21 of the best picnic spots to enjoy your Soulara meals

After spending so much of this year inside our houses, we’ve never been keener to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Plenty of our delicious spring Soulara meals can be enjoyed warm or chilled, like the Goodness Gracias Bowl or La Vida Verde Bowl, so here are some of our fave places around Australia you can take our meals to and enjoy in the sun.

Sydney

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden – Wendy Whiteley

Little Bay

This hidden gem is one of the lesser-known (but still beautiful) beaches around Sydney and was recently featured in Places We Swim: Sydney by Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon. Little Bay is sheltered from big coastal swells and most wind, making it the perfect spot to enjoy your Soulara meal on the beach after a relaxing swim in the ocean.

E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Garden

Over in Sutherland Shire, you’ll find the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Garden, a beautiful oasis of duck ponds, bridges, shady trees and, of course, camellias. Named after Professor E.G. Waterhouse, a leading authority on camellias who lived in Sydney, it’s a beautiful spot for people of all ages to enjoy a picnic.

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden

This not-so-secret garden created by Australian artist Wendy Whiteley is hidden between Luna Park and Lavender Bay, right in the heart of Sydney. The garden is a beautiful blend of native plants and pieces from the artist, and if you look hard enough, you might even find a secret fairy house.

Girrakool Picnic Area

Keen to get out of the city? Girrakool Picnic Area in Brisbane Water National Park is a beautiful spot to enjoy your lunch, with plenty of picnic tables and flat grassy area for your picnic rug. Once you’re done tucking into your Soulara meal, you can stretch your legs on the easy Girrakool loop walk where you can see Aboriginal rock engravings, waterfalls and enjoy beautiful forest areas.

Barangaroo Reserve

The famous Barangaroo Reserve isn’t one to be looked over when hunting for the perfect picnic spot. With panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and plenty of seating areas, pull up a rug (or grab a bench) at sunset and watch the dramatic colours spill over the water.

Side note: Barangaroo was the name of an Aboriginal woman who was among the first to sell fish to white settlers by selling them fish, making a tidy profit, and is the pioneering lady the area is named after.

Melbourne

Fairfield Boathouse – Weekend Notes

Fairfield Park

Fairfield Park is a sprawling complex of greenery, with plenty of picnic spots, a cricket ground, two soccer grounds and a playground. The highlight of this popular spot is the Fairfield Park Boathouse, where you can hire 19th-century British-inspired rowboats to lazily drift along the river.

One Tree Hill

Reward yourself after climbing the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, or 1000 steps as it’s also known, by tucking into The Sunkissed Pesto at One Tree Hill. Located in the picturesque Dandenong Ranges, this walking track has plenty of lookouts, bushland and forested areas to explore once you’re done with your lunch.

Edinburgh Gardens

One of the largest parks along the Yarra, Edinburgh Gardens has something for picnickers of all ages, and even four-legged friends as half the park is designated off-leash. After you’re down chowing down on your picnic, there are an abundance of sporting facilities available; from tennis courts to lawn bowls, skate parks to basketball courts.

Hedgeley Dene Gardens

Hedgeley Dene Gardens is a well-manicured spot filled with trees, an ornamental lake and flat grass perfect for laying out a picnic rug. Sitting between Central Park and Gardiners Creek valley parklands, this area is a lovely little oasis in the heart of Malvern East.

Adelaide

Port Noarlunga – Darryl Leach

The Bluff

Any good Adelaidian knows that The Bluff (or Rosetta Head as it’s more formally known) is well worth the uphill walk to admire the panoramic views of Encounter Bay. For an even better view, start the hike as the sun is rising, then perch on one of the granite rocks at the top with our Peanut Butter & Jam Oats and watch the colours saturate the horizon and water. Talk about breakfast with a view.

Himeji Garden

A magical Japanese garden might be the last thing you expect to find nestled away in the Adelaide city, but that’s exactly what Himeji Garden is. It blends the ‘senzui’ (lake and mountain) style garden, which uses water to create a feeling of vastness, and ‘kare senzui’ (dry garden), where rocks and sand evoke the presence of water. Sounds like the perfect spot to enjoy our Japanese-inspired Soya, Edamame and Black Fungi Udon.

Botanic Gardens

When imagining a picnic in Adelaide, it’s hard to go past the Botanic Gardens. Located on the CBD’s North Terrance, these expansive gardens host plants from all over the world, with plenty of shady spots to pull up a rug and enjoy a picnic. The hardest decision you’ll have to make here is whether to sit by the rose garden or the water.

Port Noarlunga

Australia is abundant with beautiful beaches perfect for a picnic, but one of our faves is definitely at Port Noarlunga. Whether you choose to park up at the Onkaparinga River Mouth Viewpoint and admire the ribbons of river running into the sea, or walk down the stairs and perch on the sandstone rocks, you’re sure to be spoilt with stunning views.

Brisbane

New Farm Park – Visit Brisbane

Daisy Hill Conservation Park

Nestled between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Daisy Hill is a forested oasis bursting with native flora and fauna. Keep an eye out for a local red-necked wallaby, or visit the Daisy Hill Koala Centre for an up-close and personal encounter with these furry creatures.

Jolly’s Lookout, Mount Nebo

Jolly’s Lookout is no secret and with good reason. This stunning viewpoint offers panoramic scenes across Enoggera Forest Reserve, Glasshouse Mountains and Moreton Bay, made all the more spectacular at sunrise or sunset. Whether you settle down for a bite by the lush rainforest or grab one of the picnic tables, it’s sure to be a meal to remember.

New Farm Park

Nestled right on the Brisbane River, this manicured park is just 3 stops from the CBD, making it the perfect city spot to soak up some sunshine. Featuring plenty of giant, leafy fog trees, a rose garden and an impressive playground, picnickers of all ages will love this spot.

Kangaroo Point Park

While it’s not the most nature-focused park, Kangaroo Point Park is a great city picnic option with stunning views over Brisbane. Inside the park, you can find five artworks from global artists, so you can relax on the grass, snack on our Choc Chip Cookie Dough Bites and appreciate some modern art all at the same time.

Perth

Serpentine Falls – Perth Now

Queen’s Gardens

The site of Perth’s Queen’s Gardens was a racing track and then a brickworks, before eventually being turned into an urban oasis. Water lily lakes now fill old claypits and groomed lawns under shady trees make the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic with friends.

John Oldham Park

Boasting waterfalls and city views in one, John Oldham Park is a favourite among city-goers for casual walks, cycling, outdoor workouts and picnics. Lush greenery makes this a shady way to enjoy the warmer weather.

Serpentine Falls

We could never tire of Perth’s beaches, but if you fancy a change of scenery, Serpentine Falls is another great way to relax by the water. In winter the rain cascades down the granite outcrops and fills the rock pool below, making it a beautiful spot for a picnic (it also used to be a popular swimming spot, but after traces of a harmful bacteria were found in the water, it’s best you don’t go for a dip here). In spring you can expect to see an abundance of wildflowers and the odd kangaroo or two.

John Forrest National Park

Though it’s more of a day trip than a quick lunchtime meetup, John Forrest National Park is abundant with beautiful spots to enjoy your Soulara meals with friends. Pack up your meals, snacks and juices, choose a trail and head out on an adventure, before pulling up a seat by Jane Brook. Not just a pretty river, this water body has cultural significance to the traditional custodians of the land, the Nyoongar people, who associate it with the Dreamtime Serpent, the Waugal.

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