Our Top 10 Dog Friendly Beaches

• September 15, 2019
• by Iain Michie

We’d love to share with you our 10 favourite dog friendly beaches in Australia that we’ve visited on our travels so far.

We’ve visited so many that this was an almost impossible task and I’m sure that tomorrow we will change our minds re our preferences…..again.

We have limited this to 1 photo per beach, apart from the first one which is our absolute favourite so that deserves 2. The rest are in no particular order of preference.

They were all great!

 

We’ve also included some links as to where we stayed when we visited these beaches.

1. Five Finger Reef, Coral Bay, WA

This is a magical place which we all loved. It’s about 5kms south of Coral Bay which can be accessed either by foot along the beach from town, which would be quite a tough walk on the soft sand.

Or, by vehicle on the 4WD track which starts close to the boat ramp.

The 4WD track is great fun.

The water is wonderfully clear and ideal for swimming and snorkelling. It’s best to get out there by 11am when you can get your pick of the beach to set up for the day, although it rarely gets very busy.

No restrictions with regard to having your furry friend with you.

We stayed at the only dog-friendly caravan park in Coral Bay which is called Ningaloo Coral Bay Bayview.

 

Strange fact for you – if you live permanently at Coral Bay you are not allowed to own a dog. How bizarre!!

2. Rainbow Beach, QLD

The name Rainbow Beach applies to the small town as well as to the local beach and is situated just north of Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. 

The caravan park we stayed at was Rainbow Beach Holiday Village and is a stone’s throw to the beach.

The beach is huge and stretches for 23 kms, so there’s always a spot for you to set up on. Just be careful of all the 4X4’s that come onto the beach for a play.

There are restrictions with regard to dogs on this beach, so check the local council rulings on this one.

Having said that, we were there in Winter and the locals were constantly on the beach with their dogs off-leash.

3. Mills Beach, Mornington, VIC

We all love this beach, as it was our local one when we first moved out to Australia.

We lived 5 minutes walk away and were there every day weather permitting. It’s very safe to swim and a great place to have fun with your dog. 

 

There are time restrictions that dogs are allowed dependant on the time of year.

4. Racecourse Beach, Ulladulla, NSW

Racecourse Beach was our local beach when we did a house sit for a great couple in Ulladulla.

They also put their trust in us to look after their gorgeous dog ‘Lucy’. I think that she enjoyed her beach visits with us 

This is surfers territory and this beach gets a bit dumpy with quite a few strong rips, so paddling is really the order of the day as opposed to letting your paws leave the sand.

 

Check the council regs re dogs on the beach as there are some. However, lots of locals walking their dogs off-leash in the Winter months.

5. South Lefroy Bay, Ningaloo Station, WA

We were very privileged to be able to set up and have this uninterrupted view when we camped at this beach. This really is a little bit of heaven if you like to get away from it all.

Absolutely idyllic.

Our nearest neighbours at Sth Lefroy Beach Campsite were about 40 metres away. Fantastic swimming, snorkelling and fishing for young and old and completely safe.

We didn’t take our van into the campsite as it was well off the main road, instead, we pitched our ARB Awning tent which did the trick.

This place is a steal at the princely sum of $5 person/night for your own little bit of paradise. 

As this is a station stay, you must be aware that 1080 poison bait exists on Defence land, so please be careful and keep an eye on your pooch.

 

The usual rules about being kept under control and not allowed to roam or chase livestock or wildlife, but ok to be off-leash otherwise.

6. Swimcart Beach, Bay Of Fires, TAS

How good is this view?

This is what we had to look at every day from the van.

What hardship :-).

We stayed here for 2 weeks. No power or water, but if you have solar, it’s all good. As long as it stays sunny that is.

You can refill your water carriers and empty your toilet cassette at the nearby town of St Helens.

The majority of the caravan sites at Swimcart Beach are along an access road that runs parallel with the beach, so every site is guaranteed a great view. Some are just a little bit more secluded than others.

To get a pitch, you generally have to be there no later than 11am as it’s first come, first served. We scooped a great spot as you can see, so were really fortunate.

Great fishing spot and ok for swimming if you choose your time and spot, as there are a few rips.

 

Restrictions re dogs at this one state that dogs should be on a lead. 

7. Darlington Beach, Arrawarra, NSW

So good we stayed here twice!

The caravan park we used is called NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort and is excellent. It has recently become ‘dog-friendly’ and unlike some parks, doesn’t push the dog owners into a corner, but allocates a central area where dogs can stay. 

The huge beach is accessed from the park and is rarely busy and completely off-leash.

Both times that we stayed, the water was relatively calm and ok for swimming, just not too far out, as there are drop offs and the odd rip.

8. Wharton Beach, Duke of Orleans Bay, WA

Wow, just wow.

This is an incredible beach. The pristine white sand and the crystal clear blue water gives a seriously tropical feel to this wonderful place.

Swimming, kicking back, beach fishing for some Aussie Salmon, or playing in the light surf with your furry friend will help you while away the time on this amazing piece of real estate.

It’s a favourite with the locals, with 4WD vehicles allowed access, so don’t be surprised to see a fleet of 4X4’s all parked up with the barbie’s smoking if it’s good weather.

At the time of our visit, we were staying in Esperance about 80 kms further west but felt that we couldn’t miss out on this gem.

9. Hat Head, NSW

Hat Head Holiday Park is dog-friendly, albeit seasonal so always best to check availability with the park management. 

The beach itself is beautiful and for our stay, it was very calm and allowed Ash some safe swimming.

Dogs are only allowed off-leash between Beach Access 6 and 10.

You also have the river inlet, although dogs are not allowed off-leash outside of the area previously stated.

10. Red Rock Beach, Callala Bay, NSW

 

Last, but by no means least is this beautiful beach, made better by the fact that we were catching up with great friends.

Plus their dog ‘Aero’, a gorgeous Labradoodle and BFF to Ash. 

Lots of great sand and being very sheltered within Callala Bay it’s great for play and a paddle with your pooch.

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Margaret River, WA – Dog Friendly Destination

• September 30, 2019
• by Iain Michie

This area is another absolute dog friendly favourite of ours.

We’ve been here twice on our travels so far and will, at some point, be very happy to return and explore more of dog friendly Margaret River.

About Margaret River

Margaret River is a small town in the south west of Australia, just short of 300 kms south of Perth and 9 kms inland from the Indian Ocean. 

The region is phenomenally diverse with all the activities that are on offer.

The obvious ones being, wineries, craft breweries and surfing.

The area is extremely dog friendly, with lots for you to see and do with your furry friends.

Where to Stay in dog friendly Margaret River

On both our visits to the region we stayed at the award winning Big Valley Campsite.

This campsite is an easy 10 minute drive south east of Margaret River town.

It’s a working sheep farm which has diversified to accomodate travellers and holiday makers and be assured, you will be welcomed warmly by the owners and staff.

Dependant on where you set up camp, you could have some curious farmyard animals taking an interest in what’s going on.

Ash would just sit looking out the window of our caravan with her toy in her mouth watching what she thought were probably funny looking sheep!

Funny looking dogs!

There are 3 distinct areas where you can park yourselves whilst at the campsite.

2 areas at the entrance to the campsite and 1 to the rear called the ‘Back Paddock’. 

All 3 areas are dog and pet friendly.

The ‘Back Paddock’ is just that.

A large field that has a few powered sites which acts as an overflow for the 2 main campsites. 

This area is quieter than the main campsites and consequently popular with the nomadic community, especially during school holidays when the other areas are busy with families.

The campsite reception also doubles as your very own mini store which stock all your essentials, and more. 

Fresh farm eggs, local meat and fish plus other local delicacies. 

You need to get in quick, or put an order in for what you want as a lot of the stock goes very quickly, especially the eggs!

There are another 2 dog friendly caravan and camping parks in Margaret River if you are heading to this area;

• Margaret River Tourist Park
• Riverview Tourist Park (Seasonal)

Cafe's, Pubs & Restaurants

You really are spoilt for choice in this region and in our experience, the standard and quality of both food and service is generally very high. 

Listed below are the dog friendly venues we have been to and can personally recommend as great places to eat where your pooch will be warmly greeted. 

However, these are by no means our only choices of dog friendly venues. There are just so many great places that we haven’t been able to visit. 

You will definitely have no problem finding somewhere suitable.

The Brewhouse, Margaret River

This is a fantastic place to pop along for the Sunday Sesh, which is exactly what we did. 

Made better by the fact that one of our good friends, Julius Lutero, was the resident artist that day.

At the Brewhouse with friends

Julius regularly plays at a number of venues around Margaret River and is a very talented guitarist and singer/songwriter.

The food and service at the Brewhouse are great and the staff make you feel really welcome, with Ash receiving a lot of attention and pats.

The Brewhouse is very dog friendly with a number of outside tables that people with dogs can sit at where water bowls are also provided.

Colonial Brewing Company, Margaret River

We had a great lunch out with friends and their dog at the Colonial Brewing Company.

This place is where you want to be on a sunny afternoon, relaxing out in their beer garden.

If you have young children as well there is plenty of space for them to run wild and play.

Pizzica, Margaret River

If you like pizza, then you’re going to love Pizzica, which is an authentic Italian pizzeria and charcoal grill.

They were very happy to allow Ash onto the premises albeit at an outside table.

The only drawback being that there was not a lot of room between tables for Ash to sit or lie down, but the pizzas are amazing!

Olio Bello, Cowaramup

What a gem! 

We can’t take the credit for finding this fantastic cafe/restaurant as it was some very good friends of ours that pointed us in the right direction.

Olio Bello is in Cowaramup, a 15 minute drive north from Margaret River. 

Not only does it produce fantastic food, but by having it’s own olive groves, produces beautiful organic extra virgin olive oil and gourmet products.

It is set in gorgeous grounds, where you have a choice of picnicking on a rug on the grass, or sitting at one of the shaded trestle table.

We had a touch of ‘canine capers’ when we took our eyes off Ash for a second, who promptly decided that she would check out all the great smells coming from the kitchen… oops!

Fortunately for us, the brilliant staff were so dog friendly, that they turned it into a bit of a joke.

Sea Garden Cafe & Beach Bar, Prevelly

If you fancy a great brekkie then, most definitely, this is the place to go. 

They also do lunch and dinner if you fancy something later in the day.

The Sea Garden Cafe and Beach Bar is in Prevelly, a 10 minute drive west to the coast from Margaret River.

Fantastic food with a fantastic sea view, plus we were allowed to have Ash inside the cafe. How good is that . 

Nobody complained, or made a fuss. How refreshing.

Well done ‘The Sea Garden’. 

We’ll certainly have a return visit at some point.

White Elephant Cafe, Gnarabup

This cafe is situated overlooking Gnarabup Beach and you really couldn’t ask for an any better location to grab a coffee, have some brekkie or lunch whilst watching what the Indian Ocean has to offer.

White Elephant Cafe, Gnarabup Beach, WA

On this occasion we just grabbed a take away coffee and headed for the beach.

You can access the dog friendly part of Gnarabup Beach via Rifelebutts Reserve, just a coupe of minutes drive north from the cafe.

Gnarabup Beach

Clancy's Fish Pub, Dunsborough

What better way to end a day at the beach than to have some fish and chips.

If you happen to be in the Dunsborough area, then why not visit Clancy’s Fish Pub. 

We did…it was brilliant!

They have a great menu with some fantastic seafood on offer as well as the usual pub favourites.

Dogs are very welcome on the outdoor terrace at the rear of the pub, which you can access via the side door.

Caves House Hotel, Yallingup

The Caves House Hotel is a 30 minute drive north along the coast from Margaret River.

This is a very popular venue for live music & if you hungry, for wood-fired pizza’s.

There is the added bonus that you can have your furry friend with you out on the deck area.

Wineries

How can you visit this region without sampling a few wineries

We thought that it would be rude not to, so here are the 2 we managed to drag ourselves along to.

Xanadu, Margaret River

A mere 5 minutes drive from the heart of Margaret River will take you to this elegant winery on Boodjidup Road.

They are dog friendly, with you and your dog welcome to grab any of the outdoor seating areas whilst enjoying your wine & cheese.

We did just that and ordered some wine and a cheeseboard, which as you can see looked fantastic and was very tasty.

The winery offer the option of gluten free bread rolls which got a big thumbs up from Tarryn.

We can definitely recommend Xanadu Winery as a great place to visit. 

Very serene and peaceful, and a great place to spend a few hours.

Watershed, Margaret River

Drive south on Bussel Highway from the heart of Margaret River for 5 minutes and you’ll find this excellent winery on your left.

We spent a lovely, lazy afternoon there sampling some of their very tasty food and wine.

For loads more info on our visit, you can read our Blog on Watershed Winery right here.

Dog Friendly Walks

You won’t have to go far in Margaret River to find yourself on a beautiful tree-lined walk.

Just make your way down to Rotary Park, next to The Brewhouse, where you will find the trail head for the 10 Mile Brook Cycle & Walking Trail.

Unfortunately, if you are walking with your dog you will only be able to venture a couple of km’s before you’ll have to turn round.  

This is due to the heritage trail continuing into a State Park where a sign is situated prohibiting entrance with a dog.

None the less, it is a very enjoyable walk for the distance that you can do with your pooch.

If you’re up for something a bit more strenuous then you could tackle the dog friendly Geographe Path. This is 23 kms of paved walking trail which runs along the foreshore between Dunsborough and Busselton. 

Keep an eye open for the dog friendly beaches along the way where you can take a break.

Dog Friendly Beaches

The closest dog friendly beach to Margaret River is at Gnarabup, which is about a 10 minute drive from Margaret River, with Gracetown coming a close second at 15 minutes drive away.

You will have to travel further north to Yallingup and Dunsborough (both 35 min drive), or south to Augusta (35 min drive) to find other fur friendly beaches.

Dunsborough Foreshore

We found the visitor information centre at Margaret River really helpful when researching places to visit with Ash. 

Shire websites are also a good resource to determine where you can take your dog for a play or mooch.

The 2 that cover the Margaret River Region are the Shire of Augusta and the City of Busselton.

It’s also a good idea to keep your eyes open for information signs at the beaches, as there are sometimes restrictions as to when and where you can put paws in the sand.

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