Autumn Colours in Sydney: Fall in Love at These Magical Spots

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Sydney is a gorgeous evergreen city all year round, so when autumn comes knocking on 1 March, it's a magical time to head outdoors and soak up autumn colours in Sydney with foliage bursting with golds, oranges, yellows, and reds.

This time of the year is also cool enough to enjoy long periods outdoors before the chill of winter kicks in. Plus, the crunching sensory experience of all those golden fallen leaves is a big hit with kids (and kids at heart!).

We've hunted down the best places to go for gorgeous autumn colours in Sydney to welcome you to the changing season. 

Autumn Colours in Sydney: Fall in Love at These Magical Spots

1. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Autumn colours in Sydney
Amazing autumn colours at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney.


Location: Mrs Macquarie’s Road, Sydney
Opening hours are seasonal

Cost: Free

The Royal Botanic Gardens really is the most beautiful spot to while away as much or as little time as you choose.

It’s the perfect place to stop and recharge when you’ve been out and about with your kids in the city. There is something otherworldly about the space, and while the kids are still young enough to believe in fairies, it is a magical place for them to play and let their imaginations run wild.

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2. Centennial Parklands

Centennial Parklands
Stunning autumn foliage in Centennial Park.


Location: Eastern Suburbs, Sydney
Open daily between sunrise and sunset
Cost: Free

We love the unique colours that come alive in Centennial Parklands when autumn in Sydney is in full swing.

The southern side of the Duck Pond bursts into a spectacular sight of red, yellow and orange leaves. Now, this is the place to kick leaves!

Also, a gorgeous sight is the Tibouchina or Lasiandra trees around the parklands, easily recognisable by their full bursts of purple flowers in the autumn months.

Fearnley Grounds offers everything families need: food, bikes, cycle tracks, and toilets, to name a few. There are also many fun activities and workshops for kids during their Autumn Program.

3. Auburn Botanic Gardens

Auburn Botanic Gardens
You can't miss the adorable little red bridge at Auburn Botanic Gardens.


Location: 96 Chiswick Rd, Auburn
Open daily
Cost: Adults $4, children and Auburn residents go free.

A little-known parkland located 20 minutes west of the CBD, the Auburn Botanic Gardens is a great place for the kids to explore and find the creatures of the rainforest, a jolly swagman at the billabong and meet kangaroos, wallabies and emus at the Fauna Reserve. There is also a bird aviary and lakes with fish and ducks.

There is a picnic area with BBQs and an accessible playground to visit, ensuring this picturesque park is a fun day out for all.

4. Camellia Gardens

Camellia Gardens
Autumn at Camellia Gardens.


Location: 104R President Avenue, Caringbah South
Open daily but closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Cost: Free

Located in Caringbah and overlooking the gorgeous Yowie Bay, Camellia Gardens is an absolutely stunning spot when autumn in Sydney rolls around and when the camellia flowers are in bloom.

The beautiful Camellia Gardens Teahouse overlooks the gardens and is the perfect location for Devonshire tea, high tea, breakfast or lunch.

5. Wahroonga Park

Wahroonga Park
The playground at Wahroonga Park.


Location: Coonanbarra Road, Wahroonga
Open daily
Cost: Free

A small but truly loved park, Wahroonga Park is a beautiful oasis for North Shore mums and the place to go for autumn colours in Sydney.

The spacious park in the heart of Wahroonga village is accessible, and the upgraded playground allows parents to sit back and let the kids entertain themselves - from toddlers to tweens.

When the autumn colours start showing, sections of this park near Wahroonga Station transform into a magical array of reds where the azaleas are planted.

6. Rumsey Rose Garden

Autumn colours in Sydney
Rumsey Rose Garden bursts with autumn reds, yellows and oranges.


Location: Corner of Pitt St and Macquarie St, Parramatta
Open daily
Cost: Free

The Rumsey Heritage Rose Garden is a beautiful municipal heritage rose garden within Parramatta Park.

It's a unique garden featuring over 500 species of roses donated by the Rumsey family and a few deciduous trees that creates a golden atmosphere of autumn colours in Sydney.

The nearby Murray Gardens also boast spacious, manicured gardens with a lovely, unique landscape designed to highlight the historic water patterns made by its ponds and water features, including the charming convict-era stone bridge over Murray Gardens Creek.

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7. Cattai National Park

Cattai National Park
Take a trip to the Hawkesbury River and visit Cattai National Park.


Location: Off Wisemans Ferry Road, Hawkesbury River Region
Open 7 am to 7 pm daily
Cost: Free

On the south banks of the Hawkesbury River, the Cattai National Park is a large area with many picnic shelters and woodfire barbecue areas.

This is a great place for families with older kids, as the surrounding area is perfect for outdoor activities like waterskiing, wakeboarding, and canoeing, with space for the kids to run around and ride their bikes or even spend a weekend family camping.

In May, the Hawkesbury becomes a gorgeous kaleidoscope of colour, from deep reds to golden yellows from the plane and maple trees scattered along the banks of the river.

8. Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens, Mount Tomah

Blue Mountains in autumn
Feel like visiting the Blue Mountains for some autumn colours?


Location: Bells Line of Rd, Mount Tomah
Open daily
Cost: Free

Behold a dazzling display as trees are set ablaze with red, orange and gold. The autumn display at the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens is one of the most popular in the Blue Mountains region, and optimal conditions – a combination of warm days and cool nights – result in an especially dramatic show of colour every autumn in Sydney!

Visitors should drop in during May before the leaves fall down and are urged to check out the Plant Explorers Walk, Brunet Garden, the Formal Garden, and the trees near the Visitor Centre for extra special displays. 

9. Meadow Flat

Autumn colours in Sydney
Autumn colours in Meadow Flat. Image via Ilya Genkin.


Location: Curly Dick Rd, Meadow Flat
Open daily
Cost: Free

Another glorious spot in the Blue Mountains comes bursting to life with autumn colours in Sydney - well, close to Sydney!

Meadow Flat in the Blue Mountains has turned into a tourist hotspot thanks to its incredible display of autumn colours. Curly Dick Road transforms into a lane of gold as the tall poplar trees turn from green to gold in preparation for winter. 

10. Southern Highlands

Bowral in autumn
The Southern Highlands is one of the best spots for seasonal colours.


Open daily
Cost: Free

Less than two hours drive away, Bowral comes alive with autumn foliage as many of the village’s deciduous trees were planted around the late 1800s in an effort to make Bowral look more like England.

In autumn, the deciduous trees and shrubs around Buskers End at St Clair Street and oaks in Station Street create a brilliant display worth travelling for.

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More Nature Experiences for Kids

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The Best Family Farm Stays Near Sydney
Natural Wonders to Discover in NSW
 

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