David Campbell
Updated 11 Feb 2026, 2:54pm
First published 11 Feb 2026, 2:24pm
British tourist Joe Leggett couldn’t believe the amount of free local amenities available to Aussies. Picture: Instagram
Australian suburbs fighting to keep their housing markets competitive through free local amenities has left one tourist stunned.
High quality parks, community pools and public barbecues – all accessible for free – are things many Aussies take for granted across the country’s suburbs.
Local councils pressure developers to include these features as part of plans for new estates because they provide quality of life for residents while also attracting new residents to keep suburbs thriving.
Well planned and developed suburbs are also behind the booming property market which continues to break new records every year right across the country.
But for tourists visiting Australia many of these local amenities Aussies take for granted are a world away from what they know back home.
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British tourist Joe Leggett couldn’t believe the amount of free local amenities available to Aussies. Picture: Instagram
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British tourist Joe Leggett couldn’t believe his eyes when he visited Cairns recently to find free access to a local pool.
Mr Leggett was visiting discovered the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon after arriving in the region and having “a quick walk just to take a little look around”.
”And then we walked past (the lagoon) and I was like, ‘Oh, what hotel does that pool belong to’,” he said in a video posed to social media.
“What do you mean there’s a swimming pool that anyone can just use? Imagine this in the UK.
”Look at it. All of this is just to use for free whenever you want. It’s crazy.”
“This just baffles my mind, because I can’t ever imagine just going for a quick little walk and then just having a little dip. We used to sit in fields with our BMXs after school. The school kids here finish school, and they go for a f***ing swim.”
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British tourist Joe Leggett couldn’t believe the amount of free local amenities available to Aussies. Picture: Instagram
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Mr Leggett was just as gobsmacked to discover the free community barbecues nearby.
”You just bring your own food and have a barbecue. Oh, I want to move here,” he said.
Mr Leggett’s videos have amassed thousands of views and comments from confused people who assumed the free amenities available in Australia were a global standard.
“Your parks don’t have free BBQs,” one Aussie asked.
“I forget how good we have it sometimes,” another said.
Mr Leggett’s discovery comes at a time when new Australian pop-up suburbs structure their estates in a bid to stop residents needing to leave the immediate area for anything.
Local marketplaces full of supermarkets, hairdressers, doctors and fresh produce mean residents have no need to venture into traditional, centralised shopping hubs and main streets.
Vibrant parks, walking tracks and water play areas satisfy residents in terms of exercise and entertainment.
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