Kingswim Mernda - Mernda (VIC)

Tiffany Muirhead Haven Wellness really is a haven of body positivity for female-identifying bodies of all sizes and abilities. I started with Anna and the team before COVID, I took a little hiatus, and came back because its such a great place to move my body. To be in a female body living with disordered eating and a history of body issues, its a joy to move my body in a space free from judgy looks, rude opinions, inaccurate information about exercise, trainers who dont consider female bodies, diet talks, and harassment. The best bit is... there are no mirrors! Ever been to a gym with no mirrors? Its a joy! All female-identifying bodies are truly welcome at Haven Wellness. You can wear size 38 clothes, be non-binary, gender fluid, gay, trans-female, bisexual, blind, deaf, in pain every day, introvert or have a physical disability. You are welcome even if you have never moved your body, a history of trauma, are in peri/menopause, know nothing about exercise, have an eating disorder, multiple mental health issues, ADHD, sensory challenges, POCS, endometriosis, and are recovering from injuries. I know I sound like an info-mercial, but it truly is a safe space for women to feel joy moving your body.

Lauren Bridges When I first walked into Fusion I was BROKEN. I remember being asked in my first Clinical Pilates class exactly where my body hurt - I said “everywhere!”. Melissa and her team put together a program that got me moving again and I haven’t looked back. It has changed they way I train, how I look after my body after long days in the office (hello foam roller!) and has been a lifesaver for my overall health and wellbeing. I cannot recommend Fusion highly enough!

Nikhil Dalal Good park for the morning walks.

Chris Smith TL;DR Highly recommend South Pacific St Kilda. Its a great facility, in an unrivalled location and its a ripper place to train. Fully deserves 5 Stars in my book. If youre in the St Kilda area and youre looking to join a good gym, you should definitely check this place out. --- --- For those who like more detail..... Ive been a member here for probably 4-5 years now and I dont really have any reason to look elsewhere. Its a good place to be, the best gym Ive ever been a member of. I originally signed up here because it was convenient and I could walk from home, but now I live a few suburbs away and I still keep coming back. I mainly use the main gym floor area (free weights and body weight type stuff) and also do a few classes when I can. The facility is large, with lots of different rooms/areas, so even during peak gym hours you can always find some space and get your workout done. Its a pretty special and unique gym in terms of the location and the building itself. It is right on the beach, with full views over the palm trees on St Kilda Beach, the bay and toward the city. Unlike most gyms, it is full of natural light and when the weather permits, you can open up the doors upstairs and get a good fresh sea breeze through the place. Of course, you go to the gym to train your body, but I feel like due to the location and the views, this place is good for you mentally as well. The other day I was on the rowing machines overlooking the bay and a pod of dolphins was jumping through the water just off the beach. Its pretty cool and certainly makes for a nice mental break from sitting in front of a computer screen all day. The staff here have always been good in my experience. Theres plenty of familiar faces around who have been working at the gym for as long as I have been a member. It makes a big difference, especially when you are doing classes your instructors get to know you, what level you are at and if you have any pre-existing injuries you need to work around. Same thing with the PTs. I think there is a good mix of members at the gym in relation to age groups, gender, fitness levels and all that type of stuff. I feel like its a welcoming place for anyone really. I know plenty of other members (M & F) and Ive never really heard of any issues with being intimidated or being uncomfortable in the gym. I mean its a big gym, with lots of members, so Im sure there are issues here and there, but I really havent witnessed any real problems in that area. Its a good place to be and the environment is generally friendly and welcoming for anyone. In terms of the variety and amount of gym equipment and classes that are available to members, I think they have most things covered. Its a very big club, with loads of different work stations, machines, free weights, rooms and classes available. They are often adding and upgrading the equipment which is nice. They recently added a good seated adduction and abduction machine which has been well received. Even if the machine you love is not available or not at the gym, you can just ask one of the PTs and they will give you a similar/substitute exercise to do anyway. Some of the other reviews about this gym have mentioned "cleanliness" as an issue. I havent really had any issues with that, but I think if anything it has improved even more in the past few months. Theres always cleaners around making sure things are kept in order.The cleaners are good guys and they even work-out in the club, so they are incentivised to keep it nice and tidy. If youve read this far, you are most probably looking to join a new gym/club. I have no affiliation with this place apart from being a happy member, so I can say anything I want about it. Everything I have written above has been my honest experience of being a member here. I would just finish up by saying that if you are looking to join a new gym, you should definitely come down, have a look at this place for yourself and make up your own mind. I think youll probably like what you find.