Finding a quiet place to sit down and reflect can be tough when you’re living in the big smoke – until you find a small hidden rainforest in Sydney.

Calling on the preoccupied, perplexed, stressed, broken hearted and just plain tired people of Sydney – there is a soul-enriching place for reflection in your midst. 

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden is one of Sydney’s most beautiful nooks, a naturally lavish tropical paradise overlooking the Sydney Harbour, with all the landscaped makings of a private garden. But there’s none of that snooping over brick walls, or creeping under fences, this garden was created for all to enjoy.

Wendy and her husband, Australian legend, artist Brett Whiteley moved into the house overlooking the garden in 1974. Wendy created the whimsical rainforest like garden, out of what was previously a public wasteland, bordered by a railway line, and has maintained the space since Brett’s passing in 2002, as an ode to her lost love.

A bittersweet expression of love and loss, both Brett and his daughter, Arkie Whiteley’s ashes are buried in an undisclosed part of the garden.

So make your way to Lavender Bay, take a deep breath, enjoy the fresh scent of lush tropical plants and the feeling of their leaves brushing your cheek as you walk down the shady path. Shelter under the strong arms of the Moreton Bay Fig and bask in the solidarity while you absorb giant views of Sydney harbour and listen to the faint and eerie sounds of Luna Park in the foreground. 

Then the next time you visit, take a picnic rug, some frothy brews and some friends so they can enjoy it too.