Parkour Activities Around Melbourne
Parkour is the practice of traversing obstacles in a man-made or natural environment through the use of running, vaulting, jumping, climbing, rolling and other movements in order to travel from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient manner possible without the use of equipment.
It was developed in France in the late 1980s and was featured in the James Bond movie "Casino Royale" in 2006. Parkour develops upper and lower body strength, flexibility, balance and problem-solving in a fun, safe manner.
Councils have created a number of parkour areas around Melbourne. They include:
Balwyn Park Multi-Sports Area (Balwyn) has a parkour area, outdoor gym, table tennis table, table soccer game, cricket nets and basketball/netball court.
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Bayswater Park (Bayswater) has a a large playground, basketball court and small parkour area.
Box Hill Gardens (Box Hill) has a parkour / metal frame climbing area as apart of a playground.
Clayton Station Skyrail Multi-Sports Area (Clayton) has an extensive parkour / general fitness area plus a basketball half court, two table tennis tables, bouldering area and a basic skate park.
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Sanger Reserve (Coburg North) has a separate parkour area beside a basic playground.
Carlisle Park (Cranbourne) has a separate parkour area next to a playground.
Croydon X Space (Croydon) has a parkour area which sits between a playground and a skate park.
Kevin Adlard Reserve (Doveton) has a separate parkour area next to a playground and BMX track.
Ballam Park Reserve (Frankston) has a a skating area beside a playground, a huge long climbing wall and lots of parkour / climbing areas.
Hogans Road Reserve (Hoppers Crossing) has a parkour area with climbing and jumping obstacles and a basketball court.
Lillydale Lake (Lilydale) has a sandpit with metal poles for parkour.
McKinnon Reserve (McKinnon) has a parkour area, big bouldering area, basketball court and playground.
Trampoline Centres with Parkour
Some trampoline centres have added Parkour elements into their centre.
Bounce Inc (Glen Iris)
The Freerun Terrain Park is an adventure challenge course combining elements of climbing, jumping and free-running into an urban playground. The course includes aspects of Parkour and Ninja Warrior. Each element can be explored as a stand-alone challenge or navigated as one circuit. Ultimately, the aim is to get from the start to the end of the course in the fastest and most awesome way possible.
The Terrain Park incorporates 14 different elements with varying routes for beginners through to experts. The elements include a Parkour course, a series of free-spinning rollers to traverse, monkey bar traverse, Spider Climb negotiating your way between two Perspex walls, Curved Wall, Tri-Station with a gymnastics beam, slackline or cargo net to scale the 20 foot gap, the iconic Ninja Warrior Warped Walls challenge, Bouldering Wall, Wedge Run, Sea of Pipes (navigate your way through the sea of suspended pipes), Vault Run (a chain of trampolines and vaults), Rings (swing your way from one end of the course to the other on the gymnastic-grade rings), Trapeze (a counter-weighted trapeze course) and a Zipline. Note: Minimum 125cm height required for all participants in this area.
Latitude Melbourne (Heidelberg West)
The Grid is a ninja-parkour inspired course which calls on its challengers to give 110% at every twist and turn. Swing, vault, jump, free run and catapult yourself through multiple obstacles within the one mega course. Charge through the parkour obstacles; bouldering challenge; tightrope test; and the piece de resistance, warped walls (and much more).
Parkour Classes
Acro Kids (Mordialloc & Mornington) offer fun and energetic gymnastics, ninja and parkour programs designed for children aged 1 yrs and hold birthday parties sand school holiday programs.
Melbourne Parkour offers parkour classes, personal training, workshops and birthdays.
Outside Melbourne
There are some parkour locations in regional Victoria including:
Dowling Street Parkour (Wendouree, Ballarat)
Next to the Goldfields Tennis Club courts is a set of parkour equipment on a soft spongy base. There is an explanation information board with eight exercises you can do. There are no seats, but a real parkourist doesn't need seats (except to hurdle over).
Ingliss Street Parkour Park (Buninyong, near Ballarat)
Parkour is a sport for all ages and entails moving quickly between objects using leaping, climbing and running in a smooth graceful way. This park gives you the chance to practice even if you are as graceful as a pregnant hippo. There are plenty of obstacles and a nice soft surface underneath. There is a Skate Park, BMX Track and basketball court close by.
Web Links
→ Ninja Activities in Melbourne
→ Indoor Trampoline Centres in Melbourne
