"Flanked by The University of Sydney's elegant campus on one side and the inner-city neighborhoods of Glebe and Chippendale on the other, pretty Victoria Park offers landscaped lawns, a lake, and cooling pool. Grassy slopes surround little Lake Northam, a tranquil, tree-lined spot for a picnic. At the Broadway end of the park, it’s also home to the 19th century Gardener’s Lodge, which usually hosts a café. Look out for purple jacaranda trees in spring. The other big draw here is Victoria Park Pool (vppool.com.au), a glorious eight-lane, 50-meter outdoor pool for doing laps or lounging in the sun." - Sophie Davies