Heron Park

Heron Park is our local off-​road dog park and is a godsend for dogs to really burn off energy during the week. The terrain isn’t difficult for owners to walk but it’s size and varied landscape make it fun for both man and dog alike. There are vast fields for playing fetch as well and a wooded area for further exploration. There is a very nice playground (dogs must stay at least 10M away), relatively clean public toilets, and a water fountain although no bowl for dogs to get a drink. It’s a great place for pooches to brush up on their socialization and the myriad of smells and birds keep the entertainment high. A definite recommend to make it your local!

Totally disagree with Eddy D on this one. I’ve taken dogs that ice been dog sitting here and had no problems even with ones that are easily distracted. State housing? I live in Mission Bay and the homes and good people of Waterview seem fine to me.
The grassed areas are rolling slopes away from from the road and there is a beautiful forest area that backs onto the water inlet.
The playground is about 100m away from the road, there are almost always families playing there and using the lying fox. There is a public toilet which is well maintained. The dog area is away from the playground and even further from the road. If you are running a dog, they can’t even see the road and get good exercise on the gentle slopes.
There are well constructed loop paths down even further away from the road, under the trees. Think quaint bridges across a bubbling creek (weather dependent) and shady massive native trees with grasses clearings and park benches to enjoy the view. There is actually two loops, one that follows the creek and a slightly longer one which follows the edge of the estuary.
Although this back part of the park is leash on, I’ve always seen dogs roaming free with their owners.

I don’t know, I’ve never seen a heron here. They should rename this State Housing and Traffic Noise Park, if they wanted to be descriptive. I guess it’s good if you have a dog you need to exercise, but even then I’d be worried about getting too close to Great North Road — there is always heavy traffic, and although no dogs or small children have run out into it that I can remember, it would be a constant worry in the back of my head if I took either of them to this park.
I don’t want to bag it completely. In Heron Park’s defence, it’s a good size — it’s actually pretty massive as far as parks go in this area. It’s a bit exposed in places though, and while a featureless expanse of grass is great if you’re a dog or someone who loves featureless expanses of grass, for the rest of us this leads to wind annoyance and boredom. Overall: Meh.

Heron Park had been recommended to me in the past but I have only had a chance to get there this week for the first time. Cool place! I welcomed the rolling hills, albeit small ones, with serene views of the hills off in the distance as I approached on foot from Great North Road. The more I walk along the pathway winding its way around these grassy mounds, the more the sound of traffic winds it way back.
The play ground is set quite far back from the road which is great, otherwise safety would be a bit of a worry for parents. They also have a flying fox, fun for the older kiddies. A designated dog off leash area too, which by the look of the map is probably a bit too close to the road however.
It was an enjoyable stroll amongst a very open area, with some well established trees and some young ones slowly maturing. If you want to get here by car, the entrance is on Cadman Avenue.