Where to Picnic this Father's Day.

By Laura Rancie.

We’ve collated a list of the cutest Father’s Day picnic spots in your closest city, with great cafés putting on special events or lush green lawns to sprawl on. Each place has an interesting history and beautiful scenic vistas, but you may want to book ahead. Browse the list, then pick your closest location. 

Find your happy place in the heart of the Centennial Parklands, moments away from the hustle of Sydney’s CBD.

From catching up with the family to enjoying a great meal, Centennial Homestead offers a range of dining options and event spaces catering to all walks of life. The kitchen, pantry, wisteria room and garden are all a place to gather, a place to enjoy, a place to relax. This Father’s Day celebrate at Centennial with lawn games, live music and menu specials. 

 

Father's Day lunch at Centennial Homestead.

In one of the most beautiful regions of Australia, near the gentle waves of Kingscliff lies a family-run farm welcoming visitors, big, small and hairy. Farm & Co Kingscliff is all about whole food and a farming philosophy strictly following only organic farming practices.

 

The farm is a private space but open to the public, so for this reason, they ask that you do not BYO food or alcohol but with such an incredible restaurant on site, why would you want to? The farm is licensed, so BYO picnic blanket and purchase a take-out meal from the grab-and-go cabinet at the café or sit down and eat onsite.

 

Be sure to check the website for updates on when the flowers are in full bloom or to book the restaurant and when you’re there, be sure to check out Hank and Pepe, the resident rescue pigs that can be walked on a lead. 

 

Farm & Co.

Known for live music on its ‘Sunday sessions’, Paradise Country is also a great day out for dads. Think tractor rides, character meet and greets, exotic and native animals and an incredible outback show featuring whips with an Australian sheepdog rounding up the herds. BYO blanket and enjoy all the action at your own pace or settle into the onsite café and playground.

 

Bookings aren't generally necessary, but given it's Father's Day, it's best to check online and book if you want a seat at the café or restaurant. 

The grounds of Government House are regularly open for members of the public to picnic on the manicured lawns. Admire the gardens steeped in historical, environmental and social significance, enjoy a spot of tennis on one of Queensland’s original grass courts and BYO picnic lunch to enjoy in the shade of the century-old West Indian cedar.

 

There is no café onsite here, so bring everything you need and be sure to register on the website as Sundays get booked out. 

Built in 1847, Como House and Garden is an intriguing mix of Australian Regency and classic Italianate architecture. Como offers a glimpse into the privileged lifestyle of former owners, the Armytage family, who lived there for nearly a century.

 

The Armytages became famous among Melbourne's high society and equally famous for their many elegant dances, dinners and receptions. Those elegant dining and reception rooms are still furnished with family heirlooms and even the servant’s areas, kitchen and laundry have been preserved.

These days the National Trust takes care of the estate and allows tours of the house and the gardens which are always open to visitors; where you can bring a picnic or enjoy the incredible menu offering at the onsite café, The Stables of Como. Alternatively, they also offer gourmet picnic hampers stacked and piled high with a delectable menu to be devoured amongst 5 acres of manicured gardens and come with crockery, a picnic rug and blanket. Book ahead if you want this option. 

 

Another National Trust property, Beaumont House regularly hosts festivals, family events, and open days and is a great option for Father’s Day. Built in 1849, the homestead once belonged to the first Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Augustus Short, and later Sir Samuel Davenport, politician, horticulturist and founder of the olive oil industry in SA.

 

The house has a distinctive Mediterranean character, an open brickwork parapet in soft terracotta colours and a central flat roof originally accessed by a staircase. There is an entry fee so for full details and the Father’s Day lineup check out the Beaumont House website.