Lavender Bay, NSW
2.2 km (1 hr )
★★★★☆

Wendy's Secret Garden is the result of one woman's efforts to transform a neglected, overgrown piece of railway land into a garden of pleasure and beauty.

Following the death of her artist husband in 1992, Wendy Whiteley set about managing her grief by cleaning the adjacent piece of railway land and transforming it into a beautiful garden, all at her own expense. While the land is still owned by the railway authority, the garden is currently leased to the North City Council and accessible to all.

The Secret Garden can be reached from either North Sydney or Milsons Point stations and features a number of paths, lots of nooks and crannies and pieces of art, all set within a lush green foliage that is highlighted with splashes of colour from a variety of flowers. My son and I spent a pleasant hour exploring the gardens and having lunch at one of the many tables in the gardens.