We love BBQ food as much as we love the great Australian outdoors. So let's simply combine them and enjoy a 'Barbie' picnic in a lovely Melbournian park.
It's rather inexpensive, yet heaps of fun. Our city is replete with myriads of beautiful, lush, clean public parks and gardens and most have free barbeque areas and picnic tables.
Here's a list of some the most picturesque parks that can accommodate a small group of under 50 people: Albert Park, Fawkner Park, Australian Garden, Batman Park, Bundoora Park, Bayswater Road Reserve, Birrarung Marr, Carlton Gardens, Catani Gardens, CERES Environmental Park, Docklands Park, The Domain, Edinburgh Gardens, Enterprise Park, Fawkner Park, Flagstaff Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens & Treasury Gardens, Gardiner Reserve, Gosch's Paddock, Hardy Reserve, JJ Holland Park, Jells Park, Kensington Banks Parkland, Maranoa Gardens, North Melbourne Community Centre, Point Park (Docklands), Parliament Gardens, Princes Park, Royal Park & Princes Park, Ringwood Lake, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sturt Street Reserve, Studley Park, St Kilda (Blessington St) Gardens, Victoria Gardens, Prahran, Westerfolds Park, Williamstown Botanic Gardens, Yarra Park. For a complete list of parks and locations
click here.
Another great option is the southern bank of the Yarra River, pick your place anywhere between Princes Bridge and Swan Street Bridge, where there are several BBQs and shady trees. Maps of the parks can be downloaded by
clicking here.
If you have a larger group of over 50 people, you will have to contact the City of Melbourne on (03) 9658 9658 for further information or to seek permission to take your own barbeque to one of the parks or gardens.
Barbeques operate on early-bird basis as there are no bookings anywhere, so to grab your favourite seat, arrive early. Also note that all BBQs and shelters are shared facilities.
Advance preparation: (a) Call your friends to fix a day for the picnic; (b) Marinate your choice of meat or veggies to BBQ. And then all you have to do is grab a cool spot and feast on. For sumptuous BBQ recipes ideas,
click here.
So plan your picnic quick, while the weather is still warm enough for the outdoors. It's fun, it's cheap, it's a fantastic weekend activity to enjoy with friends, family and community groups.
