before 8.30am and after 4.30pm.

Walk along the shoreline to Lyne Park, an off leash dog park 3.30pm-10.30am and on-leash at all other times. There is a children’s playground and public toilets available here.

There are no public bathrooms at the Rose Bay foreshore.

A short walk from the Rose Bay Dog Beach lies the Rose Bay shops and cafe strip. There are plenty of dog-friendly cafes here to pull up a table at. We enjoyed the Rose Bakehouse and happily met other friendly pooches while we dined.