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Trails · Waverton, Sydney
Balls Head Reserve
Free·Leashed only
A nine-hectare waterfront bushland reserve on Sydney Harbour with walking tracks, picnic BBQs, toilets and dramatic views of the Harbour Bridge and city skyline. North Sydney Council welcomes dogs on-leash throughout the reserve's formal tracks.
Why it made the list
A genuine harbour bushland walk minutes from the CBD where leashed dogs are welcome on scenic tracks.
Good to know before you go
North Sydney Council states that dogs must be leashed and remain on formal walking tracks in all North Sydney bushland reserves, including Balls Head Reserve, which is a designated Wildlife Protection Area. During the council's periodic 1080 fox baiting programs, dogs are prohibited from entering baited reserves. Hours were not published in the material reviewed.
Practical notes
Walk the loop from Waverton station via the Coal Loader for a longer route
Keep strictly to formal tracks - it is a Wildlife Protection Area
What is available on site
Water bowls
Shaded seating
House rules and verification
The pet policy above is summarised from the venue’s own published information and cross-checked against public listings. Last checked: against the source on . Policies change without notice anyway, so confirm the current one with the venue before you travel, and keep your dog leashed anywhere that is not a signed off-leash area. Read the full disclaimer.
A cafe and restaurant inside Centennial Parklands, serving breakfast and lunch with park views. The parklands' own dog rules list the pantry, its deck and entrance, and the kitchen deck and lawn as on-lead areas where dogs are permitted, about 250 m from the park's main off-leash fields.
A harbour dog beach at the end of Caledonian Road, between Dumaresq Reserve and Percival Park. Woollahra Council designates this stretch as off-leash at all times.
A heritage corner pub in Surry Hills dating to 1877, serving pub classics and Italian-influenced dishes. Its own website states that it has both indoor and outdoor dog-friendly spaces and a dedicated dog menu, and dogs are welcome inside at the bar and in the courtyard.
Dogs indoorsDog menu
$$ · ModerateMore
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