Best BBQ and picnic parks in Rhodes
Rhodes Foreshore Park is the first pick for a BBQ in Rhodes if you're bringing toddlers. Its accessible BBQ and picnic facilities sit beside the water, and the fully enclosed playground is in the same park. The other parks offer different things: a shelter and open lawns, a beach at the water's edge, or a riverbank walk after the meal. The table lists what each one has.
Quick picks
- Toddlers and a BBQ: Rhodes Foreshore Park, with accessible BBQs beside the water and a fully enclosed playground in the same park.
- Group picnics: McIlwaine Park, with BBQs at several picnic sites, picnic shelters and a beach beside a sandstone seawall.
- A walk after the meal: Phoenix Park, where the riverbank is an easy stroll once you've eaten.
Rhodes Foreshore Park for a family BBQ with toddlers
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Rhodes Foreshore Park is the park for a family BBQ with little ones, because its fully enclosed playground, with two gated entrances, sits in the same park as the BBQs. The accessible BBQ and picnic facilities are beside the water, and there are picnic tables too. Public toilets on site include a baby change table, which counts for a lot with toddlers in tow. Park in the wheelchair-accessible lot if you can, because weekend street spaces run short. The Rhodes Waterside car park, with its first three hours free, is the fallback. Expect it to be busy on weekends, when outdoor events are held.
Best for: Parents planning a BBQ with a toddler who needs a fully enclosed play space.
McIlwaine Park for group picnics with a shelter
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Playground
- Parking
McIlwaine Park is the pick for a group picnic, since several of its picnic sites have barbecues and there are picnic shelters to sit under. The beach area beside its sandstone seawall has discovery rock pools, so the kids can explore before or after the meal. At 2.13 ha, it is the largest of the Rhodes parks with a known area, which leaves room to spread out. The park has its own parking lot, and on-street parking runs along Oulton Avenue.
Best for: Groups who want picnic shelters, several BBQ sites and a beach at the water's edge.
Phoenix Park for a picnic that turns into a riverside walk
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Playground
Phoenix Park is the pick when the picnic is only half the plan. Paths for walking and cycling run through it, and the riverbank is a gentle stroll once you've eaten. The BBQs sit on the grass near a medium-sized district playground built around a large rope net. Nothing shades the playground itself, so hats are worth packing for little ones. Restrooms sit near the playground stairs, a short walk from the grills.
Best for: Groups who would rather finish a BBQ with a walk along the river than drive elsewhere.
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Rhodes
The table ranks each park we could compare here, with the picks first and the parks just outside the suburb after them.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Rhodes Foreshore Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.McIlwaine Park | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| 3.Phoenix Park | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Mill Park | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Rhodes | |||||
| Brays Bay Reserve · Concord West | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rhodes Park · Concord West | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
How we picked
We scored each park on its BBQs, shelters, picnic tables, toilets, playground, parking and size, and ranked the best fits first. Parks with thin records stay in the table, since a pick needs enough to write about. An unknown detail shows as a dash in the table, which means we couldn't confirm it, and never as a no.
FAQ
Which park in Rhodes has BBQs?
Rhodes Foreshore Park, McIlwaine Park and Phoenix Park all have BBQs. Foreshore's accessible BBQs sit beside the water, McIlwaine's are at several of its picnic sites, and Phoenix's are on the grass near its playground.
Are there toilets near the picnic areas in Rhodes?
The loos at Rhodes Foreshore Park have a baby change table. Phoenix Park's toilets are a short walk from its BBQs, by the playground stairs.
Where can you park for a picnic at McIlwaine Park?
McIlwaine Park has its own parking lot. On-street spaces run along Oulton Avenue and the residential streets around it.
What can you do after a picnic in Rhodes?
Phoenix Park's riverbank is an easy walk before or after a meal, and its paths suit walking and cycling. McIlwaine Park's beach area, with discovery rock pools, gives children something to explore.