Cafe to Cafe to Cafe. The Royal Park Urban Adventure Tour - 15km - Moderate

My favourite hike through the urban wilderness.

This is where singles and socialites slip into easy banter and deliciously aimless chatter. Meander, mingle, and flirt your way along Melbourne’s most charming inner‑city adventure walk—a playground for slow strides, quick chemistry, and whatever your heart feels like discovering 🥰

### Before considering going on this event make sure you read the group rules section at the end ###

Join Eat Drink Dance Melbourne for a cheeky Australia Day social stroll that blends Melbourne’s best coffee, off-trail adventure, and optional refreshment into one glorious afternoon!

My pick for apres "ski" entertainment and snacks is the Johnny Green rooftop bar atop the King and Godfrey building opposite Brunetti on Lygon St, but this will probably be busy so Brunetti is a safer bet.

🕜 Start Time: 10:00 AM Sharp.
📍 Meeting Point: Brunetti Carlton, outdoor seating area. Get there early to grab a coffee.
Please arrive at 9.45 AM, I won't wait for stragglers.

👟 Distance: ~15km loop, relaxed pace, about 3 to 4km/hr.
🍺 Mid point. Sydney Road. My favourite hipster cafe, Green Refectory, to recharge batteries with a great sponge cake, sit down or smoothie/coffee
🍕 End point. Back at Lygon St. Brunetti, Options for Pizza/Gelati , vegan pub or Johnny Green rooftop bar.

We’ll kick off with optional pre-walk coffees at Brunetti, get there early, Carlton's legendary upmarket coffee haunt with arguably the classiest brew in Melbourne. Then we’ll begin our long scenic ramble.

Expect a playful, off-trail wander through the secret back lots of Royal Park Golf Course, past the Melbourne Zoo and the Netball centre and then through the lushest corners of Royal Park via the Royal Children's Hospital and their award winning kids (really a big adults) playground and some of the best views of the inner Melbourne skyline from the north.

We’ll loop around Princes Hill running track, swing by the Carlton Football Ground, and return via leafy laneways to Lygon St for a well-earned refreshment—coffee, pint, or cocktail, your call.

This is a social primer for your Australia Day arvo: meet new faces, stretch your legs, and share stories over drinks. Whether you're caffeinated, curious, or just craving connection, a single looking for a bit of company, this walk is your gateway to good vibes and spontaneous plans.

🎒 Bring water, comfy shoes preferably runners or hiking shoes, and your best banter.
🌦️ Weather permitting – check the forecast and dress accordingly.
💃 Optional: kick on with fellow walkers for beer, gelato, conversations, movies or dinner

Notes:
Look for a tall bloke, this is the host! Instructions on the day in the comments

Bring your happy and friendly self, it'll be a relaxed walk Not a dawdle and not a run.Some of the route is along rough tracks and grass, other parts on well formed tracks or pavement . You'll be pleasantly surprised by this little adventure so close to the city.

About a 4+ hour walk including civilised stopovers, we'll have short rests along the way. Feel free to enter and exit at any point,

Group Rules and Event Etiquette

Fitness Requirements:
Walking: 3 to 4km/hr and 200m vertically in an hour. We usually go faster, but this is a minimum.

Be mindful that if you don't have reasonable fitness, its not fair on the group to wait extended periods for you. I may ask you to exit the event if this is the case.

People who are very fast or very slow or prefer being by themselves
As a group activity I can't manage the group if it splits up, please consider going by yourself or joining a fast walkers/riders group or meeting minimum fitness requirements.

If people have time constraints
Best to give yourself some wiggle room, Things rarely go to time due to various factors especially in big groups.

+++VERY IMPORTANT+++
People who do a No Show.
This is unfortunately too common for small group events, there may be people in a waitlist wanting to come on the event and is very inconsiderate. Remove yourself from the going list at least 24 hours before the event to give people on the waitlist an opportunity. If you do a No Show you will be removed and blocked from the group.

If you remove yourself from the event an hour or two before the event (flaking) you may also be blocked and removed from the group, this is also unfair to people on the waitlist.

Please communicate with me if you do not want to be blocked and removed from the group.

People who turn up without registering
This is a major security concern, DO NOT DO THIS.You will be asked to leave the event unless you have made arrangements with the organiser PRIOR to the event.

People who are late
You will be left behind and or removed and blocked from the group as a No Show. It is your responsibility to communicate with me if you think you will be late. It is up to you to catch up, usually this may not be possible.