What is recreation?

When we speak of recreation, we refer to physically active recreation activities.

We define physically active recreation activities as "activities engaged in for the purpose of relaxation or enjoyment with the primary activity requiring physical exertion, and the primary focus is on human activity. These activities are not based on formal competition and lack a formal set of rules (other than those relating to safety)".

Recreation activities are those that:

• people undertake for enjoyment in their own free time
• people undertake by voluntarily allocating resources (time, money, equipment)
• may be an expression of the self-identity of many people
• provide for the expression of distinct (recreational) sub-cultures
• may be essential to the quality of life of many people.

Queenslanders view recreation experiences as one of the most important parts of their lives and highly value the recreation opportunities available in their local area, community, region and state as a crucial element of liveability.

Recreation is essential to building and sustaining healthy communities. It also contributes to the cultural richness, diversity and quality of Queensland's lifestyles.

Visitors to Queensland often base their holidays on recreation activities such as fishing, camping, surfing, scuba diving, four wheel driving, bushwalking and boating.

In 1997 for example, over 1.161 million camper/nights were generated in south east Queensland (Nielsen, 1997).

Outdoor recreation includes all individual or group activities undertaken in a natural, outdoor environment and can be anything from bushwalking and snorkelling to rock climbing and white-water rafting. The activities include an educational process that facilitates leadership, interpersonal and management skills.