10 of the best skate parks around Australia

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Inspired by our Olympic champions? Here’s where to hit Australia’s best skate parks.

Australia has entered a golden era for skateboarding and the best skate parks in Australia have something to offer everyone from beginners to seasoned skaters who love everything about the subculture.

Although the curtain has come down on the 2024 Paris Olympics, the excitement of watching Arisa Trew and Keegan Palmer win skateboarding gold at the Paris Olympics was surely enough to inspire a new generation of Australians to take up the sport. Here are 10 of the best skate parks around Australia to get your bearings.

1. Cairns Skate Park, Tropical North Queensland

Even the most curmudgeonly members of the anti-skateboarding fraternity would have frothed on the commentary delivered by Nine’s Mitch Tomlinson and Nick Boserio while cheering on the Aussies. Cairns Skate Park, the biggest in Australia, has been echoing with the clatter of skateboards hitting concrete ever since. One of the best things to do in Cairns, the park features a four-foot (1.2-metre) clover bowl with rounded hips and pockets and a big bowl with a vert wall ranging from eight to 10 feet (2.4 to three metres).

Address: 171 Esplanade, Cairns

2. Belconnen Skate Park, Canberra, ACT

Adjust the tracks on your 1981 Santa Cruz Steve Olson Checker using the old ‘Tighty Righty’ formula and pull on your vintage Vans. It’s time to show the young ‘uns how to drop in and carve up a bowl. The Belco Bowl hosts some of Australia’s largest skate comps, like the beloved Belco Bowl Jam. There are also mini ramps and snaking bowls to suit skateboarders of all levels. Smash out your last run and then head to Belco for brunch.

Address: 77 Emu Bank, Belconnen

Belconnen Skate Park in Canberra
The Belco Bowl hosts some of Australia’s largest skate comps. (Image: Manteena)

3. Pizzey Park Skate Park, Gold Coast, Qld

Arisa Trew honed her skills at the Level Up Skate Academy on the Gold Coast. But those who don’t want to attend the elite skateboarding school with the hope of going pro can still have a lot of fun on the Goldie. Pizzey Park Skate Park has 4800 square metres of skateable area and sets the standard for competition-level facilities ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. Expect street-style obstacles with rails, hubbas, kickers and granite ledges.

Address: Sonia St, Miami

4. Bondi Skate Park, Sydney, NSW

Have skateboard, will travel? Road-trippers doing a hot lap of Australia should factor in a visit to Bondi Skate Park even if they don’t know how to nail a nosegrind. The fact it’s just metres away from the iconic golden sands of Bondi Beach makes the vibe here one worth bottling. The park has a sick 10-foot-deep (three-metre) skate bowl that attracts some of the best skaters from around the world. Don’t forget to check out the wall of street art nearby.

Address: 102 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

5. Prahran Skate Park, Melbourne, Vic

On a holiday to Melbourne? Carve out a big chunk of time to cruise on down to Prahran Skate Park. This epic park reopened in June 2024 after a massive refurb. Beginners who favour a more street style of skating will appreciate the mellow features of this park which has rails, ledgers, quarters, stairs and banks catering to all comers. There’s also a classic steel half pipe and a mellow plaza area for younger skaters with seating for parents.

Address: 276 Malvern Rd, Prahran

6. West Beach Skate Park, Adelaide, SA

Tony Hawk’s influence as the pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding can be felt at the West Beach Skate Park in Adelaide, home to a 13-foot (four metres) vert vamp that is said to be Australia’s largest. The South Australian park is one of the best skate parks in Australia: it’s well-maintained and considered somewhat of a standout for its enclosed concrete bowl, street section and bowl designed for snake runs. It’s Radelaide for a reason.

Address: Africaine Rd, Adelaide Airport

7. Alex Skate Park, Alexandra Headlands, Sunshine Coast, Qld

No matter how you identify, the dress code at Alex Skate Park seems to be: flanno and beanie. The jury is out as to whether the addition of a nose ring helps perfect your kickflips and ollies, but we’re here for it and want to join this Sunny Coast tribe. This beachfront park with two enclosed skate bowls attracts shredders. But its well-thought-out open-flow design makes it friendly for beginners, too.

Address: Buhk Family Park, Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland

Alex Skate Park
This beachfront park is friendly for beginners. (Image: Sunshine Coast Council)

8. Scarborough Beach Skate Park, Perth, WA

Expect a crew of salty-haired surfers at Scarborough Beach Skate Park when there is no swell forecast in this laid-back surfie city.  The skate park is on the Scarborough Esplanade and attracts van lifers on their way to elsewhere after stopping off in Perth. There’s a monster bowl with concrete coping, ledges and more.

Address: 150 The Esplanade, Scarborough

Scarborough Beach Skate Park
Expect a crew of salty-haired surfers at Scarborough Beach Skate Park. (Image: DG Imagery)

9. Rosny Skate Park, Hobart, Tas

Rosney Skate Park is near to some of the best cafes in Hobart for coffee. Down a quick three-quarter latte and then carve along the path that slices through Charles Hand Park to the skate park. It is one of the best in Tassie: it has a kidney-shaped bowl with pool tiles and coping and a large open-flow concrete section where BMXers and skaters all go with the flow. Channel the main character energy of Keegan Palmer and try and land that kickflip you’ve been practising since 2014.

Address: 15 Rosny Hill Rd, Rosny Park

Rosny Skate Park
Land that kickflip you’ve been practising since 2014 at Rosny Skate Park.

10. Ltyentye Apurte Skate Park, Red Centre, NT

Close your eyes and conjure up that meme of skating commentators Mitch Tomlinson and Nick Boserio throwing wild Rocky-like punches into the air. Can you hear the crowd roar? The Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) Skate Park in the Red Centre, about an hour’s drive from Alice Springs, opened in August 2023 and is the first remote Aboriginal community-funded skate park in the Northern Territory. The skate park was the vision of eastern Arrernte man Nicky Hayes, who is the Spinifex Skateboards founder and one of only a few Aboriginal professional skateboarders.

You’ll find less is more at this skate park with a mini ramp, ledge and flat banks. But the gnarliest element is the Indigenous flag hipped bank. Usually with a flat platform, this one has one side red, one side black and then the sun in the middle.

Address: 29 Church St, Santa Teresa

Ltyentye Apurte Skate Park
Ltyentye Apurte Skate Park is the first remote Aboriginal community-funded skate park in the Northern Territory. (Image: Wade Trevean + Nicky Hayes)
If you’re Sydney-based and looking for private skate lessons for your kids, book in with Little Rippers Skate Coaching .
Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet. 

Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it. 

Budj Bim cultural landscape  

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is on Gunditjmara Country. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas. 

eel tank
The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour 

Dumawul walkingtour
Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance.  The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.  

Kooyoora walking tour
Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Kingfisher Cruises  

Kingfisher Cruises
Cruising the Murray with Kingfisher Cruises. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.  

wawa biik 

 Taungurung leaders
Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik. 

Bataluk Cultural Trail  

Bataluk Trail
Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.  

Healesville Sanctuary  

echidna at Healesville Sanctuary
Get up close with a resident echidna at Healesville Sanctuary. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm. 

The Grampians 

Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians
Rock art at Bunjil Shelter in The Grampians. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.