Pet Friendly Accommodation

[Tassie]

Just back from the long road trip to WA - and I have another few dog-friendly places to add to the list.

In Perth - The Harrison in Mt Richon/Armadale - expensive, but a lovely house with pool, set on a large block - views out to the west - lovely outdoor eating areas. Fully fenced (but my Border Collies did find a way out in one corner ). Dogs allowed inside. About 15/20 minutes easy drive to CAWA grounds.

Other Tasmanians stayed in a dog-friendly place, fenced yard, in Rockingham - fairly close to a beach. Sorry, don't have the details for that.

In Kimba - between Ceduna and Port Augusta - Moseley Cottage - funny old country cottage, but fenced yard, under cover verandah, dogs allowed inside, very comfortable and welcoming.

And in the Adelaide Hills at Mylor - Burnslea Log Cabin - no fenced yard, but as long as dogs are not escapers, there's over an acre of grass and bush for them to have a good race around. The cabin is delightful, very comfortable, dogs allowed inside - and the breakfast supplies include freshly baked bread brought over by the hosts who live in the house across the driveway.

Found them all on stayz (pet friendly) and/or Take a Break.

[Poodle wrangler]

Around Australia

We're on the final couple of weeks of a 5-month trip around Australia with a camper trailer, 2 kids and 2 dogs (standard and miniature poodle).

Useful Books

*Camps Australia Wide.

Free and low-cost campsites/ caravan sites. Says whether or not dogs OK.

*Holidaying with dogs

Mostly cottages, B&Bs etc., but the pet sitting and kennel pages are useful if you're camping/ caravanning.

Tourist Information Centres

* Usually have contact details for local kennels/ dog minders e.g. if you want to go to a National Park.

* Sometimes a local will advertise there with a notice on the board.

* Usually know which places are pet friendly.

Still plenty of pet friendly places, though you may have to go a little further out of town.

We're finding fewer places as we head from Brisbane south, down the east coast.

Caravan Parks/ Campsites

*Some caravan parks take dogs in the off-peak season, even though they advertise "no dogs".

*Many ask what breed of dog.

You will get prejudice for larger breeds or those with stereotypes.

I think the reason for this is that many people just tie their dogs to the van, so anyone can approach them.

Many kids aren't watched by their parents and vans might be quite close together, if busy.

We crated our dogs for everyone's safety, although neither are aggressive.

We heard stories of dogs being banned in caravan parks post serious injury to either another dog or person.

* Many have a "dog bond".

Up to $50 per dog.

You get it back if you follow the rules- pick up after dog, on-leash always, keep dogs away from common areas e.g. kitchen, BBQ, toilets etc., don't leave your dog unattended on-site. We never lost a bond.

*Some advertise small dogs only.

Didn't realise this a couple of times and just said "2 poodles" when booking, but never any problem once they saw our friendly, non-scary 25kg standard poodle.

*Many give you some flex if you turn up and ask nicely about accepting well-behaved dogs.

e.g. we stayed in Port Douglas in a park with "no dogs" (we had 2), "have small dogs" (1 poodle is 25kg) and "only 1 dog per site" (2).

It seemed to make a huge difference if park was owner-operated and they could eyeball both you and your dogs.

Some obnoxious dog owners have made life hard for the rest of us and made life hell for park managers.

* Some people stay long-term in caravan parks and you might be ble to negotiate to either pay for dog-minding or return the favour if you want to go to dog unfriendly places for the day.

In some places, dogs are OK if left in carpark e.g. Devils Marbles in N.T. is inside National Park, but dogs in carpark OK with a sign saying so.

If having a quick walk to lookout and back, dogs are fine. Is worth asking other travellers with dogs about this sort of thing.

Don't let all the nay-sayers put you off taking your dog.

Can be done and we've enjoyed our trip much more having them with us!

[2tollers]

SKENES CREEK - VICTORIA

http://www.skenescreek.com/

We stayed here for a couple of days and it was like camping grounds I remember from a long time ago.

They have hot showers (a must) a BBQ area and a little shop that opens once or twice per day. Nearly everyone there had a dog(s) and I met some lovely people.

The grounds are RIGHT on the beach and there are rock pools for the kids to explore. You can walk your dogs for miles along the beaches.

We all had a great time and will be going back for some more.

[harryviolet]

I have a dog friendly self contained accommodation in Kangaroo Valley NSW. It has 2 acres of triple fenced lawns and garden (chicken wire as well as dog wire and strained wire). Berry is 20 minutes away and 10 minutes further on, Seven Mile Beach offers miles of leash free beach heaven (dogs on lead while you enter via Shoalhaven Heads).

Dogs are allowed inside, although not into bedrooms or on sofas. It also has an outdoor kitchen overlooking the pool with wooden fencing that neither a King Charles or a Great Dane could escape from so guests can go out to dinner and leave their best friend with a bone or two. I have had over 340 dogs stay in the last 7 years and never had a problem with a visiting dog. I have a dog also but she has her own garden in the rear acres so does not meet with the visitors unless by request. www.kookaburrahill.com.au and am also on Stayz.

Here is my puppy in the front 2 acres

I also give 6 stars out of 5 to Rock Lily Cottages in Brogo near Bega NSW. The owner is a GREAT dog lover. Gorgeous cottages and there is also a Lake House in Akolele just north of Bermagui. www.rocklily.com.au and www.holidaycottages.com.au

Edited June 1, 2010 by harryviolet

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Have recently stayed at Cara Motel, Maryborough, QLD.

Lovely couple who run the motel. No dogs INSIDE, but welcome otherwise. My dog slept in a sofcrate in the car.

It is a 5 minute drive from Maryborough Show Grounds (sorry being a showie have no idea of the other facilities nearby )

http://www.caramotel.com.au/

[numol]

-

Edited July 20, 2012 by numol

[Poodle Mum]

I thought I would share this here.......I had a weekend away last week with the family & our 2 Std Poodles. We stayed at Turon Gates @ Capertee in NSW 50kms from Lithgow.

It is a private property on 6000 acres with camping & cabins. They are very pet friendly. Dogs are allowed in the cabins & it was also very comfortable and well equipped for humans

My dogs had a great weekend of head down, bum up following around lots of exciting scents in the bush collecting firewood with me!! & then loungging by the fire at nite

[Brennan's Mum]

South Australia-- Adelaide

I don't know whether this has already been posted, but I thought I would share anyway.

Windsor Gardens Caravan Park allows dogs. Windsor Gardens is approximately a 15-20 minute drive from the CBD and is conveniently located close to the North East and Eastern suburbs.

The rates don't look to be too bad either. I have not stayed here, but I will be staying here overnight before I fly out to Brisbane so can come back and edit this post again in October

http://www.goseeaustralia.com.au/caravan_p.../accommodation/

[jazawayaya]

Does anybody know of dog friendly accom on Kangaroo Island?

[Perry's Mum]

Perry and I stayed at the Hughenden in Sydney and we would both give it a 5 paws rating.

Hughenden Boutique Hotel 14 Queen Street Woollahra, NSW 2025

Sydney

Australia

A grand Victorian Manor c1870's gracefully restored with all the charms of yesteryear and with the modern conveniences of today. Wander the corridors and discover the history, art work and antiques of this iconic part of Woollahra's past. Quaife's Restaurant and Bar is open 7 days for breakfast, Wed to Sun for Lunch and Tue to Sat for dinner, for hotel guests and the public. The Hughenden is an Arts and Literature hotel with monthly art exhibits, book club meetings and other community events. Located in the heart of Paddington and Woollahra it is an easy stroll to the Art Galleries and Antique stores or to the shopping strip on Oxford Street. Ask about our Pet Friendly rooms where your 'best friend' is also welcome

Our ground floor room was very clean and quiet and off the car park. Tiled floors. Comfortable bed. Perry was allowed everywhere in the hotel except the restaurant but we were welcome to sit and eat in the bar or outside in the cafe. The staff were very friendly and helpful. A cooked breakfast was included in the room price. We had dinner there in the cafe - fillet steak, a glass of red (for me) and some gelato which we shared and our bill was under $260. The staff were very friendly and helpful and could not do too much for us. The other guests made a big fuss of Perry so she had a wonderful time.

[thomo84]

Hi,

We are travelling to Adelaide, from Melbourne, and we are trying to find somewhere nice and pet friendly to stay half way there. We have a Golden Retriever and its just way too long for him to travel the whole way without a descent stop on the way there.

If anyone can reccomend some places that would be great!

Thanks

Thomo

Edited December 7, 2010 by thomo84

[The Ark]

We stayed at Stoney Park Watersports/Holiday Park at Telegraph Point, just north of Port Macquarie NSW, and loved it.

http://www.stoneypark.com.au/

We had about 5 cabins booked between a group of us who were showing at Port Macquarie in October this year - we each had multiple dogs and everything went very smoothly. Dogs are allowed inside the cabins, you are just required to pay an extra $20 cleaning fee (one-off for your stay, not nightly). There are no fences and dogs are required to be kept on-leash (or at least under control) but there is plenty of space for walking and the dogs can have a paddle to cool off.

There is a nice BBQ area and we all sat around at night having dinner & drinks with the dogs set up in crates/pens out on the lawn - very relaxing!

[shihspaniel]

NSW Central Coast Copacabana

www.lagunabeachhouse.com.au or http://www.stayz.com.au/27066

The house is gorgeous with front fenced yard, separate side yard and owner allows dogs indoors in the downstairs area of the house provided they are not on beds, sofas.... The house is about 1 minute walk to leash free beach area.

[shan10]

does anyone know good places in perth?I went by the Marshall Boarding Kennel today which looked nice an big but you never know..

[Lady Flying Furball]

Just booked in to Taree Country Motel

145 Manning Drive Taree

Ph: (02) 6552 2491

Got a single for $70 and the dog is allowed to stay in the room if they are house trained and they have a fenced bbq/picnic area for the dogs to run in (again as long as you pick up poo).

My friend with a dog has stayed there many times and likes it because it is clean and basic and the people are very friendly.

[ziggybella]

ACT

Grand Manor Motor Inn, Queanbeyan

Website

If anyone is visiting the Canberra area I highly recommend the Grand Manor Motor Inn. They are very dog-friendly there, you can have your pooches in your room (provided they are "well behaved" biggrin.gif of course!) and they are even allowed in the swimming pool (salt plus chlorine but not too much). It's in Macquoid Street, Queanbeyan, 15 minutes' drive from Canberra. Owners are friendly, food is great. http://www.grandmanor.net.au/ We stayed there while looking for a house to rent and it was as close to a home away from home as you can imagine, and so good that our dogs were welcome. -Queanbeyanite

We/ve also stayed at the Grand Manor and agree with all your comments. It was a very pleasant stay - the room really nice and clean and the people so friendly. We had a very old, blind dog at the time.

[Dxenion]

Edited - post deleted, no longer required

Edited January 11, 2011 by Dxenion

[Guest english.ivy]

Is see there are none for Perth/WA ;)

Does anyone have any suggestions for the South West of WA? I want to go down there with my two, nothing fancy but need to have them allowed in the living area and a secure area for them to toilet at least.

Both are house trained!

I have a couple of months to find somewhere as I'm looking at going down early April, before the school holidays.

[Sonite]

VICTORIA

Abacus at Bright, Bright

Website

A nice little place, very modern, good for couples. Dogs are allowed inside. The yard is very secure (6ft colourbond) but only big enough for toilet breaks! You can't leave dogs unattended but they do have a dogsitting service. We took our dog everywhere with us, most of the cafes in Bright were very accommodating about eating outside with your dog. The cottage is only a 5 minute walk to the main street. We love Bright, there are so many walking tracks, a lovely river and it's a really beautiful city.-wuffles

Apollo Bay Holiday Park, Apollo Bay 1/2 ]

Website

The camping grounds were along an nice clean estuary and you could hear the ocean quite clearly. There were a few more secluded camping spots at the back which suits people travelling with dogs. Dogs must be kept on leash, picked up after, not disturb others and not left unattended. The park itself was in need of a bit of repair, large potholes in the road and not well signed sites but the grounds were nice, lots of trees and natural bushland backed the park. Showers were excellent, lots of hot water. A bit overpriced in my opinion [$22 for an unpowered site] and the owner wasn't particularly friendly or nice. -Ravyk

Apollo Gardens, Craigieburn - this place no longer takes residents and is about to be sold off - cabins are up for auction in March 2011[/size

Website

Dog-friendly tourist cabins, with small fenced yard and verandah, and large off leash area (but need to be careful - plenty of roos). -Tassie

Avalon Retreat, Harrietville

Website

Very basic but affordable cottage accommodation. The yard is quite a nice size and is fenced but not completely secure. They do have a small kennel and running wire which would only suit small dogs. -wuffles

Best Friends Holiday Retreat, Tarra Valley

Website

-crazy beagle lady

We stayed at Best Friends Holiday Retreat recently. It was the best place ive stayed with my dog, not bad for people either. Will definatley go again. Not many places that its against the rules to leave your dog outside. Big dog off lead excercise areas, untold toys. The owners were great too.. kelpiekaye

Countrywide Cottages, Otways

Website

We stayed there earlier this year. There are 4 cabins, and although not fenced, they are spaced well apart. The verandah of each cottage has lockable gates. Dogs are allowed inside and the owner supplies a couch cover. Very dog friendly and I think you can also take horses. Nice friendly owner. -KismetKat

Green Lake Public Reserve, Sealake :rofl:

Map

Situated 10ks south of the town of Sea Lake, Green Lake Public Reserve is open for camping all around the lake. Both powered and unpowered sites [$6 a night] are available, as are showers [10c for 5mins of water] and toilets. Tracks around the lake are pretty good, but may pose concern if the weather is wet. Dogs need to be kept under effective control and picked up after. Campfires are allowed when it is not fireban season. Lots of bird life and water life inhabit the area, so perfect for people who like to get in touch with nature. The lake doesn't smell, nor were there a lot of insects when we camped. It is such a beautiful spot which we accidentally stumbled upon whilst driving in the area. -Ravyk

Kangadoodle, Rye

Website

A beautiful house that is very dog friendly at Rye, short walk to a secluded surf beach. -calypso

Murray-Kulkyne Park, near Colignan :rofl: :rofl:

Map

Part of the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, the Murray-Kulkyne Park is no longer a state forest, meaning dogs are allowed [on leash]. Situated right on the riverbank, there are many places to camp. Best section for camping is the southern part of Murray-Kulkyne as the northern end is now along a dried up tributary. The main tracks are good, but strictly dry weather only, as are the 4WD tracks [which I may add are accessible in some non-4WD cars, we did it with a Commodore wagon]. There are some stunning spots to camp along the river, from sand right next to the water to up the bank amongst the gum trees. The wildlife is superb. We saw emus, roos, eagles, heaps of birds, frogs, shrimp, fish, whilst staying there. Campfires are permitted in non-fireban season and camping is free, except in two areas which have facilities [these are marked on the maps you get when you enter the park]. -Ravyk

Muxy's Place, Johanna :D :p 1/2

Website

If you are looking for dog friendly accommodation along the Great Ocean Road (Victoria) then I can highly recommend Muxy's Place.

We (3 Adults, 2 Kids and 3 Dogs) recently stayed here and we all thought it was great!.

It's located in Johanna, just off the Great Ocean Road. It's a massive house with a HUGE fenced (although not completely dog proof) yard. It's about a five minute drive to Johanna Dog Beach and a 30 minute drive from Apollo Bay and the 12 Apostles.

If you visit the website and see the front picture I can honestly say it truly looks this beautiful. Plus the owner is lovely and extremely accommodating.

Best of all they (unlike every other property I contacted along The Great Ocean Road) don't charge per adult, per child or per dog. It sleeps 8 and it's charged per night. Great value if there are a few of you going. -AussieDog

Paringa Cottage, Echuca

Website

This was a lovely place to stay - dogs allowed inside - fully fenced yard - outdoor furniture, even a BBQ. -Tassie

Edited February 9, 2011 by Sonite

[PoppyDog]

I've read this whole thread and been looking on the Stayz website...

But wondering if anyone knows of some accommodation that would suit our wants...

OH and I want to go away for 1 night (or 2) for our 3 year anniversary.We'd like to take Poppy with us too.

We want 4 or 5 star type accommodation that allows Poppy inside. We'd like a big king bed and a spa bath (inside or out).

We also want a nice big TV with DVD player.

Somewhere within 2 -3 hours of Brisbane. Somewhere nice to eat out.

Am I dreaming???