A walk in an Australian park: most-loved walking cities in Australia 2012

The lifestyle magazine Prevention Australia (April, 2012) found Canberra to be the second most-loved walking city in Australia. The ranking was: Melbourne, Canberra, Noosa, Shepparton, and Adelaide.

The magazine said Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria in the south of Australia, was voted number one by its readers because although it “has a reputation for European-style cafes, exclusive fashion boutiques and quirky backstreet bars, it’s a prime location for dedicated walkers too.”

Of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and a landlocked territory between Melbourne and Sydney, the magazine said “there’s no wonder Canberra residents are born walkers” due to its “sunshine, challenging hills, lake views, national monuments and parks.”

Noosa, on the eastern coast of Australia, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Brisbane in Queensland, with its beaches, natural beauty, coastal scenery, brilliant weather and the Noosa National Park accommodating koalas and birds is ideal for walkers. It includes heritage walks, beach walks, and hikes in the hinterlands.

Shepparton, an inland city in the northeast of Victoria about 180 kilometres (112 miles) from Melbourne, boasts a healthy lifestyle program including initiatives such as the walking paths, annual Pedometer Challenge, and regular Twilight Strolls.

Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, has a Mediterranean climate, the Adelaide Hills for bushwalking and a long strip of coastline. The Adelaide City Council lists self-guided walks through many city and beachside suburbs with notes on urban artwork, cultural sites, historical buildings, geological rock formations, and hidden coves. The Adelaide Hills has national parks, wineries, native trees and wildflowers, waterfalls and gullies, and historic townships.

 Prevention magazine says walking is simple, can be done virtually anywhere, and can lead to good health and weight loss. Walking is a moderate-impact aerobic activity. For optimal calorie burning, the aim is a “fast walk” or “power walk” at about 7 kilometre per hour pace (4.5 mile per hour pace) which can burn about 200 calories over 30 minutes. However, any walking and movement has benefits for joints, muscles, heart, bones, circulation, and wellbeing.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).