Fernwood Fitness

Fantastic experience: Love this gym, been here for over a year now. A lot of classes morning and night, we got some brand new equipment last week and the staff are decent women who genuinely care and are there to help you regardless of where you are on your journey.

Fantastic experience: I have been going to this gym for 2 years now and it’s the best gym i’ve visited. The gym equipment is constantly getting upgraded and cleaned. The environment is empowering and the staff are amazing.

Positive experience: I only do pilates and reformer pilates there, the instructors are amazing. I do have injuries and they have helped me immensely in my rehabilitation. The only down side at times is there can be miscommunication, and the class may not have an instructor.

Fantastic experience: been coming for three years now and still love it! i love that they are updating equipment and renovating more, it’s really lovely environment to workout in

Positive experience: Great range of classes. They have trainers that know what they are doing and interested in your fitness journey. Best of all the price and value for money.

Fantastic experience: The best gym it’s got amazing facilities including all the range of equipment, bike classes, fit 30 etc plus bathrooms, massage chairs and more and the staff are lovely

Fantastic experience: I love the environment here! The staff are so helpful and friendly and there is a wide variety of equipment here!

Fantastic experience: Sooo amazing, everyone is so lovely and supportive. Best gym & definitely would recommend!

Fantastic experience: Fernwood Carindale is an amazing gym to train at, it really does tick all the boxes!! Wonderful and helpful staff/trainers and members, so many lovely ladies that just make you feel empowered. The creche is second to none, my little one felt at ease straight away which makes it even better knowing while I’m sweating it out she’s living her best life. The facilities are spotless and equipment is modern and plentiful. I love the availability of the classes available, so much fun! Thanks ladies x

Fantastic experience: Amazing and friendly staff, beautiful gym and great atmosphere.

Fantastic experience: Love my visits to Fernwood Carindale. It’s always filled with kind and smiling faces, clean and feminine. The motivational material and music keeps me moving even on slower days. And the sauna and massage chairs are like a little self care reward after my hard work!

Fantastic experience: I joined Fernwood Carindale in September 2024 and it was one of the best things I did all year. Working from home can be isolating so this gets me out of the house, talking with people in person and breaks up my day. Been a game changer for my mental health and fitness. And to top it off the staff are awesome, greet me by name when I walk in, great choice of classes and fabulous equipment that is well maintained. I highly recommend you giving it a go.

Fantastic experience: This is my first time joining a gym, and I was actually quite scared at first. But, I found it a great to have some ‘me’ time, move my body and know I have a supportive staff and fellow members beside me

Fantastic experience: Very helpful and supportive staff. Always extremely welcoming each time you walk in. warm up and cool down room with massage chairs are so peaceful.

Fantastic experience: Great gym, friendly and welcoming staff

Fantastic experience: Great gym, amazing facilities and welcoming atmosphere

Fantastic experience: I enjoy Fernwood as it is a womens only gym. There is an amazing diverse range of women members across all ages, backgrounds and situations in life.

Fantastic experience: I joined Fernwood at another location but I’m moving closer to Carindale Fernwood. I must say it’s a lot better, smells great and is simply amazing. I can’t wait to workout here more!

Fantastic experience: A good option for SAH mums

Fantastic experience: Fernwood Carindale is just amazing. A brilliant, professional and amazing bunch of trainers and a truly inspiring tribe of women. Such a supportive, inclusive and friendly environment. Always clean, great amenities and fun classes! I can’t recommend highly enough!

Fantastic experience: I’ve been at Fernwood Fitness Carindale now for approx 2-3yrs after the Crèche shut down at the local I went to and no regrets. I’ve adored the swap to FFC vs my old gym. The atmosphere and overall good vibes just make the workout a breeze. I adore the Reformer classes and I have some fantastic friends I’ve made through FFC that I see every week! I love the routine and I love the vibes and the gym equipment. I’ve smashed goals and aim further. My kids absolutely love the crèche and the staff that work there. I have no worries when I drop them off. My only beef if with the new App. But that’s not an issue with the gym itself and not too hard to get around. recommended FFC.

Fantastic experience: The most welcoming gym for all! The members of staff are so beautiful and welcoming, creating the most positive gym environment. Fernwood Carindale offers all sorts of classes suited to everyone. Could not recommend a gym more than this one!

Fantastic experience: This was the first gym I ever joined back in 2010 and I LOVED it even back then . I moved away and have tried 5+ gyms since then, including the biggest names and a couple bougie boutique clubs but Carindale Fernwood was still miles ahead of the rest in facilities, class quality, club culture and value for money. After moving back to the area one of the first things I did was check it out and I was shocked to see that even from such a high bar, the club has actually improved far beyond even my loftiest expectations. I’m so glad to be back and after years of feeling intimidated and hating exercise I’m so excited to restart my fitness journey with Fernwood again. The facilities are such high quality and the team and members are so friendly, I actually love going! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this club!

Fantastic experience: Excellent customer service on front desk

Fantastic experience: Was so nervous to come to a Gym but have never felt so welcome!

Fantastic experience: I love Fernwood at Carindale. It’s a warm and welcoming space where all women are supportive of one another. Great facilities, excellent range of classes, fantastic instructors and support staff. The massage chairs post workout are fab! I recommend this gym if you are seeking a welcoming space.

Fantastic experience: I joined Fernwood Carindale on a whim 2.5 years ago and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve made some wonderful friends with both the memo and the trainers. Everyone fits in and the programmes cater to all abilities and needs. It’s a real community of women just wanting to be healthy, fit and strong.

Fantastic experience: A fabulous gym. The staff are incredibly kind and the crèche service is unbeatable, with highly knowledgeable and caring staff. Highly recommend this gym to all, especially mums!

Fantastic experience: I hadn’t exercised in years, especially after having 2 kids, but this gym has helped me regain my fitness and self-confidence. The trainers, especially Lorraine and Soraya, are incredible—always friendly, welcoming, and making you feel at ease in every class. The crèche is an great addition, making it easier for me and other mums to work our. I’m very grateful for the supportive environment and highly recommend this gym to anyone looking for a positive and encouraging place to work out.

Fantastic experience: Loved the reformer pilates class, kind, helpful staff, beautiful clean, modern gym. Thanks team

Fantastic experience: Since joining Fernwood 2 years ago after leaving conventional gyms, I’ve felt nothing but welcomed by the team and less anxiety than what I felt at a mixed gym. The recent upgrade to the facilities makes the place seem so flash, in addition to the amazing massage chairs and sauna. I love the friendliness, care and support from the team and love always stopping for a chinwag with Katrina. Thanks for making my last couple of years of workouts enjoyable ladies!!

Positive experience: I love this gym, the classes, the amenities the only thing that it could improve is the creche, some days get very busy and they don't increase the carers.

Fantastic experience: Love this gym for the set up, classes but most of all the infra red sauna and onsite facilities. Friendly and welcoming this gym is a great place to forget about life’s stresses and get that work out in.

Fantastic experience: The ladies at Carindale fernwood fitness are about so helpful and enjoyable to be around, always have smiles to greet you and always around to help you out, since starting there in August I have felt welcomed and safe ❤️

Fantastic experience: Fernwood Fitness? It’s like my little gym utopia where the only grunts you hear are from ladies pushing their limits, not guys trying to out-flex each other. Open 24/7, it’s a godsend for us shift workers who might feel like hitting the treadmill at midnight or doing some yoga at dawn. The amenities are primo—think showers that could rival a five-star hotel and a kitchenette that’s saved me from many a post-workout snack disaster. Plus, the Wi-Fi never skips a beat, which is more than I can say for some gyms where even Spotify seems to need a breather. What I absolutely adore is how they don’t shove products down your throat every chance they get. There’s no “magic” shakes or one-size-fits-all meal plans here. And the social vibe? Spot-on. The staff know when you’re up for a chat or when you just need to zone out and burn through some calories. They’re supportive when I’m trying to conquer a new machine, without any judgement—just smiles and encouragement. It’s not bargain-basement, but it’s bang for your buck with state-of-the-art facilities and classes galore—from zen yoga to high-energy spin. And let’s face it, avoiding the occasional protein shake-scented burp from the testosterone crowd is a breath of fresh air! In short, Fernwood Fitness is the perfect mix of serious workouts and chill vibes, minus any muscle-bound theatrics. Perfect score from this happy gym-goer!

Fantastic experience: I recommend Fernwood Gym in Carindale to every woman needing to rejuvenate their spirit, fitness and wellness. They have something for everyone, and any fitness level is welcome. Their classes are fun and energising and the floor equip to suit all routines . The crèche and staff is amazing, my son enjoys it thoroughly. Bonus: 2 x massage chairs to soothe those tight muscles. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Love this gym. It has taken a bit as I had not exercised properly in over a year but now I have a great routine. The trainers are amazing and the variety of classes are fantastic. The times are hard to juggle but that is just because I am becoming obsessed and I want to go as much as I can. The environment is so friendly and the bathrooms look amazing after the recent renovations. The not so nice part is the price as I don’t like to pay for exercise period. I did compare Fernwood to other gyms and I found what they offer is comparable. A huge bonus is my daughter is now a member. They have a class called bounce hit (mini trampolines) and it is just the best mother daughter activity! We both cannot wait for the next class.

Fantastic experience: Great gym and atmosphere with wonderful instructors. Love the bounce hit classes. So much fun!

Fantastic experience: Love being part of this gym, joined after having a baby and has the best, caring welcoming child care staff. Very modern amd clean facilities. I enjoy having a female only environment and I would definitely recommend Fernwood Carindale!!

Fantastic experience: I have been doing the Hypoxi program at Fernwood Carindale for 12 weeks and the results have been amazing! Not only have I lost 8kg and many cm off my waist and thighs, but I feel light, toned and very motivated to continue my journey to better health. Hypoxi at Fernwood Carindale has helped me fit into my old clothes. Their warmth and friendliness have always made me feel welcome. This success has made me feel like I’ve cheated somehow as it’s been so easy. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: The team at Fernwood Carindale are supportive, friendly and welcoming.

Fantastic experience: Fernwood Carindale is a beautiful,inviting and warm environment that makes you feel safe as a women and feel empowered. I started mid this year and was the most smartest decision I could have made previously coming from another gym. Fernwood Carindale welcomed me in and the staff made me feel amazing and now have created some wonderful relationships with them. Overall it's an amazing place and would recommend for anyone who is interested.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely love this place !! It’s my me time while getting fit ❤️ great staff and facilities

Fantastic experience: It is a very good community. I love it here!!

Fantastic experience: I’ve been coming to Fernwood Carindale for a long time and can’t say enough about how wonderful the staff are. They’re always so friendly, professional, and welcoming. Katrina, in particular, greets me personally by name every time I walk in, always with a smile. She’s incredibly warm and makes me feel like part of the Fernwood family. Her kindness is a big reason I come back day after day. The entire reception team is fantastic, which truly reflects Katrina’s leadership and dedication to creating such a positive environment. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Love this gym. So warm and welcoming, special thank you to Katrina for showing me around and explaining everything. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: I honestly could not be happier; as soon as I walk through the front door I feel a true sense of community! The ladies at the front desk greet you with big smiles; and so begins your exercise journey for the day! And as a bonus I’ve met so many wonderful new friends. Thanks Fernwood Community - I love my gym!

Negative experience: I was a member at Fernwood Carindale for a year. I loved the whole experience everything about it except one person, who made the experience uncomfortable at times. She worked on the front desk and whenever I’d have a inquiry she was very snarky and rude. She seemed to really enjoy judging people. I have heard her on multiple occasion talking badly about members and gossiping. I was good friends with a lot of the younger staff members and they would always tell me how uncomfortable she made them and at times would make them cry. I myself would hear how she would speak down to the younger staff members. Overall the gym is really good and friendly but I think there needs to be a good review of a specific staff member otherwise you’re going to keep losing other staff due to her being nasty. I think her name is Katrina.

Fantastic experience: This is a beautiful club. One of my favourites in Qld. I have been a member for more than 5 years. It is always kept sparkling clean with friendly staff. Recently renovated bathrooms so even better than before. Is very large & spacious. Ideal for group fitness or your own workouts. Has so many different rooms for different classes. I love the infrared sauna & massage chairs to wind down on. The complimentary Coffee /Tea with biscoff cookies also helps . Highly recommend for anyone looking for an ideal environment to enjoy health goals.

Fantastic experience: Fernwood Carindale is a place where all multi cultural Ladies All came from different back ground the Ladies thy are feel confident happy & comtable with fernwood environment the facility has alot to offered to all different needs & support when in comes to your fitness goals allowing you to have different choice accordingly. Not to mention the professionalism helpful staff I'm greatful I'm part of this F.C Facility☆☆☆☆☆☆

Fantastic experience: Very nice gym, always clean, staff is very friendly and always super kind! The crèche is amazing my daughter loves it! Is big with two different areas for babies and toddlers so is very safe for the little ones, there’s NO TV which I personally love it and kids are always very busy playing around! Crèche staff is amazing and always trying to do the best for our little ones… so patient thank you so much! Sometimes when I don’t feel very energetic I just drop my daughter at the crèche and I enjoy the sauna or massage chairs. Definitely recommended

Fantastic experience: Amazing staff, amazing facilities and the best creche around!I feel so privileged to be able to come here. Best gym in Brisbane for mums who need a break!

Fantastic experience: Have been attending this gym for a few months now and love it! Seeing so much progress in my fitness with my amazing PT Laurine! All the staff as so caring and sweet and on top of all that the creche is wonderful. My son is really hard to settle and the staff in the creche go above and beyond to help him. If you are a mama, I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Fantastic experience: I love this gym, and the creche is just amazing. It took me a while to find a nice place I could exercise and enjoy the whole experience plus bringing my baby to play and have some fun. It is just perfect and it helped me in so many ways, physically and mentally. The cycle class with Soraya is my favourite. Being able to do exercise while your baby is having some fun and being well looked after is priceless. Thanks to all the ladies at the reception and creche.

Negative experience: Not recommended for parents I am very disappointed with Fernwood Carindale gym. I signed up specifically because they offered a daycare service, but this has been a huge letdown. They promise a service that they do not fulfill. There are always more children than caregivers, and there is clearly not enough staff to ensure the safety and well-being of the little ones. I have tried to cancel my membership due to this situation, but no one responds to my emails. To make matters worse, they want to charge me $300 for canceling, even though the reason I want to leave is that there is not enough staff to take care of my baby while I work out. If you are a parent and need a place where you trust your child will be well taken care of while you exercise, I advise you to look elsewhere. Fernwood Carindale does not deliver on what it promises regarding childcare.

Positive experience: its a nice and freindly gym, but it would definetly be better if there were a few machines like the back extension and a hib abductor since none of these are in the gym.

Fantastic experience: My Wife loves this place! Raves about the staff, members and the facilities. Fernwood Carindale is a lifestyle and I have never seen her happier. Well done Carindale team.

Negative experience: I belonged to this gym for over 10 years. The current reception staff have always been friendly and receptive to members' concerns. However, last year the Saturday morning step class was so popular that many members were arriving 30 minutes before the class started to ensure they were able to access the newer Reebok steps. Quite a few members were concerned about the safety of the older style steps as they can move on the floor and don't click together like the Reebok ones. I spoke to to the reception staff about getting more of the safer steps. I was informed by the owner, Mel, that if I didn't like the way the gym was being run, I could quit. I have never been spoken to so rudely by someone in client service before. For an organisation whose mantra is all about supporting women, I didn't feel that this gym owner is on board with this idea. I also note that members are discouraged from expressing anything considered to be a criticism or negative on the Facebook page. The gym owner said that they have cameras recording the classes during the day and I wonder how many members are aware of this? My last comment is that if Fernwood truly cares about women/members, why have they allowed someone who was not prepared to even discuss any of the issues I brought to their attention to be a Fernwood owner. I am banned from the gym with no hope of redemption - for what? Being concerned about the safety of my fellow members.

Fantastic experience: I love the Fernwood Carindale team. This is the first gym I have ever joined and I feel supported and empowered to achieve my goals. I would recommend this gym to everyone!

Fantastic experience: We come to Fernwood every week and the club has everything we need. Great facilities, beautifully friendly staff and great fitness programs! Love it here

Fantastic experience: I’ve been to a few gyms and Fernwood Carindale is by far my favourite! Everyone is so welcoming and I feel comfortable to just wear my crop top and shorts without feeling self conscious like I would other gyms. Great equipment. Reasonable price. Amazing and cheap crèche.

Fantastic experience: Love Fernwood, all the trainers are so encouraging & supportive Amazing

Negative experience: I signed up for the reformer membership at 90 a fortnight and the following week they lost a staff member. As a result multiple reformer classes including two 9am classes were cancelled. I immediately voiced my concern as I didn’t sign up for this and I was assured that the classes would be fulfilled soon. A month in a half later the classes were still not replaced or fulfilled, mind you you can’t even do hiit classes on this membership it’s strictly reformer and 10 am classes doesn’t suit the average persons work schedules. So I let them know I wanted to cancel as they weren’t holding up to their contract as classes are subject to change but not cancel. Their response was too bad and that I would need to pay $300 plus 2 fortnightly payments to end this contract . Considering they have not fulfilled their side of the contract I’m appalled by this gyms refusal to do the right thing. Causing me a large amount of stress as a single mum to come up with this money whilst not being able to use the service they contracted to provide me. I wouldn’t recommend this gym to anyone. You can pay $45 a week at Total Fusion where there is over 200 classes available hiit and Pilates not to mention morning and afternoon crèche. I am contacting the ombudsman regarding this matter.

Fantastic experience: Friendly environment always feel comfortable training here, everyone here is very nice and makes it feel welcoming. Much prefer this gym over other gyms

Fantastic experience: Great gym, with super friendly staff!

Fantastic experience: Best gym ever! Great equipment! Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Amazing gym. Super spacious, clean with the lovliest staff. The wonderful creche staff take kids for 2 hours 6 days a week and has been a life saver for me :)

Fantastic experience: Love it here. Been coming here for 2 years now. I do zumba, bounce, boot camp, rhythm cycle and occasionally the run club and yoga. I have seen a massive change in not only my physique, but also my mental health. I started at this gym with terrible anxiety, and now I am the happiest I've ever been with a great group of gym friends. ❤️

Fantastic experience: lovely environment and great atmosphere to work with you guys.

Negative experience: Good location good vibe However: 1. Air condition turns off at 10pm sharp no matter hot summer or cold winter 2. Lots fans not on during hot summer night 3. Frequently equipments out of order

Fantastic experience: Absolutely love this gym. Amazing creche, supportive staff. Such a comfortable environment.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful gym & I love the facilities. Especially the crèche (they can baby sit your newborn!). Tahlia who is one of the team members introduced me to the gym and is so lovely. Noticeably so clean in here too! Love love love.

Negative experience: My daughter left Fernwood Carindale in February 2021 and has never visited the gym and never got emails or calls from the gym since then. But found out her account was continuously charged till early 2022 even in Queensland lockdowns. They refused to refund. Be careful when dealing with them and always check your account to protect yourself.

Negative experience: Very bad customer service from the team. Very unimpressed as I had a matter that needed to be dealt with. Communicated to the team well in advance and no one took the matter seriously. The matter was not resolved in time and I personally had to deal with the repercussions . They did not call me or email me as promised they would several times. Advised that they would resolve the matter and did not. It seems they don’t actually care about their clients as they claim to.

Negative experience: Terrible experience

Negative experience: To get there is not disability friendly No Ramp or lift

Fantastic experience: Love the staff and the community vibe of the place. I’ve been a member for over two years and I have since moved but I’m hesitant to cancel my membership. The ammenities are fantastic, the club is always clean, everyone there is friendly, helpful and non-judgemental. The perks (massage chairs, bathrooms goodies etc) are great and the classes are brilliant. Love the Fernie tribe.

Fantastic experience: Been going to this gym since 2006, couldn't imagine going to any other.

Fantastic experience: Great place to exercise for individual optimal maintainance and gain.

Positive experience: Comparison between this branch and the Underwood one: - Seems like Carindale is much bigger and has a few more machines. Most of the "personal trainer" equipment that are secured after hours in Underwood are available 24/7 in Carindale. - Carindale has machines that don't display kg/pounds on the pin machines. They simply have levels from 1-10 etc.. I did notice they aren't the same and are different so made it a bit more confusing. - They have more dedicated rooms such as for stretching and even massage chairs! Their classes room is massive. The only thing missing is the dedicated personal trainer area in Carindale so if you're doing a session, you have to share equipment with everyone else whereas in Underwood it's a separate area (and alarmed after hours so you can't use them)... Furthermore, Underwood has a kitchen/free breakfast etc area whereas Carindale doesn't. - Changing rooms and facilities are smaller in Carindale but they have self-lock lockers and the showers/cubicles are hella tiny. - Carindale has TVs in front of cardio so you can get distracted with that while you work out and let it pass time.

Positive experience: It was amazing when I joined, at the start of this year. But then 2 months in alot changed.. my favourite class I attended 3 times a week and the whole live class roster.. really struggled to get my motivation back after that.. shame because it's a great gym!

Fantastic experience: Friendly, safe and happy gym.

Fantastic experience: This gym is great - Staff are friendly, lots of classes and a all round great atmosphere. I've never found a gym that I like going to as much as Fernwood.

Fantastic experience: A very wonderful place and the workers and the ones who work their way are very beautiful and all the exercise tools are there for them I advise you to go to him I want to keep going‍♀️

Fantastic experience: Staff are so friendly and helpful !

Negative experience: Absolutely terrible. My mother attended Fernwood for almost a year, then found out that they had been overcharging her for a number of months. Despite repeated requests to rectify the situation, Fernwood maintained that they had done nothing wrong, and refused to refund my mother the money that they had incorrectly billed her. Avoid! Avoid!

Fantastic experience: A great community minded gym! Recently helped us raise $375 for a non for profit charity, which wouldn't have been possible without the gym's participation. The best class by far is Zumba and Anna (instructor) is AMAZING at motivating all participants. Great location and child minding facilities also. :)

Fantastic experience: What an incredible gym! Love going to this place most days of the week, it is literally my second home. The staff are incredibly friendly and know your name which is really cool. The best classes and music anywhere!!! I made the best decision when I joined this gym! Love it!!!

Fantastic experience: Love this gym!!!! No judgement on your size or ability from other members or staff! Just finished the 12 week challenge and had the best time and have made life long friends! Has the best personal trainers that are always there to help you reach your goals no matter how big or small they are :-)

Fantastic experience: I work at Fernwood Carindale but I also train here on a regular basis. I love Body Balance as it has really helped me deal with shoulder pain from old injuries. The hardest thing for me to come to terms with after injury was overcoming fear associated with re-injuring myself. I decided to try rehabilitation Personal Training so I could have specialized help in building strength around weaker areas. My trainer is brilliant. She is so patient with me. It has made all the difference knowing she is helping me to get back on track. I am a paying client and this is my personal experience. I encourage anyone who is interested in an all-women training environment to come in for themselves and try us FREE for a week and make their own decision.

Negative experience: It is worth noting that the 4 "positive" recent reviews on this page -- have been made by paid employees of Fernwood Carindale. The reviews have been written by the recently appointed Operations Manager, the Accounts person/Receptionist, the person in charge of the Creche and one of Fernwood's Personal Trainers -- each sprouting the "excellent benefits" of their particular area of work at this gym. All of these women work at Fernwood Carindale and are not simply paying clients of this gym. These women did not follow normal protocol and declare that they were employed by this business when they wrote their "glowing" reviews. This goes against the general rules and ethics of writing independent reviews Of course their reviews will be 5 stars and everything they say will be marvellous -- they want to retain their jobs! It shows just how desperate this business is to improve it's increasingly fragile hold on goodwill at this gym. Recent changes made by new management, without membership consultation, have alienated clients and resulted in resignations of clients and a well-respected, long-standing staff member. The current aim of the gym appears to be to make Fernwood Carindale more "funky" and "hip" and unless client feedback is favourable and agrees with management, it is abruptly ignored. While the actual facilities at this gym are good, it does not make up for the ill-will that has been created by unpopular policies & poor listening skills. If you are looking for a gym that caters for women of all ages and respects and values it's members -- you need to bypass Fernwood Carindale.

Fantastic experience: Awesome gym, great equipment love my PT so much i do two a week. Very friendly staff always welcomed with a friendly smile and most importantly with your name. This gym is amazing

Fantastic experience: I love our gym! It's massive, heaps of equipment; free weights, pin loaded machines, kettlebells, TRX and great cardio equipment. There are four group exercise rooms. There's always something going on whether it be an 8 or 12 week challenge or a bootcamp. You get breakfast everyday as part of your membership, plus all the toiletries like hair spray, moisturiser etc. Free sauna and massage chairs. SO much more than a gym. The best childminding facility I've ever seen in a gym too. Everyone knows everyone's names. Everyone supports each other and makes friends. LOVE it! Love the positive energy and smiles. : )

Negative experience: I have been a member at Fernwood Carindale for 11 years. I have found that this gym suited me in the past, as the ethos of this gym used to be supportive of all women, including older women who need exercise as much as younger women. Recently Fernwood has raised the volume of "music" (read NOISE) on the gym floor to a level which at times is excessive. Thumping and pounding music produces thumping and pounding headaches to many. The type of music can also objectionable. On one occasion, in an empty gym with only 3 persons present, the noise bounced off the walls and we had to put up with with a male voice loudly yelling repetitive, throbbing rap music! A request to reception to turn the music down was met with "there is a new policy and we are not allowed to turn down the volume" ! (Who's this gym for -- the clients or the staff ??) When raising this issue with the Operations Manager, I received a short, sharp, didactic email stating that the policy would not be changed and that the volume of "music" was necessary "to create atmosphere and motivaton"!! (It motivates me alright --right out the front door!!) My point to her that music should be varied and suitable to ALL women, as we all pay the same membership fees, was not addressed. A concession to "slightly" (her words) lower the volume and modify the musical style between 11am and 3pm has been instigated. Many women like myself who work through the day, cannot always access the gym at these times and I find this patronising concession to women deemed to be in their dotage, offensive and insulting! I have also been astonished and disappointed at the response to my complaint. The Operations Manager's response was cold, unfriendly and did not display the customer relations skills that I would have expected from a quality business. Feedback should be valued and dealt with promptly and in a personable manner. This did not occur. I was left with a feeling that my long-standing membership was not valued & that my thoughts on this issue could easily be swept aside in this youth-orientated climate. This has made me angry and further fuelled the issue, which I was then determined to take further. It took several ongoing emails to Head Office (useless, as this business is franchised and make their own rules) and to the owner, before I had a reply from her 5 days later. I must give credit to her though, for responding to my complaint in a professional manner. She took the time to explain the policy and how the music is on a cyclical rotation. She acknowledged my distress & agreed that clients were "valued". However, I was rapped over the knuckles for emailing the Operations Manager and suggesting that she learn some Customer Relations skills. (Please note -- if you are in business and don't deal with clients well -- you must accept criticism). I still disagree about the volume of the music that staff consider it is necessary to exercise with. I have been told that nobody else has relinquished membership because of this (I am carefully considering this option). However, I know of a significant number of women who have expressed their dismay at this new "we-won't-turn-down-the-volume" policy. If you go to this gym and consider the music too loud, please advise the staff, so that they see the numbers of women who are unhappy with this matter. Finally, if you are considering joining this gym, be aware that it is not easy to complain about anything that concerns you. My experience has shown me that, in the area of Customer Relations, this gym is not now the client-focused gym that I had known in the past.