Mary Booth Lookout Reserve — Attraction in Sydney

Mary Booth Lookout Reserve is tiny in size and huge in payoff. A few steps from the street and the harbour arrives all at once, framed by fig trees and a neat strip of grass that feels made for lingering. Sit for a minute and you get the city in motion without the bustle: ferries tracing white lines, gulls gliding on the breeze, the bridge and skyline shifting with the light. It is the kind of view that makes coffee taste better and conversations unhurried.

What I like here is the balance. There is enough lawn for a throw rug, a couple of benches if you are traveling light, and just enough height above the water to feel special. Early mornings are calm with soft colour on the stone. Late afternoons turn warm and golden, and the lights across the harbour flick on one by one. Photographers set up tripods, couples take engagement shots, and locals sneak in with a book on sunny weekdays. During big nights on the calendar it becomes a sought after vantage, but most of the time it reads as a quiet neighbourhood green with a front row outlook.

A few simple tips help. Parking is scarce, so public transport and a short stroll keep things easy. Shade moves around, so bring a hat and water if you plan to settle in. The grass has a slight slope near the edge, which makes flat shoes smarter than sandals. Pack out whatever you bring, keep voices down after dusk and give the residents the same peace you came for. Do that, and you have a small, beautiful spot you will want to return to whenever the...

Mary Booth Lookout Reserve is my most favourite lookout for Sydney Harbour view. It is easily accessible from Waruda Street, though finding a parking space on this street or nearby could be a challenge.

Alternatively, visitors may also park their cars on the Olympic Drive street parking spaces (at southeast end of the Bradfield Park) and walk to the Mary Booth Lookout Reserve via a hidden footpath along the water front with some steps.

This lookout offers spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, Sydney CBD, Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is good for visiting during the daytime or for night views (see my night photos). For sunset views I would recommend visiting Botanic Gardens of Sydney (near Mrs Macquarie Chair).

To conclude, I highly recommend this tourist destination since just one lookout but you can get all-in-one go pictures of all these 4 World-Class tourist spots. You must not miss it if you are a Sydneysider but have never visited it so far. If you are a tourist, you can probably take some good photos here and make yourself different...

Dr Mary Booth Lookout is probably something that many tourists and visitors to Sydney never get to see, and they'll be unhappy when they read this review and realised they probably walked, drove or public transported past it several times on their trip. Bummer dude!

Why do I rate it so highly: Look at the view
; arguably the best viewing spot of the opera house and harbour bridge on the Kirribilli side. It's quiet and peaceful
; There's never been anyone else here whenever I visit. You can have a picnic here
; though the pagoda is no longer around, so you'd have to choose a perfect day. Plenty of green space and also seating is available It's 100% FREE to use

How do you not miss out next time? Easy. There is a walkway below that runs along the harbour foreshore from Jeffrey Street Wharf all the way to the lookout. Get on that and when you climb the steps you'll be here.

Otherwise if you are closer to Beulah Street Wharf, alight and head along Waruda Street towards the bridge and you'll find...