Inline Skating - a guide to Melbourne

Document last revised 30th June 1996

Changes since May

Updated URL for rec.sport.skating.inline FAQ

Note

This page is an accumulation of information that may prove useful to inline skaters in Melbourne, Australia. So far it is based entirely on personal observation. It is, inevitably, under construction. Feed back, comments, criticism, and questions are welcome. Corrections and additions would be great and will be attributed as appropriate.

I would like to add information about skating all around Australia. So please send me descriptions of any Australian inline activities (either ready to publish or in note form for me to finish) or pointers to other similar pages. I plan to have a photo gallery, so any pictures you have in electronic form that you would like to see on this page would be very welcome (depending on disk space).

For a closer look at some more aggressive Melbourne skaters, take a look at Melbourne In-line Skating.

joan mcgalliard

jem@netspace.net.au

Highlights

Free skating lessons

Best place for beginners in Melbourne

Fun Race in March '96

Fun Race in January '96

Index

Path/Park Rating system
Paths:
Parks
Car parks, schools etc
- No real data as yet.
Rinks
Pipes, bowls etc
Events
By Laws
Shops
Links

The Guide

Map references throughout are from Melways.

Ratings

I am starting to add ratings to each of the recreational places to skate. I haven't yet used a ramp, so I can't rate them. There are two skates difficulty and path quality.

Difficulty

Beginner: A place suitable for a raw novice to skate, who can't yet use the brake. It will be smooth, flat(ish), a path will have grass on either side, it will be well away from motorised traffice, and pedestrian traffic will be minimal.
Intermediate: For beginners who can use their brake and steer. Actually, if you can do this, you can handle any path - however, some won't be much fun.
Skilled: for a skater who is confident on skates, can brake in a short space, can handle hills with ease and is not flustered by crowds.

Path Quality

Excellent: Smooth, wide, consistent, usually clean.
Good: Almost excellent, but some gravel, narrow strips, blind corners etc
OK: Not great, but still quite skatable
Poor: Navigatable, but if it was any worse you'd take off your skates and walk back in your socks

These ratings will be added to the below as I reskate them.

Places to skate

Paths:

St Kilda foreshore: About 10 km of beachside path, running from Port Melbourne to Brighton (Map 56 K3 to 69 B8). This is the inline skating centre of Melbourne. On any sunny weekend, there are dozens of skaters there, mixing it with kids on bikes, triathlon trainees, family groups etc. The path is wide, pretty, mostly in very good condition (you may have to avoid puddles towards Brighton and uneven paving stones between Kerferd Rd and Port Melbourne). A must skate part of Melbourne see and be seen, also probably the best lit path in Melbourne for after dark skating.
Merri Path: Runs along the Merri creek through Preston,Brunswick, Northcote, Clifton Hill for about 10 km. It begins at Murray Rd Preston - near Pentridge - (map 18 A11), and runs beside the creek to the point where it meets the yarra at Dight's Falls (Map 2D B6). The path is smooth and well finished, with the main problems due to dirt washed across the path after heavy rains, and a couple of deep puddles that survive after rain. The path is also a bit narrow in some places for perfect stroking. The other users are mainly strollers with dogs, cyclists and few other bladers.
Yarra Path: ????????
Gardiners/Scotchmans Creeks: This is a path that did (and hopefully will again) run from Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn (Map 59 H6) to Forster Rd, Mt Waverley. Currently (May 95) it is closed between Toorak Rd and Great Valley for freeway construction. There is also a plan on the table to join the path to the Yarra path (a quick hop skip and jump through Scotch College
Darebin Creek Path.: Runs from Curzon St, Heidelberg West (Map 31 C4) to Chenies St Reservoir (19 C4). A good, wide, mostly smooth path through parklands. A couple of rough patches, and water on the path in winter.
Park St Path: Runs from Rushall Trains Station (30 D10) Fitzroy Nth along the old city circle railway line (the tracks have been long gone) to Princess park (Map 29 H11). A flat, mostly smooth path that is useful for commuting to the city as you can then skate around Princess park and down Royal Pde to Elizabeth St, or down Garton St to the Uni and Royal Pde, Elizabeth St. It is also a friendly place for beginners (especially between Nicholson and Lygon Sts) as it is smooth, quiet, flat and has forgiving grass on both sides of the path.

Parks

More details to come.

Banksia Park (Map 32 E5)

A great place for a pleasant scoot around a reasonably smooth path without too many slopes. Pleasant park, with native trees near the yarra.

Westofold park(Map 33 G2)

By observation, on of the best places I have seen for cross country skiing training. Each time I have been there, there has been more than one person training on roller skis, with poles.

Westofold Park is definitely not for beginners. The path are wide and smooth, but the house is built on the top on a hill with a commanding view. Getting up there is hard work, and coming down again is dangerous if you aren't in control. Once you have mastered breaking, or more sophisticated stops and speed control techniques, you'll have a good time.

Brimbank Park(Map 15 A10 also Map 14 J9)

Very similar to Westofold park, with a real hill in the middle of it.

Royal Park (Map 2A J2)

Near the Burke and Wills memorial in Royal Park is the best place in Melbourne to learn to skate. Why is it the best? It is a flat field with a wide smooth circular path. The only other people there are a few walkers, and the occasional skater. There is grass all the way around, so you can bail out if necessary. It is usually stone and stick free. It is also one of the best places to speed skate, for the above reason - and you can see anyone coming from a long way off. [Note: St Kilda is the worse place to learn: it is rough, it is crowded, and if you fall - you fall on concrete. Unless you get a toddler to break your fall]

To get there, you need to be heading west along Elliot Ave. Turn into the car park on you left, just after you cross the tram tracks. Park at the far end of the car park, and carry your skates up to the path, and across the tram tracks. Sit in the grass beside the path, put on your skates, stand up on the grass, get your balance and go. By public transport, take the tram to the zoo and get off at stop 21, then walk

Facilities: Toilets and cold drinks (as well as hamburgers) can be found. from the MacDonald's at the Royal Children's Hospital. Beginners should take off their skates, to avoid ending up in Flemington Rd.

Jells Park (Map 71 K5)

Another good place for beginners, but more interesting than Royal park, is Jells park. Really nice, wide, smooth paths that wander throughout the park. There is a shop, trees, water etc. Downside for raw beginners - a wooden bridge that can be a bit frightening, some slopes - including a long one, and many more people on a nice day than at royal park.

Car parks, schools etc

Wander up to your nearest school outside school hours. State schools are community property, and you are welcome to use them when school is out. If the gate is locked, choose somewhere else. The suitability will be determined by the condition and the amount of concrete, and with whom you have to compete to use it.
Car parks are trickier. There is the danger of cars. Plus the best car parks are the multistory parks that tend to have patrols and 'No rollerblading[sic]' rules.
Additional information provided by Jason Lowder Most of these venues are only suitable for late at night. The best idea for a late night skate is to make it before midnight, as that is when the car park lights tend to go off. Another idea is to stay clear at 9:00 till 9:30. This is when the staff are all going home (if it's late night shopping), and security guards get a bit edgy about security for female staff members.

A few things to watch out for in your car park of choice:-

Oil patches (although these can be good for learning T-stops and slide stops).
Idiot hoons in cars doing doughies at night.
Water (on oil becomes really slippery).
Drain grates - nothing like flying down a ramp and getting your skate stuck in one of these.

Northland
Skill: Beginner - Intermediate, Path Quality: Good. Nice flat area. The bottom level of the multi-storey carpark has pylons at regular intervals to either grab hold of of skate around. There are also a few curbs to skate off and jump if you are just learning that.
Doncaster
Skill: Intermediate - Skilled, Path Quality: Excellent - Good. If you are in training for skiing, this is the place! There are a few gentle slopes, plus one that's about 400 meters long in the Northern part of the car park. There are also countless speed humps and path/road edges to get air off, car stoppers and planter boxes to jump. If you're wanting to learn to get air off ramped surfaces, the top floor of the 3 storey car park has heaps of little ramps. On the east side of the car park there is a nice jump onto a downward surface.
Forest Hill
Skill: Beginner - Skilled, Path Quality: Excellent. There is all sorts of things to keep you amused here.... ramps curbs, hills etc. There is also wide open spaces if you're just starting out with no hills. Pretty big lack of speed humps too if you hate them.
Brandon Park
Skill: Intermediate to Skilled, Path Quality: Poor - Good. This center has a few things to do. The surface in the under-cover area is really badly oil covered... but hey, if you're passing by.
Box Hill
Skill: Intermediate to Skilled, Path Quality: Poor - Good. Around the shopping centre there is not much. Some of the streets around there are ok. Skating is banned in the mall.
Eastland (Ringwood)
Skill: Intermediate to Skilled, Path Quality: Poor - Excellent. There are a few different areas around here where you can skate, most of them car parks. Eastland itself has banned skating but there are a few carparks around there that are ok.
Heidleberg Shopping Center
Skill: Skilled, Path Quality: Poor - OK. There are cool bits and pieces around here. One notable one is a ramp down to the shopping center car park opposite JB Hi-FI. If you go down there, at a 45 degree angle to the left is a dip the upside of which you can get some good air off, if you line it up from the top of the ramp. Remember, I'm not talking about going straight across into the car park entry, I'm talking about going into the side alley!
Southland (Morabbin)
Skill: Beginner - Skilled, Path Quality OK - Excellent. Smooth concrete in some areas, ramps, slopes, jumps this place has a fair amount of stuff.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/Jason Lowder PhD Student Department Of Software Development _/ Monash University Caulfield Victoria Australia _/ _/ e-mail:jasonl@insect.sd.monash.edu.au Ph: +061 9903 2874 _/_/_/ homepage: http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~jasonl ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rinks

Find these under "Roller Skating Rinks" in the Yellow Pages.

OR look at roller skating rinks in Australia

Actual Rinks

Cambellfield Roller Sports Centre
5/1730 Hume Hwy, Cambellfield (03) 9357 3557
This is the only one of these to which I have been, and I found it so demoralising that I haven't been to another. A a small, painted concrete floor, and you go round and round and round. And then you go round the other way.

Additional information provided by Corey Gibson
Skating rinks provide a more controlled enviroment which is epecially good for the younger and beginer skaters or when the weather outside is not the best. If you enjoy skating down the beach you are probably better off there as for the aggresive skaters, although the new rink in Epping has an agression session every Saturday. Rinks are also good if you just want to hang with friends. They also provide a good place for hockey. See your local rink for more details.
Corey Gibson (alias BUBBLES) is the name, Mech eng is the game. "Where's mah Mountin' Dew" MAIL; coreyg@minyos.its.rmit.edu.au

Pipes, bowls etc Prahran Ramp and Bowl(Map 2L K10). On Malvern Rd, near Chapel St, opposite the housing commission towers. A full size ramp (half pipe) that is used for competitions. Just behind it is a large bowl, with varying slopes. Fitzroy Bowl (Map 30 B12) There is a small bowl in the Edinburgh Gardens in Nth Fitzroy. Often full of small children with no pads! Reservoir, Andrews Reservoir (Map 18, K5). A medium sized bowl, with adjacent carpark, cycling track and bmx course. Reservoir, Donath Park (Map 18, K1) The half pipe is on Johnston St, opposite the railway line

Events

Sandringham - St Kilda Fun Roll: There is a 10km fun run and inlines skate race being organised by the Rotary Club of Brighton on Sunday 24th March, 1996. The race is from Sandringham to Moran Res (just south of the St Kilda Marina). The flyer says they are going to be closing the beach road, which would make it a fantastic opportunity to cruise along, without even competing. Buses will be available to take competitors back to Sandringham.
The entry forms are not going to be available until next year. They will be available from Amcal chemists. You can ring (03) 9555 0522 now, and they will mail entry forms when they are available (ETA February). Or watch this space: I will scan one in as soon as I get it.
PhysiCAL BLaDE 96: A four or ten kilometre race down at St Kilda on Australia day with categories for novices, racers and age groups. Contact FOX/RACV community switchboard on (03) 9536 1000 or have a look at the entry form I have typed in.
Wednesday night skate, 9 pm:: A group skate of around 30 people that runs every Wednesday night all year round. Starts at 9 pm at the main entrance to the Art Gallery in St Kilda Rd (Map 2F H8), then down in front of Southbank, across the foot bridge, under Swanston St, up onto Batman Ave, around the tennis centre, over the footbridge across the rail yards, around the MCG for a bit of stair bashing etc, and to let everyone catch up, through the car park to Wellington Pde Sth, through the Fitzroy gardens (variable routes depending on skill), round in front of parliament house to the top of Lt Bourke St. Then wait until 10 pm (when skating is allowed in the CBD) and down Lt Bourke to the Swanston St walk.
Wednesday night skate, 6 pm:: Starts at 6 pm from Sports Mix in Lonsdale St.

By Laws

7 am to 10 pm
There is a council by-law that says there is no skating in the area bounded by and including Victoria, Russell, Flinders and Queen Streets between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm. A copy of the by-law is available here.
Basically, it defines a class of "Toy Vehicles" (includes inlines, skate boards and scooters) and then gets stern about them. Anyone who uses skates as transport will baulk at this description. Amongst other things, your toy vehicles can get confiscated.

What to do about it - Short term:

If you haven't been pulled over yet, my suggestion is do nothing. I am not a lawyer, so you are on your own if I am wrong, but my reading of the law says that the first time you are pulled over, you are given a warning. If you obey all "reasonable directions" of the officer, they can take no further action. After you have been pulled over once, you are in some risk of losing your skates for a period of 7 days - so it is up to you what to do. Always carry a copy of the by-law with you if you can. Don't pull it out unless you have to - no need to look like a smartarse - but if they tell you that you are breaking the rules when you are not, you can then settle the argument.

What to do about it - Long term:

The law should be changed. We shouldn't let the publicly perceived attitude of skaters as hooligans inhibit our ability to move freely from place to place, as long as we are in control, and behaving in a lawful manner. Fortunately, the law is up for review currently - and a number of carefully reasoned, mannered, cogent submissions may make the difference. Have a look at the current law, then send a letter to the address on that page.

Parliament
There is apparently an act of parliament forbidding skating on the steps of parliament house (map 1B, P7). As there are always police in the vicinity, and the current incumbents are not sympathetic to people not driving cars I suggest this area be avoided.
Museum
Signs are have recently appeared on the steps of the museum, stating skating is not allowed there.

Shops

Bladeworx

-736 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 9819 9991.

Ballistix

- 133 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood. 9870 9991
- (New shop) Chapel St, North of Malvern Rd, Prahran.

Ski House/Haus

- 105 Upper Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe, 9499 4881
- 389 Lonsdale St, City, 9670 6151
- Chadstone Shopping Centre, 9569 8296
- 17 Hardware Lane, City 9670 2855

Skater's warehouse

- Railway Walk, Camberwell (adjacent C'well station) 9882 7577
- 354 Lonsdale St, City 9602 3633

SMC

- Sport Mix City, 269 Lonsdale St, Melbourne 9663 5166

Blade Runner Sports

- Shop 9a, 38 Bridge St, Eltham 9431 3436.

Apache Junction

- 72 Acland St, St Kilda 9534 0061
- 230 The Esplanade, Brighton 9592 9393
- 20 Ferguson St, Williamstown 9397 6555

Auski

- 9 Hardware Lane, City, 9670 1412

Mac's Surf, Skate and Ski

- 360 South Rd, Moorabin, 9553 0915

Box Hill Ski & Surf/Blades

- 23 Carrington Rd, Box Hill 9890 5914

Rock'N N Roll'N.

- 11A Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9525 3434
- Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn.

Bumps Ski and Surf

- 465 Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick 9528 2701

Bobs Boards and Blades

-17 Fitzroy St, St Kilda 9537 2118

Target/K-Mart/Myer/Sportsmart/Rebel Sport etc

- just say no.

Links Skating the Infobahn This best leaping off point for internet skating Graham Constantine Juggling on skates - at Southbank yet. RISC HOME PAGE RMIT Skate club home page (very quiet over summer) Skating DownUnda a page of pointers - no real local content Tom Word's home page R.s.s.inline FAQ Table of Contents the Rec.sport.skating.inline FAQ - everything you could ever want to know about skating.

Document last revised 30th June 1996

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