Oyster Bay is not one of the busier or more happening suburbs in the Sutherland Shire but you can still easily spend a few hours out of the house there with your kids on a nice day.
We started our day with a play at…
Oyster Bay Oval
The easiest way to get to Oyster Bay Oval is by car and there’s a great free off-street car park beside the playground- it even has a clothing bin if (like me) you remember that you’ve got a bag of clothes to be donated that have been in your boot for a month! We visited during the school holidays and there was still plenty of available parking.
The Oyster Bay Oval is next to a busy road but is fenced and gated so you won’t have to worry about kids who like to do a runner.
The playground has plenty to offer and is best suited to kids aged 3-10. It’s set on sand and synthetic grass and includes numerous climbing walls and nets, monkey bars, a medium-sized slide, tunnel, spring-rocker, swings, and a round-about ride.
A bike-track circles the equipment and you can watch on from the picnic benches beside it.
You can also bring bats, balls, frisbees etc to get the most out of the large adjacent oval.
Once the kids have worked up an appetite, you can head across the road to…
Rise on the Bay
Rise on the Bay is a colourful, arty family-friendly cafe opposite Oyster Bay Oval. They also happen to offer a lunch box service where you can order healthy lunches and pick them up on your way to school.
We visited late-morning and grabbed a table inside. They serve an all-day menu and the kids’ options, which range from $6.50 – $11.50 include toasties, burger and chips, pancakes and bacon and eggs. My kids chose the latter two options and I ordered myself the smashed avo with poached egg while my husband had the Rise Chicken Burger.
It’s a shame their little reading/toy corner was blocked off (due to COVID) when we were there, as this would’ve been plenty to entertain the kids while they waited for their meals.
The kids’ meals came out first and both looked yummy, both were eaten before I could even ask for a taste, which is unusual for my children! My meal wasn’t too bad either but the poached egg was, unfortunately, a little overcooked. On the other hand, my husband said his burger was great, so all in all it was a positive experience.
What else is there to do in Oyster Bay?
The queues we passed outside Oyster Bay Bakery as we left suggested that it’s definitely a place worth visiting. You might like to grab milkshakes for dessert here or skip the cafe and order hot rolls, chicken and chips to eat at the park instead.
Oyster Bay has two other local playgrounds: The smaller Ward Crescent Reserve and the recently refurbished Green Point Reserve.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the social calendar of the Oyster Bay Observatory, which hosts public viewing nights from time to time that kids will find fascinating.
Looking for more day out ideas? Read more of our “A Day Out in…” series or visit our “What’s On” page to read about local events.
