Skip's Skateboard Shop

Skip's Skateboard Shop on Sailors Gully Road is Eaglehawk's cafe-meets-skate-shop, a small local landmark where the deck wall and the coffee machine share the one room. It opens from 5am on weekdays, which makes it the rare dog-friendly stop that works before an early walk rather than after one.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome inside as well as outside, which sets it apart from the average cafe where dogs wait at the door. The owner is known for handing out treats to four-legged visitors, and the crew is friendly with both skaters and dogs. There is little in the way of dog infrastructure, so bring your own water bowl for a longer stop.

Worth knowing

A mini-ramp is built right into the shop, and the combination of strong coffee, donuts, hot chocolate and almond croissants keeps a steady local run through the morning. Hours are short: weekdays from 5am to 2pm, Saturdays to about 12:30, closed Sundays. Small shops like this can shift their hours, so it is worth a quick check before a special trip.

Getting there and parking

It sits at Shop 1/8 Sailors Gully Road in Eaglehawk, on the northern edge of Bendigo, with free street parking and a small free lot out front plus step-free access into the shop.

While you're out there

Eaglehawk's dam precinct and the reserves around the old borough give plenty of on-lead walking, and for an overnight base the Eaglehawk Motel is close by. Bendigo's wider dog-friendly cafe circuit is a short drive south if you are making a day of it.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Eaglehawk destination page.

Max: the 5am opening is the trick, coffee and a treat before the day heats up, and the shop is all yours.