A short 25-minute drive north of Perth CBD, Hillarys foreshore is a beautiful coastal area where Hillarys Boat Harbour, Hillarys Marina, Hillarys Marina Lighthouse, Hillarys Marina Beach, Hillarys Yacht Club, and Western Australia’s only underwater aquarium – AQWA, are located.
The 16-hectare Roma Street Parkland is located within a short walk from Brisbane city. Opened in 2001 after over 100,000 shrubs, 1200 mature trees, 1800 unique species of plants, and 250 ferns were planted, the Parkland is an inner-city green oasis built within a concrete jungle, an excellent getaway for people working in the Brisbane city.
Perth’s 400-hectare (4 km2) Kings Park is one of the world’s largest inner-city parks. Opened in 1965, Kings Park has the best views of where the Swan and Canning Rivers meet and is visited by close to 6 million people every year. Two-thirds of Kings Park is natural bushland, and the rest of Kings Park is the Western Australian Botanic Garden, walking trails, lookouts, monuments, and open recreation areas.
The Spit is the 5km long peninsula that stretches all the way up in the northward direction to the Gold Coast Seaway separating the Coral Sea from the Gold Coast Broadwater. The Spit is the gateway between Gold Coast Broadwater and the open ocean.
Mariner’s Cover Marina, Marina Mirage Shopping Mall, and Sea World Resort are located on the Gold Coast Broadwater side of The Spit. The ocean side of The Spit is relatively undeveloped compared to many other beautiful Gold Coast beaches.
Townsville is a major service centre for northern Queensland and the main centre for government administration outside Brisbane. If you have 2 days in Townsville and you have a car to drive around, some tourist destinations in Townsville are free to visit. You just need to drive there. Even parking is free too.
Lake Gwelup is a seasonal lake located within the Perth suburb of Gwelup, a 17-minute drive north of Perth CBD. The winter months are the best months to view Lake Gwelup when the lake water levels are at their highest levels.
Lake Gwelup Regional Open Space, which includes Lake Gwelup, is the open space, the natural bushland, and the walking trails around Lake Gwelup.
Cliffs Park in the Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point is a unique park located by the bank of Brisbane River and right next to Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Kangaroo Point Cliffs comprise a 20m to 25m tall vertical rock face that extends most of the length of the Cliffs Park. The cliffs are the remains of 150 years of quarrying activities and are a heritage-listed site.
South Bank, a suburb located on the southern bank of Brisbane River and just south of Brisbane CBD, is Brisbane’s lifestyle and cultural precinct.
Here in South Bank, you will find the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum, and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
The Brisbane Sign and the Wheel of Brisbane are in South Bank too, along with many eateries, restaurants, cafes, bars, and hotels.
Within a walking distance north of Townsville city centre, the Strand is a 2.2 km beachfront promenade that features flat bike and walkway paths, swimming beaches, picturesque picnic spots, and lookout points, waterfront restaurants and cafes, and family-friendly parks and playgrounds. There are many tourist attractions on or close to the Strand including the 15-hectare Jezzine Barracks and Kissing Point Fort heritage precinct and the Strand Rockpool at the northwestern end, and the Strand Water Park, Breakwater Marina and Anzac Memorial Park at the southeastern end of the Strand.
Located halfway between the tip of Cape York and Brisbane, Townsville is a coastal city in northeastern Queensland with a population of 234,283, according to the 2021 census.
Townsville is a major service centre for northern Queensland and the main centre for government administration outside Brisbane.
Located only a short 20-minute drive northwest of Perth CBD, Roselea Boulevard Reserve is a small reserve surrounded by waterfront houses in the city of Stirling. This small reserve is located in a housing estate features a lake with a bridge and boardwalk and is surrounded by waterfront houses.
The between Newcastle Foreshore and Nobbys Lighthouse starts at the waterfront walking path alongside Wharf Road next to the 11-hectare Newcastle Foreshore Park, a popular venue for many community events. Following the footpath in the northeast direction alongside Wharf Road towards Nobbys Lighthouse, you will walk past Nobbys Beach on the east side and Horseshoe Beach on the west side.
Surrounded by mountains on all sides, Lake Wakatipu is beautiful and distinctly different in the 4 seasons of the year.
A good way to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the lake and the surrounding mountains is to take a cruise on TSS Earnslaw, which is a 1912 vintage steamship, or the Spirit of Queenstown cruise ship.
Another way to enjoy the beautiful Lake Wakatipu is to walk by the shoreline near Queenstown town centre, which is small and very walkable. It is an awesome free thing to do in Queenstown.
Kelvin Peninsula, located southeast of Queenstown town centre, extends into Wakatipu Lake. Kelvin Heights, located on the Kelvin Peninsula and is a 20-minute drive from the Queenstown town centre, is part of the Queenstown urban area. The section of Kelvin Peninsula Walk Trail around Queenstown Golf Club and near the Wakatipu Yacht Club at the tip of the peninsula offers the best lake and mountain views and popular picnic and swimming spots in the warmer months.
Bily Lake, located just outside Optus Stadium and adjacent to the Swan River, is part of Chevron Parkland which also includes BHP Boardwalk and Amphitheatre, walking trails, cycling tracks, picnic and barbecue facilities, children’s playgrounds, and public art displays.
The 1 km round Bily Lake walk offers walking on relatively flat walking paths and BHP Boardwalk with many seating and picnic areas, and views of the Swan River, East Perth shoreline, and Perth CBD skyline.
Auckland Botanic Gardens is approximately 25km, or a 35-minute drive, southeast of Auckland city centre, in Auckland’s suburb of Manurewa. Auckland is located in the North Island of New Zealand. Here visitors will find more than 10,000 plants of which many are self-sustaining and require minimal intervention in Auckland’s mild South Pacific climate without pesticides.
Herdsman Lake and Herdsman Lake Regional Park are surrounded by the suburbs of Woodlands, Churchlands, Glendalough, and Osborne Park, and are popular among the residents for leisure activities such as picnics, birdwatching, cycling, hiking, walking, and jogging.
Herdsman Lake is a 15-minute drive from the Perth CBD. The lake is roughly circular and is encompassed by Herdsman Lake Regional Park. Herdsman Lake and Herdsman Lake Regional Park are popular for leisure activities such as picnics, birdwatching, cycling, hiking, walking, and jogging.
The 2 km one-way walk between Elizabeth Quay and the Old Swan Brewery by the Swam River foreshore takes you through the well-landscaped David Carr Memorial Park. You will walk underneath the Narrows Bridge where you can have a close-up look at the Narrows Bridge’s structural details from underneath.
You will enjoy seeing people doing all kinds of sea sports, and boats and ferries moored or on the move on the Swan River. South Perth foreshore is on the other side of the Swan River connected to the Perth city via Narrows Bridge.
John Oldham Park and David Carr Memorial Park are located just a stone’s throw from Perth CBD and right next to the very busy Narrows Interchange but when you are in the parks, you don’t feel like you are next to high-traffic roads. These parks seem to be able to shield their visitors from traffic noise.
John Oldham Park and David Carr Memorial Park are part of Narrows Interchange parklands which were constructed on reclaimed land from Mounts Bay more than 60 years ago to build Narrows Bridge and Interchange to connect South Perth to Perth city centre.
The walk between Forrest Hall and the Old Swan Brewery, with a one-way distance of 2.1 km, allows walkers to walk on flat riverbank walking paths alongside Mounts Bay Road and the Swan River, and visit three of Perth city’s iconic landmarks – Blue Boat House, the Eliza Sculpture, and the Old Swan Brewery.
City Beach is the closest beach to Perth’s city centre. Located at just a 15-minute drive west of Perth CBD, City Beach is so accessible that you can have your morning swim or morning walk there and be in your Perth CBD office by 8 am.
White sand and big waves along with lifeguards all year round make Scarborough Beach a favourite location for surfing, swimming, and water sports. The revitalised Scarborough foreshore has added a beachfront swimming complex (Scarborough Beach Pool), an amphitheatre (Scarborough Amphitheatre), a skate and BMX facility (“Snake Pit”), a bouldering wall, a new playground and play space for families (Whale Playground), huge grassed areas including Sunset Hill where visitors can enjoy watching the sun setting into the Indian Ocean, lookout platforms to look out over the Indian Ocean and Scarborough Beach, a new square ideal for markets and public events (Scarborough Square, where the Clock Tower is located), public toilets, showers, drinking fountains, picnic shelters, public BBQ’s, fitness/exercise equipment, plenty of car parks, and a new transit hub.
By the end of 2023, the Ocean Reef waterfront will be dramatically transformed by the Ocean Reef Marina project which is now in progress of construction. Ocean Reef Marina project will create a waterfront precinct consisting of a mix of waterfront cafes and restaurants, retail, hotel, and short-stay accommodation, as well as Perth’s first coastal pool, new protected beach, and community parklands.
Jackadder Lake is very much smaller than other nearby lakes such as Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger. So small that, unlike Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger, you can see what is on the opposite side of Jackadder Lake while you walk.
Mullaloo Beach is an ideal swimming beach for children of all ages with its refreshing shallow waters and soft clean white sand.
Trigg Beach, located within the suburb of Trigg, is a popular location for bodyboarders, kite surfers and surfers, and is on the southern end of the 6km West Coast Drive by the Indian Ocean. Try to visit Trigg Beach on a weekday and a weekend and you will see 2 distinctly different vibes. Whereas weekdays are popular for leisure walkers and joggers, weekends, especially in warmer weather, are popular with beach lovers, friends, and families enjoying beach outings and picnics.
While walking from Burswood Park to Optus Stadium by the Swan River is very popular among walkers, you may choose to walk from Burswood Park in the other direction towards South Perth.You will enjoy great views of the Swan River, East Perth foreshore, Heirisson Island, and Perth city centre skyline on the other side of the Swan River. Starting from Burswood Park, you will walk past Charles Paterson Park that is adjacent to Burswood Park, then underneath the Causeway Bridge, then McCallum Park, before arriving at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation complex in the Taylor Reserve.
Mundaring Weir is a dam on Helena River located in natural bushland in the Perth Hills, about a 40-minute drive east of Perth CBD.
Two Rocks is the furthest northern suburb within the Perth metropolitan region. Two Rocks town centre, the commercial and shopping centre for the Two Rocks local community, is a 60-minute drive north of Perth CBD. Two Rocks Marina is located right next to the Two Rocks town centre.