Peter:  I'm sure speed skating is fun, and Cairns is obviously closer than Trapps and accessible during the week, but Nancy is right on. Try skate skiing
Peter- Nordic skiing- skating classical and backcountry!! Skating and double poling especially well for working the upper body and core! , Nancy nancy andrews
That sounds fun. Short-track? I hope you have a kevlar body-suit. 'Nordic skating', with blades that clip onto an xc ski boot, is something I want to get into: