If you haven’t already noticed, Australia is bloody beautiful. Just ask Lara.
And if you find working out to be an unnecessary form of evil, doing it while enjoying this dank-arse sunburnt land we’re lucky enough to call home is one way to make it more tolerable.
Maybe you’re a newbie to sweating voluntarily, or perhaps you’re heading to a different city for a few days and want to know the best places to do your one-man, Jamiroquai–Zumba sessions. Either way, ya’ mates at Pedestrian.tv have compiled this guide of the most lust-worthy and FREE work out areas to get your ball-sweat on at.
~ MELBOURNE ~
The 1000 Steps
Victoria
Dandenong Ranges National Park, Ferny Creek, VIC, 3786
If you haven’t been to the Dandenong Ranges, you’re missing out on something genuinely mystical. The trees are taller, the air is fresher and you’ll usually find the scent of woodfire wafting through the air. The 1000 Steps has been a popular tourist destination for yonks, and if you follow your fair share of Instagram fitness bloggers you’ll find it’s a regular on the feed. Only shattering downside? Dogs aren’t permitted.
The Tan
Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, 3141
Luckily for Victorians, dogs are encouraged here. Located in and around The Royal Botanic Gardens, The Tan is a go-to for many an Eminem-fuelled run. The 3.8km track is as picturesque as they come, lined with huge trees, and is adjacent to the Yarra. Given its cushy location, you’ll have glam mums with bubs a plenty, a sprinkling of footy stars as well as triathlon titans and genuine strugglers (us). People watching is the highlight here, though the 30m hill you’ll encounter mid-way through the jog is heigh-light too. Sorry, that was terrible.
~ SYDNEY ~
Lucky for Sydneysiders, you probably don’t need these suggestions, because you’re getting a workout wherever you go due to the entire city being one humongous fucking hill with constant 88% humidity. But here they are anyway.
Bondi Beach
2026
Ahhh, beloved Bondi. This one’s obvious, really. Soft sand runs, a dip at Icebergs, push-ups on the rolling greenery surrounding the area… It’s the perfect spot for a sweat sesh and/or Instagram post, with 13+ likes almost guaranteed. The location cops ten extra points for the possibility of bumping into ya boy Hoppo, the affable lifeguard.
The Domain
Eastern edge of CBD, near Woolloomooloo
You can’t knock the hustle of that view.
The Domain is like the better-looking big brother of Melbourne’s Tan track, and this Melbourne writer isn’t even gonna try and deny it. S’got stairs, loads of grass and A+ views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House a’plenty.
~ PERTH ~
Cottesloe Beach
Western Perth, 6011
Four words: Out. Of. Fakin. CONTROL.
Cottesloe vs Bondi is basically the Bloods vs Crips of Down Under. Cottesloe is pretty magic, though, with crystal clear blue waters. There’s outdoor exercise equipment there too, so you can chin-up to the background of an oil painting.
Kings Park
Western edge of CBD, 6005
With a name like Kings Park you know it’s gonna be pretty grandiose. At 400 hectares, it’s one of the biggest inner-city parks on the globe. Views of the Swan and Canning river are a highlight. There’s a picnic area, heaps of kids parks and an ANZAC memorial. Basically everything your fitbit-wearing self could ever wish for.
~ ADELAIDE ~
Mount Lofty
Mount Lofty Ranges, 5152
Yeah, the range is lofty as hell coming in at 727m high. If you’re into panoramic views of the city of churches, as well as a cafe restaurant and a gift shop, then shit son, the summit is most certainly for you.
For those among us with quads of steel, the 4km uphill trek of Waterfall Gully is one of the most popular workout destinations.
If that isn’t enough to entice you, it’s home to the stinky
corpse flower. Because nothing is as rewarding as deeply inhaling the scent of a thousand farts after whooping your own arse on a trek.
Morialta Falls
Back in ’94, TLC told us not to chase waterfalls. But oops, looks like we gone and done just that. A big drawcard here is the abundance of our national treasure, koalas. You can meander around the base of the gully, if you wanna take it easy, OR, you can rev it up to 100% like a HAM and tackle the walking trail. So many options.
~ BRISBANE ~
Brisbane Botanic Gardens
Mount Coot-tha, 4066
Why squat in a hot, stinking gym, when you can squat in a hot, subtropical park? You could squat in the Japanese Gardens, you could squat by the Freedom Wall monument or the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, if you’re that way inclined. You could basically squat anywhere amongst this hauuuge 52 hectare garden.
Coorparoo Skate Park
Skate parks shouldn’t be overlooked on your quest for ultimate health and fitness. Sure, you might associate them with the over-use of shakas and the stench of Lynx, but rollerblading is a ripper way to get your quads pumping, and if you’re a Brisbanite, you’re in luck, cause your city is home to the most skate and BMX parks in the entire country. So make like Bam Magera, and get a roll on.
~ HOBART ~
With over one third of this poor, often-forgotten state considered National Park, Reserve or World Heritage protected wilderness, there’s plenty of outdoor galore to explore. “Give me a home among the gumtrees” said Don Burke, of Burke’s Backyards. His home was here all along.
kunanyi / Mount Wellington
7054
Disclaimer: this one’s not for the faint of heart and/or legs. It’s the site of the Point to Pinnacle half-marathon held annually in Tassie, and the 19km trek up the mountain is probably best reserved for the more fitness-oriented among us. Beware, by all accounts the bitterly tip of the mountain is peak #fripple zone.
Queens Domain
North-east of CBD
A whopping $27,000 was dropped on an outdoor gym in Queens Domain a couple of years ago, cementing the area as a choice workout destination for Hobartians. It faces the river and is home to the lil’ island state’s botanic gardens.
~ DARWIN ~
East Point Recreation Reserve
East Point, 0820
It’s one of the most popular destinations for visitors of Darwin, with coastal scenery, mangroves, boardwalks and rockfaces as far as the eye can see. It’s a popular spot to watch the sunse, too. Fackin’ mwah.
Nitmiluk Gorge
Just outside Katherine, 0851
Orrrrite, so this bad boy isn’t exactly in the city of Darwin, but it’s breathtaking nonetheless. Just four hours out of the capital, folks flock to this spot to cool off and have a dip. Throw some backstroke in there and you’re working out.
~ AND LAST BUT NEVER LEAST, CANBERRA ~
That is all.
Photo: Getty / Philipp Hoffmann.
