A few weeks ago, my best friend, Rissa in Manila, asked how my weekend was. “I just got back from a picnic in the gardens with some friends,” I told her.

“Wow, how nice you get to do things outdoors,” she replied.

Maida Pineda with her dog Spark in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

One thing I love about Australia is the outdoor lifestyle. Having lived in Asia and the US, I am awed by how parks and gardens are the central setting for Australian life.

I grew up in Manila in the Philippines and later lived in Hong Kong and Singapore, and living in the city revolved around the confines of concrete malls. I often met friends for lunch or dinner at a restaurant in a mall.

While living in Singapore, my then boyfriend and I had to walk through three malls to get to our destination one Saturday afternoon. Stressed by the experience, I admitted to him that I hated shopping. “What, are you a real woman?” he asked jokingly in disbelief.

In Manila, I lived across the street from a dog-friendly mall, and my dog Spark thought saying hello to the friendly staff in Marks & Spencer was a normal part of his daily walk. In Hong Kong, my Polish neighbour and I headed to IKEA several times not to buy anything but to simply escape our shoebox apartments. But after 3½ years in Melbourne, I have only once been to Chadstone, for the sole purpose of having my laptop repaired.

Not a huge fan of shopping, my soul delighted in being surrounded by nature and taking long walks in the Royal Botanic Gardens. I immediately invested in a picnic blanket for laying on the grass with a book, or for feasts with friends. But enjoying the gardens is not just limited to picnics or lazing around in warm weather.

Last summer, I watched Jack Johnson’s concert and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra play outdoors at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. In the winter, I revelled at the art installation at Rising Festival and the illumination of trees at Lightscape in the Botanic Gardens.

Maida Pineda relaxes under a jacaranda tree with Spark.

Even birthdays and weddings are celebrated al fresco. For my dog’s fifth birthday next month, he and his three shih-tzu friends will be punting on the lake with their humans.

I walk in the gardens every day. I also sit, meditate, and do yoga on the grass. I still pull out my phone to snap a photo, to add to my countless collection of pictures of flowers in bloom and vibrant colour: the gorgeous pink of a bougainvillea, the shower of purple when the jacaranda tree flowers, and the yellow, orange and reds of autumn leaves. For the first time in my life, I enjoyed the surprising discovery of seeing an exotic tropical South African blood lily.

My walk is often solo and meditative, with only the dog as company. The walk never gets old. But the gardens are also a social setting for catch-ups with friends, and even dates. It is a must-visit destination I take my guests from overseas.

I’ve had many conversations with tourists visiting the gardens from abroad or interstate. My fellow dog owners and I agree how lucky we are to have this huge patch of land on our doorstep. On Saturdays, runners gather for a run around the Tan and coffee afterwards. Fit or not-so-fit, young or old, rich or poor, with or without a dog, the gardens are a free and inclusive destination for all.

One thing I value highly is my safety as a woman to walk in the gardens. I can’t say this is true of other places I’ve lived. Although, I will admit to not feeling safe from aggressive birds during the spring months.

What Australia does so well is make nature easily accessible for all. We are never far from a park to just sit, to catch our breath, and be surrounded by trees. It invites us to stretch our legs and move more, to be connected with life and seasons, and to put our phones down. It is a welcome departure from the mall cultures inviting you to buy more, spend more and want more.

To many Aussies, an outdoor lifestyle may be normal, almost ordinary. But I still delight in awe when I’m surrounded by towering, century-old trees, a lake full of lotus flowers and the song of rainbow lorikeets while being so close to Melbourne’s CBD. It is definitely, hands-down gardens over malls for me!

Maida Pineda is a food and travel writer, author and has a Master of Arts in Gastronomy. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Most Viewed in National

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article