I'll check out Bayview.
Was going to go for walk around the city but the weather been crap. Maybe next week?
Bayview/Rowland Reserve is always busy... its awesome and if you park closest to the dog park / open area (marked in yellow) it's "1 hr free", although I've stayed there much longer before.
Else it's paid parking and the rangers do head around there every so often. Parking isn't overly expensive if you have to pay though.
White is all off leash (including in the water), sand bar goes right out at low tide and theres a dog water fountain in middle of park, and heaps of bins/poo bags around the place.
I've only ever seen 2 incidents there between dogs (one because there was a horny Frenchie and an idiot who couldn't control the 2 dogs it was trying to mount), and another was a clown with an intact male dog and people quickly told him to piss off or put it on a leash.
Most owners/dogs are really well behaved there.
It's across the bay from Newport Arms (which is dog friendly as well - so you can have a meal with your pup on a leash there).
Speaking of food there are a few good places around there.
Flying Fish Cafe is dog friendly (and a short walk down a path from the Dog Park)
Church Point Store is about 5 minutes drive up Pittwater Rd but dogs must remain outside at all times.
There's also the
Marina Cafe furthur up (and more expensive) which apparently allow dogs there at lunch (never been there though).
I also checked out
Sandy Bay at Clontarf the other week (which is dog friendly). It's not TOO bad (although parking is absurdly overpriced at almost $10 an hour), enough that I don't think I'll go back there, despite it looking okay.
Sirius Cove (only dogs unleashed during weekdays) is really nice too and plenty of space for dogs to swim. Not as popular at Bayview though. If you decide to walk around,
avoid Whiting Beach. It looks nice, and would be, except drug fucks leave their uncapped syringes all over the beach and it's a minefield and a pinprick waiting to happen. That fucked me right off and we dared not venture onto the beach (theres a sign warning of it).
and whilst there is no swimming, the Coal Loader / Balls Head Reserve at Waverton is a nice walk with a few tracks .. haven't been there a few months but it's dog friendly (leashed), and they were building a mad rooftop garden last time I was there. You can walk through the old coal loader tunnels too.
Another one that's quite nice is Lake Parramatta, as well as Ballast Point (Balmain)... both leashed dogs allowed.
We get out and about quite a bit with our girl as she loves sniffing new bushland and things. She's a human dog, not really a dog/dog. At a dog park she'll head to people for pats/treats, rather than play with other dogs.