Active travel and Recreation
The Mid North Coast area has a great range of outdoor facilities, free exercise groups and beautiful natural locations to support you and your family being active.
Cycling is a great way to explore the outdoors, stay active and have some fun at the same time. Our region offers a variety of cycle paths and mountain biking trails and can be found on the following local council and Bikemap websites:
- Parkrun offers a free, weekly 5km run or walk in parks and public spaces all around Australia. Parkrun is open to everyone, free, and safe and easy to take part in. Most are held at 7am or 8am on a Saturday morning. In the Mid North Coast there is a parkrun held in Laurieton, Wauchope, Port Macquarie, South West Rocks, Urunga and Coffs Harbour.
- Heart Foundation Walking has free walking groups across Australia. Walking for an average of 30 minutes a day can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes by 30 to 40 percent.
- National Parks NSW have a range of walking and hiking tracks throughout the Mid North Coast. Check out the National Parks NSW website to find out about tracks in your area.
Outdoor gyms have been installed across the Mid North Coast region and can be a safe, cost-effective way to stay physically active. Search Google maps for outdoor gyms near you.
Community Gardens are places where people come together to create garden plots, grow food, socialise and learn about gardening with others. Check out the Community Gardens Australia website to locate a garden near you.
- Australian exercise and physical activity guidelines provide advice about the benefits of leading an active lifestyle from birth to older age and how to include more physical activity in your life.
- Healthy Eating Active Living details small changes you and your family can make today to feel better and improve health including free programs available in NSW.
- The NSW Office of Sport aims to increase the levels of physical activity of people living in New South Wales. This includes providing Active Kids vouchers to families to help cover the cost of sport registration and membership fees for school-enrolled children.
- Live Lighter has a range of information and resources to help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
- The Heart Foundation provides great information on moving to protect your heart.
- The Cancer Council provides information on how you can reduce your cancer risk by eating well, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.