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Beach tents, called cabanas in Australia, have proliferated in recent years
For years, a controversial invader has been gradually taking over Australia’s beloved beaches.
Engulfing the sand, blocking the ocean view and turning the shoreline into a boring maze is a sea of large beach tents, called cabanas in Australia.
“They’re chokkas. They’re everywhere,” Claire, 30, told the BBC.
For her – and for most Australians – cooling off on a sweltering day means a good drive to the coast, as well as an eternity stalking a park. Now the cabin craze means another battle awaits them on the beach.
Polyester shade sails fold back into the breeze as far as the eye can see. Some are empty, installed in the early morning and then abandoned for hours, until the owners actually want to use them.
“The sheer amount of space that people take up… (when) you’re just trying to find a free square inch of sand to put your towel down, it can be a little frustrating,” Claire says.
She’s not the only one who’s irritated. Several summers of simmering tension have, by early 2025, exploded into a full-blown turf war, sparking debate over Australian culture and beach etiquette.
A row over the acceptable use of sheds has dominated social media, spawned a flurry of opinion articles and television segments, and even embroiled the prime minister.
Self-proclaimed “haters” claim that authorized cabana crews are monopolizing public space and disrespecting other beachgoers.
“When you… pollute the beach with your four shacks next to each other, where does Guncle Nic go,” said anti-shack crusader and TikToker Nic Salerno on the TV show The Project.
“I just want my space on the beach, guys.”
But the pro-cabana crowd says seeking shelter from Australia’s vicious sun is not a crime – and it’s every man for himself.
Australia is the melanoma capital of the world, and many supporters – including the national charity Cancer Council – argue that this new trend should actually be celebrated.
“My partner and I have a cool cabin because we both burn extremely easily and we don’t want to die of skin cancer before 30, hope this helps,” one person wrote in response to a rant on TikTok.
Jordys Drone Photography
The craze began in Noosa, where the cult brand Cool Cabanas was founded.
No one underestimates the importance of protecting yourself from the sun, critics of the cabanas say, but they say it’s just a convenient excuse for many people using the beach tents.
Half the time they don’t even sit under the shade covers, they claim, and there’s no need for two people to take out an entire tent for an hour or two, when sunscreen and hats will do very good deal.
Other cabin-goers are more direct about their motivations. Breakfast TV presenter Davina Smith admitted that for her it was about acquiring “the best real estate” on busy beaches.
She is one of those who set up their cabins early in the morning to reserve territory for her family later in the day.
“There’s a lot of research on it. You get up early, you have to watch the tides. You can’t just leave it there and go again…you invest in it,” Smith explained on the Today show.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among the hordes angered by the trend: “It’s not fashionable,” he said on the same show.
“One of the great things about Australia, unlike some parts of the world, is that you go there and you have to pay to go to the beach. Here, everyone owns the beach…And it’s really a violation of this principle.”
Even rescuers have opinions on the matter, with some telling local media that cabin camps can make their jobs difficult.
Why is this so controversial?
There are a number of cultural quirks that make Cabanagate make Australians more excited than a magpie in spring.
First, the country likes to think of itself as an egalitarian society – the land of “fair go” – and this extends to the use of one of its most valuable national assets.
“Australian beaches have always been seen as shared spaces, democratic spaces where social hierarchies dissolve… (they are) seen as a great equalizer,” says Ece Kaya, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney.
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Anthony Albanese made the same argument
And Australians “fiercely” protect this ideal: “They see it as a birthright,” explains Chris Pepin-Neff, who studies Australian beach culture.
It highlights the backlash that occurred in 1929 when swimmers at Coogee Beach in Sydney were forced to pay to access the only part of the water covered by anti-shark nets. More recently, a bid to lease part of Bondi Beach to an exclusive beach club sparked huge outcry.
And although the use of sprawling cabins is a relatively new phenomenon, there have long been “huge class tensions” around the use of the country’s coastline, Pépin-Neff adds.
Lack of infrastructure, affordable housing and community attitudes tend to exclude ordinary Australians from riverside areas, while these natural assets are often used by those lucky enough to live there.
“And it feels like it goes even further, so that the average family can’t even get a place at the beach.”
But he says there is no real data on who uses the cabins and why. He also says there are many good reasons why people might use them. Maybe they’ve come a long way so plan to stay at the beach longer, or maybe they have a disability or young children to care for, he says.
“There’s a balance between a free, open beach that everyone can use and making sure you’re respectful.”
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Some swimmers want local councils to act
However, he offers no defense to the “land bankers”: “As a Sydneysider, I think this is an abuse of privilege… it’s not a fair decision.
As the debate intensifies, there are calls for a truce to restore peace to Australia’s shores.
Beachkit Australia founder Rowan Clark, who sells equipment including cabanas, told the Sydney Morning Herald he even thought cabana enthusiasts should be more courteous.
“They should only allow inline installation at the back of the beach,” he said. “Once this runs out, this shadow style should no longer be allowed.”
Others want the authorities to put a stop to this situation, as some have done in the United States. Some suggest councils could limit the number of shacks that can be set up on their beaches and their location.
But Sydney resident Claire, for all her anger, fears it could tip the scales the other way and exclude other people from using the beach.
“You don’t want to be too precious about it, obviously…it’s just the beach, first world problems, right?
“I think in general we should just try to be respectful to each other.”
