Travelling around OZ with a dog

Hi my partner and I are also travelling the top end but decided to leave our dog at home with a minder
We thought there are too many places she wouldn’t be able to go eg national parks and accomodation etc
So was best to leave her home with familiar surroundings and routine do we all could be stress free … although we will miss her so much. We are leaving her about a month. This was a tough decision but think it’s the best one … hope this helps

Great thread! We are planning to travel with our dog for the first time, so I'm glad that I've found this thread. I didn't know about the restictions of a dog size. We have a big dog (Cane Corso), so it is important for us. Thanks!

When travelling up to the top end of Qld,dogs need C7 vaccinations.FYI

Hey we're currently doing the lap in a caravan with our dog Rusty. Check out our adventures at www.youtube.com/sparkysontheloose

If anyones passing through Melbourne and needs their dog walked or groomed then you are welcome to visit my website
www.shewalks.com.au
I offer the above services and use the upmost care to take care of your pets!!

Hi Erica & Hubby
I travelled around Aus with my dog, and I purchased this App called ‘Wiki camps Australia’ with a once off payment of $7.99. Absolute magic. You probably heard about it, but this App gives you more than just up to date information of Dog friendly Parks. Stay away from Port Hedland. No dog friendly Parks. Otherwise you will find DFP’s all over.

Also if I may suggest try ‘Wiki Camps Fuel Maps Australia’. This is Free. Lots of savings.

Happy Travels
Cheers
Cedric

I'd rely more on phoning ahead re dog friendly accommodation ..... so many places advertise they are dog / pet friendly but when the detail is drilled down on; they are not (pet friendly). There are plenty of GREAT pet friendly places out there and a bit of phone work a few days in advance of the various overnight stops will make travelling with your four footed much more enjoyable.

My hubby n I are planning to travel round austaralia with Our Van and Dog next may for three months with our dog could someone please advise a good book to buy for pet friendly Parks to stay at and maybe some information about free camping spot and dogs

Kind Regards Erica

I can recommend a few dog friendly places along the mid north coast region.
Port Macquarie has dog friendly caravan parks and at least one dog beach.

Beautiful South West Rocks has 2 dog friendly caravan parks. The one on the headland has dog beaches either side and is directly across from the pub and shops etc the local tavern lets you sit outside in the garden tables that overlook the water with your dogs.

Macksville has a campground called Gumma reserve that is primitive but lovely. It has toilets, bore water showers, tank water for drinking and is on a lovely calm river that your dogs will love to swim in.

Yamba has a dog friendly caravan park called Yamba waters and there is a lovely town over the other side of the entrance Illuka which is also pet friendly.

Hi My parnter and I are travelling from Melbourne to Perth withour 1 and a half year old border collie. Does anyone have advice on dog friendly accomodation along the way thanks very much

I can highly recommend Manbullo Homestead Katherine. It is a working cattle station with cabins and caravan/camping sites. Beautiful area, quiet and very friendly people and dogs. Dogs were allowed inside cabins.
As for Darwin - a lot more air bnb is opening up to pets.

Does anyone know pet friendly places to stay between Gladstone Qld and Darwin NT. Planning on driving up there but taking 2 dogs with me.

Does anyone know of a dog sitter or doggie day care or similar in the Winton Q area?  Plannning a car trip up the center of Qld in June with 2 dogs & no van this time.  We will be staying in dog friendly accommodation, (2 nights in Winton) but would like to do a couple of tourist things while there, so need someone to mind our 2 small dogs for a few hours each day.

Hi Fay,

There are sites in the Camps Aus book, #790 (Cable Beach) & #791 (Punsand Bay Camping Resort) that states they allow dogs. You would probably need to check to confirm. The website of Punsand says dogs not allowed in the Cabins however. Not sure of the possibility of taking your own van.
I would be interested to find out if you or anyone here are staying in Cooktown at the Endeavour River Escape (#1 in the Camps Book) & their experiences?

Regards,
Rooster.

Hi we would like to take our mini maltese dog with us from Brisbane to Cairns, does anyone know of motorhome hire company that allows pets?

Can anyone suggest where to stay in Cape York with our schnauzer Billy, we will probably camp it or cabin...believe we have to leave our van 26ft at Cooktown??
Would appreciate information...we will be up around that way May/June.
Thank you
Fay Errol & Billy

No border problems anywhere in Australia for dogs just fruit and veges

We are relocating from Perth to Adelaide with our 2 dogs we will be traveling by car, will we encounter any problems at the border between the two states.

Hello Leonard,

Below are a few places that I have stayed at with the dog when driving to-from-return Brisbane to Cairns. (Cut and pasted from a previous post of November 2015). Suggest phoning ahead to confirm that any place you may stay at is truly pet friendly .... there are a lot of variations on 'pet friendly' out there. Annie.


Maryborough; The Wallace caravan park ..... cabins are pet friendly .... probably just an overnight stop.

Agnes Water .... depending on budget, Gibsons Pet Friendly, are lovely. Upmarket, and dog friendly. Agnes Water is a great place to spend a few days .... walking along the beach with the dog splashing in the water is good for the soul. Ask for Auntie Rae at the Beach Buddies swimming costume shop and you can board your doggie with Auntie Rae for a day or a night or two .... for example, you might want to do the Larc day tour out to the lighthouse (great tour, can recommend) and prefer doggie has company across a long day.

[Haven't stayed at this place at Agnes Water 'The Dog House' http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/qld/gladstone-region/agnes-water/136803 but it looks like it would be great.]

Rockhampton .... Ambassador Motel ... a simple motel but is pet friendly (dog in the room with you), and good for a stop on the highway if the trip has you driving through Rocky in the late arvo/early evening. The highway takes you right by this motel.

Airlie Beach ..... Big 4 Holiday Caravan Park ..... the whole park is dog friendly, that is, tent sites, the cabins, villas etc are dog friendly BUT can't leave the dog behind in the cabins or villas when you go out, so is sort of a compromise here. On the trip up I got the last ensuite cabin ... small, no cooking facilities, but at the last minute to find a bed that was dog friendly for the night I was not complaining. On the trip back I stayed in a villa (fully self contained, nice veranda ... I upended the veranda table to barricade the external stairs so doggie could laze around on the veranda) for two nights and the dog and I drove and walked around site seeing. They charge an additional $10 a night for a dog .... and didn't bat an eyelid when I booked with the dog. Did the Airlie Creek Track walk ... about 45-50 minutes leisurely stroll with the dog.

[There are also other caravan parks in Airlie that advertise as pet friendly.]

Townsville ..... Spanish Lace Motel ..... again a simple motel, but is pet friendly, and the double room was huge so plenty of room for dog bed, dog ruggsie, and me.

Hi will be relocating to herveybay from FNQ next June and will need two stopovers with a dog and two cockatiels. Looking for pet friendly accommodation along the way any style of accommodation would be suitable.

Hi Annie,

With regard the property listing under features it states "pet friendly", out of our 31 properties only 3 are not pet friendly.

All our properties that are pet friendly allow dogs inside but not on furniture or in bedrooms. As per our FAQ page - https://www.holidayhomesnoosa.com.au/about/faq/

Q. I want to bring my pet along. Is this possible?

Yes, most of our properties are pet friendly. Obviously we will screen pets to ensure the property is suitable. Should you wish to bring a pet to the property please let us know the breed and age and we will advise if the property is pet friendly and suitable for your pet.

Thanks HolidayHomes@Noosa - www.holidayhomesnoosa.com.au

Great hope Daisy and you all have a good trip to Darwin...i was going to send the other peoples complaints about Darwin being not a pet friendly city to City council...maybe we need to fix this perception..and make Darwin more open to animals. Cheers .good travelling all.

That's good to know holidayhomesnoosa. Would be helpful to understand what "pet friendly" means in the context of the properties listed on the website. The first few properties I drilled down on, only one mentioned "pet friendly" in the text (not just as part of a list of features), and even then it would need to be checked as to "pet friendly" as the descriptor read that there was a fenced garden that was good for the pets, so unclear if pets allowed inside. Many of us who travel with our pets (usually dogs) are doing so as they are part of the family and are allowed inside in our own homes (understandably not allowed on the furniture in a holiday / motel / hotel / B&B booking), and we are looking for accommodation that allows our pets to be with us. If it is up to each individual property on the website then it would be good to have some sort of qualification as to the level of "pet friendly" ... eg. pets allowed run of house; pets allowed run of house and when in carpeted bedrooms must be on their own bedding; pets not allowed in house, but allowed on veranda and in garden which has 6 foot fences; pets allowed in garden only and no fencing (yep!, have come across that sort of "pet friendly" description). Many thanks for mentioning the website holidayhomesnoosa .... always on the lookout for truly pet friendly places to stay.

We specialise in pet friendly properties in the Noosa area. Check our our range of properties, we love having the whole family stay at our properties. www.holidayhomesnoosa.com.au

Thanks Korina, we will be in Darwin for a fortnight shortly, will certainly spend our dollars at the pet friendly areas and cafes mentioned. Cheers Daisy’s Dad.

Hi ..really great question about travelling with dogs..i live in Darwin..and am sad to hear people have had trouble finding pet friendly accomodation. I have rented a pet friendly unit in Fannie Bay..on the Darwin Holiday apartments website. It was fine 2 medium staffys..that i walked at beach everyday..there are per friendly cafes..Qbar brasserie has dog beds ..dog bowls tie up areas..or your dig sits under table.
The Ski club..allows dogs in..on leads..the Foreshore restaurant in Nightcliff has great relaxed area..beanbags you can sit eat with your dog with you on grass. Seriously Darwin does have dog loving population. Thanks for all great tips on traveling with dogs.
Cheers. Dog mum Darwin.

A couple of alternatives if boarding in kennels for the day is not possible: book em in for a shampoo and claw clipping, you usually drop em in in the morning and pick up that afternoon. At least you're getting something for your money. Or try day boarding at a vet- every town has one.

If you are travelling through Port Hedland - WA. I suggest you forget it as well. Port Hedland does not have even one caravan park that is pet friendly. Travelling with my dog from Karratha to Broome, I was hoping to spend a couple of days in Hedland, but instead moved on to a Roadhouse in Pardoo. It was dog friendly, the powered site cost the same as unpowered sites elsewhere, the toilets and laundry facilities were clean and well serviced.

Thanks Krystal for that response. When I left Darwin I thought of travelling back to Melbourne via WA going through Broome. However I did not want to keep experiencing what I went through in Darwin. You just confirmed that I made the right decision. I am going to head back to dog friendly Byron Bay and spend my money there. It's a pity as I really like Darwin.fac114

In addition to avoiding dog unfriendly Darwin I would also suggest avoiding Broome for the same reasons. We travelled around Australia last year with our dog and found Darwin and Broome the most difficult places to visit with our elderly well behaved blue healer. Time Australia became more dog friendly like other countries. Additionally our well behaved dogs should be able to travel on public transport.

I have just returned from a trip from Melbourne to Darwin with my pet dog, a maltese shitzu cross. Although I planned my trip to Darwin with all pre booked pet friendly accommodation once I got to Darwin things changed. I returned home early due to lack of pet friendly accommodation and a city that prides inside on dog exclusion. Dogs are not welcome in markets, sitting outside in restaurants and even are not allowed to stay in a car in nature reserves such as Berry Springs. National Parks are of course completely out of the question. Only wild dogs are present and allowed in NP's. I have travelled extensively with my dog with many positive experiences but I rate Darwin as the worst pet friendly city in Australia. Think twice about travelling here with your dogs. Darwin certainly does not want your tourist dollar. Go elsewhere.

Hi Deborah,

We went through three borders last year & didn't see anything about dog checks. It's usually only Livestock & bees that can be an issue. Here's a site that may assist;
http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/whats-new.html
http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/destination-western-australia.html

Happy travels :)

hi we have just come back from sa and nt qld with our dog all good, vets are in most towns we had no problem, plus we have been to wa with him

cheers

Hello,
I'm planning on driving from Perth to Victoria in August with my little dog. Could experience people please tell me if there is any special dog check on WA/SA border and SA/VIC border ? I tried to check online and didn't find any special rules, but I would like to make sure that it is all good before I leave. Thank you. Regards. Deborah

Wow what a wealth of information. Thanks "Rooster", very well documented and shared. I have a Shih Tzu/Maltese X, one year old, and we will be travelling North then East from Perth over the top starting early July. It appears quite daunting, and if others are also caravaning in the same direction around this time, we would like to join this group. Or may be form a group? Please can you contact me if interested.

Hi. I have read most of the messages here. Some great information. I have been working in a remote community in south east Kimberley for 3 years. I intend to return home to Sunshine Coast, Qld via a trip from Kununurra to Broome to Perth then Margaret River and Nullabor to Melbourne then Byron Bay and home. I will probably be going around August.
As a single person travelling with a dog (small -Jack Russell/Shitzu x), I am concerned about

1. Accommodation - friendly and appropriate
2. Being able to get groceries - what do I do with my dog while shopping? Too small and cute to tie up outside. Too hot to leave in car...
3. Access to a couple of National Parks.. on way down to Perth...

Thanks for your help. :)

hi we have been across the nallabor and back kalgoolie both sides of pt Lincoln and planning coober pedy and alice springs had a great time and he is maltese x and didn't like nalla but had a good time vets in alice springs are nice spoke to them about taking him said should be fine watch for snakes,

jill

Thank you 'Rooster', great read and helpful advice. Planning our trip now with our bluey :)

hi Julie
thanks your reply. when we to was it was a bit tense just nothing around, especially off road crossing our little friend got out of car had a sniff, in the van he went. hopefully like that travelling up the stuart. thanks again for replying I hope I am reply on this right4

Hi Jill! Travelling up that way or anywhere that dingoes' are expected to be, I think you should be very aware of where your dog is at all times. You just never know when or where they could be when travelling! Better to be cautious than sorry hey! Please be careful with 1080 and strychnine too in the outback! It's everywhere unfortunately....

we have travelled across to wa with our caravan and little dog. was great like to up to cooper pedy a bit concern about dingoes are they there. do they come up to van especially off roading to cooper pedy. cheers

Brilliant mate, thanks for a fantastic read

Hi there,
Sorry, this is a bit long...
First up, it will definitely make things easier if your dog has experienced some of the situations it may experience while on holidays. My Husband & I are bike riders & we often go away for weekends with our two dogs (a small 12 yr old Cattle/Fox terrier cross about 11kg & a medium-large 6 yr old Cattle/Coolie cross about 22kg). We take our van which is completely set-up for free-camping. Everything we take in, gets taken out. Our dogs are totally used to the routine now, i.e. as soon as they see us get our gear on & helmets in the hand, they already go in to the van (we prefer this to leaving tethered or fenced outside, as there are roos & they may break free). We leave all the windows & vents open, two bowls of water (one in the shower recess), & if it's a really hot day, ensure the van parked in some shade at least (whilst still getting enough to charge the solar). We have been told they are always as quiet as a mouse until they hear us turn up.
Our dogs are both obedience trained & are very well socialised. This helps enormously in mixed company & public places. They are both inside dogs, so are obviously house-trained, and so can stay in the van for a reasonable amount of time without having accidents inside & definitely last all through the night.
Our younger dog is much more active, so definitely needs his play/run time every day. In the car on long travelling days he can get a bit restless & this is something to take in to account.
Out first 'test' trip was a 3 week outback NSW trip & then 2 years later (2015)did an 8 week 'up the guts' trip; Syd-Adl-Uluru-Alice Springs-Darwin-Mt Isa-Longreach-Syd. Lots of free camps allowing dogs along the way with only a couple of small issues (see below) & we walked the dogs with us in all towns with no problems.

Stuff packed for the dogs; meds, Heart & all wormer (Interceptor Spectrum), Flea & tick programs (Advantix), (buying in the more remote areas can be very expensive so stock up prior if possible) blankets/towels/wet-weather dog coats/toys/spare leads/spare name & contact detail tags/car restraint &/or harness / poo bags/scooper/brush/flea powder/C5 vacc paperwork (required if leaving in boarding kennels)/ & contact details of our local vet back home.
We took a separate ice box apart from fridge/freezer in van (our dogs are on a raw meaty bone diet plus table scraps, so we buy fresh raw chickens where possible (which I might try vac-pac next time) & we also used the ice box for extra bottled water for us, as we didn't always trust local water supply even with filters, or that we could even get water when required). Having nice icy cold water on the really hot days was an added bonus.
Side-note; We had to wire-mesh our van windows on our NSW trip, because our small dog decided to be a Houdini & tried to escape. Our van now resembles a bird cage :^/

Likes/good places to stay or visit, dog friendly;
Remember that no matter where you go, especially if unsure or no obvious signs, always ask, we have been surprised many times at the answer given when we thought no way would they accept dogs. We've come across many other travellers that said they'd left their mate behind & regretted it, they really missed them. But at least they get to have a pat of ours & in this regard it is also an ice-breaker to meet other people (if you so choose!).
Unfortunately we haven't yet done WA with our doggies!;

Abercrombie River (NSW) – free camp. Pretty sites next to the river. No phone signal. Bush toilets. Would get very busy in holiday times.
Ayers Rock campground (N.T.) - normal fees apply. Nice grassy sites. Can leave dogs in the van whilst out sight-seeing (as long as not noisy). At the site next to us, the people left their dog tied up to a railing & a water bowl with a note to say if there were any problems to please this number...one way of doing it I suppose. Walked around the Ayers Rock shopping area with our dogs.
Bretti Reserve (Hunter Region, NSW) – very large free camp, beside running creek and cattle farms. Toilets only. Can be extremely busy in holiday periods.
Broken Hill Racecourse (NSW) – fees apply – grassy sites (keep in mind horses around especially in the early morning for training), very quiet, toilet & shower facilities.
Chookarloo Campground, Kuitpo Forest Reserve (S.A.) (50 mins SE to Adelaide)- permit required, but very cheap.
Clem Waterhole rest area (QLD) – free camp, large area beside waterway. Cattle roaming. Dogs had a swim. Relaxing & good for a few days stay.
Coober Pedy Faye's Underground house (S.A.) – dogs not allowed inside, however, they have a fenced yard out the back with a water bowl & a ball to play with!
Cowra Showground/Racecourse (NSW) – low budget grassy sites, toilet & shower, horses around though so dogs on leads.
Cowra Japanese Gardens (NSW) – allows dogs, remember to take doggy bags.
Four Mile Reserve Brewarrina – free camp beside the Darling river.
Georgina River (N.T.) - free camp, large area beside waterway.
Kings Creek Station (N.T.) - normal fees apply. We asked for a site away from everyone else. We had a dingo drinking out of our dogs water bowl. Wasn't a problem though. We left the dogs in the van while we did the Kings Canyon rim walk.
Lightning Ridge self-drive Door tours & the Underground Mine, all with the dogs.
Silverton Mad Max Museum (NSW) – great place & the owner allowed our dogs in.
Longreach Waterhole near Elliot (N.T.) - free camp, 10k's sandy track in, but worth it when you get there. Heaps of sites beside waterway. Dogs had a swim. However has cane toads, roos & signs on entry of 1080 baits used in the area.
Longreach Apex Riverside park (QLD) - $3- a night, pay at the info centre in town. Nice wander along the river. There are resident chickens at the campsite, nice wake up call early in the morning! & they pester you for food, our dogs were 'quite' interested in them too! Handy location to town with great bakeries, Stockmans Hall of Fame & the must-do, Qantas Museum. Make sure you do the 747 tour if time & money allow, excellent! Also has a good area in town for water fill-up & dump point.
Manbullo Station,Katherine, (N.T.) - normal fees apply. Good one for a few days. Large cattle station alongside a river, which the dogs took a quick dip in, but beware of crocs (check with the owner). Dogs on lead/run. Left the dogs in the van when we did ½ day trips to Katherine Gorge (beautiful), Edith Falls (beautiful) & hot springs in Katherine.
Opal Caravan Park (Lightning Ridge, NSW) normal van site fees apply – fairly large park with bush sites at the back.
Pandanus on Litchfield caravan park (N.T.) - normal fees apply & the closest park (that you can have dogs at) to the National Park. Nice sites under mango trees & next to cattle farm & has a pool. Dogs left in the van when we did day trips to the various falls & termite mounds.
Robbie Robins Reserve, Berrimah (Equestrian Reserve), N.T. - normal fees apply (call in advance). Although this is situated between a jail & one of the main roads going in to Darwin, it has a large camp area, good open park for a run, dogs on lead due to horses at various times. Good facilities including washing machines. Close proximity to Darwin, beaches (which there is a dog-friendly area), Adelaide River croc cruises & Kakadu. Left dogs in the van when doing ½ day trips out.

Dangers & dislikes;
Ants, green & stinging – no explanation needed. Beware when tethering or fencing.
Cane toads - our small dog is an excellent ratter, so seeing these was like Christmas. First noticed in Katherine, NT.
Cattle grids on Highways – it took some time for our younger dog especially to get used to the noise & vibrations these made.
Crocodiles - surprising how far inland they actually are. Care to be taken in waterways, creeks etc.
Dingoes - roaming around camp areas between Uluru to Kings Creek station area.
Diseases / Parasites – ticks / viruses. Thoroughly check your dogs coat regularly &/or showing signs of unusual behaviour, drooling, 'drunk' etc.
Flies – our younger dog hated them, often escaped in to the van for relief.
Poisons – 1080 baits (can potentially be in dead animals as well), rat bats etc. - our younger dog ate some left-over dog food at one of the roadside stops, which we totally freaked out about. He was ok, but this is why people mention using a muzzle, otherwise you need to be on the ball & keep a very close eye on them.
Poo – yes humans pooing at roadside stops/camp areas. Our small dog rolled in some at one roadside camp! Doesn't take much to bury your waste.
Wild/wandering dogs – some townships up through the middle of Aus.


Suggested reads or Stores, (with no affliation);
Camps Aus. Wide #8 , good source of information & where dogs are allowed.
On-line store Priceless Pets , very good value for flea/tick etc progams.

Hi there... I'm about to drive through Dolby to Darwin & on this trip I'm returning 2 dogs for a close friend. Now, these dogs are a Bull Arabx & a wolf houndx. I'm interested in camping with them so will this be a wild trip??? Lol! Also i have drivin there before then alone with two dogs. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Regards John

Please be careful with some "Pet Friendly" places as some of them don't say that they have restrictions on the size of your dog! We booked into a few Caravan Parks who refused us entry because our dog weighed more than 10kg's!! And many will ask for a deposit. We paid as much as $100 deposit at one place, which is fair enough cos there's lots of irresponsible dog owners out there! Btw we got all and every deposit back with no problems! ?

Have found pet friendly accommodation from Townsville to Darwin, we are staying at Julia Creek, then onto Mount Isa, then home to Darwin. I'll give feedback on each place after we have been through to let you all know our experience.

Hi
I just travelled from rockhampton Katherine. So from Mt Isa to Darwin same route. I'm going back that way. So mayb you can let me know how you go.

I'm not sure what your accommodation style is but I was camping. Far too hot to camp. I stayed in a pet friendly cabin in Mt isa moondarra caravan park. Good accommodation $120 a night. They have a pool. I went on to 3 ways. Also pet accommodation $105 night. Aircon

Then daily waters. Don't stay there they want u to leave your dog out in 40 degree heat. So I drove on to Katherine. Long drives but get there quicker.
Hope thar helps
Regards katrina

I am travelling from Townsville to Darwin with my two dogs if anyone has any information on dog friendly accommodation on the way.

Its great to get so many different ideas and opinions on travelling with your pets as it gives us insight into what to encounter when we do a free camp travel up to cairns with our two beautiful FAMILY canines. I will stay out of the bureaucratic stuff and just say that dogs will enjoy our trip away as much as we will. If I can add another option for travelers with pets you can research dog friendly Air BnB accommodation as their are 300+ in Queensland alone. Happy travels with all our furry friends.
Cheers Tony G

Hi Dasha

I recently did a similar drive with the dog, a 4 year old female (desexed) German Shepherd; drove up in September, four and a half weeks in Cairns, and drove back last week.

Just me and the dog in a car ... no mobile home, no caravan, no tent .... so needed a room and a bed each night.

When the dog travels with me I want the dog with me, and for me, that means the run of a place, from garden to bedroom.

Finding truly dog friendly did take time .... they may say they are 'dog friendly' but when you ask the detail .... the dog is not allowed inside, the dog has to stay on the veranda but the veranda is not secure, there is a garden but it has no fences and so it goes on, or the dog has to stay in the car ....

For me 'dog friendly' is dog allowed inside and in all areas of the property (not on furniture is okay with me), dog can be left inside when owner goes out, garden has secure fencing so dog can be left in garden and be safe and secure.

Many kennels now do day boarding as well as overnight ..... dog needs to be vaccinated and the vaccination up-to-date, kennels will usually ask for evidence of vaccination so take the dog's vaccination certificate.

For me it was, on occasion, better to put the dog in a kennel for the day, or overnight so I was confident she was safe while I was doing something for the whole day ... and I didn't need to have that niggling thought that she's in a strange place and by now she'd have had a piddle or a walk and she may be wondering where I am and has she been barking at strange noises and disturbing the peace.

I was more comfortable leaving her for shorter periods of time, a couple of hours or half days.

Travel with dog bed, dog rugs, dog towels, food, water etc ...... put up the dog's bed in the accommodation, or put a good size sheet / towel on the floor to protect human rugs/carpet.

And, stating the obvious, always pick up after the dog; always have a poo bag or more in a pocket. Be considerate and perhaps double bag the poo when in a hot climate before putting in a wheelie bin.

And, again stating the obvious, dog needs to be under control, well behaved and clean. Doesn't need to be friendly.

Some towns have dog sitters .... I found a couple of these in Cairns, but we were never able to find a time when they were available to suit the time I needed them ..... but they are out there .... hence below use of the RSPCA in Cairns.


Information on pet friendly places I would stay at again with the dog - - -

Maryborough; The Wallace caravan park ..... cabins are pet friendly .... probably just an overnight stop.

Agnes Water .... depending on budget, Gibsons Pet Friendly, are lovely. Upmarket, and dog friendly. Agnes Water is a great place to spend a few days .... walking along the beach with the dog splashing in the water is good for the soul. Ask for Auntie Rae at the Beach Buddies swimming costume shop and you can board your doggie with Auntie Rae for a day or a night or two .... for example, you might want to do the Larc day tour out to the lighthouse (great tour, can recommend) and prefer doggie has company across a long day.

[Haven't stayed at this place at Agnes Water 'The Dog House' http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/qld/gladstone-region/agnes-water/136803 but it looks like it would be great.]

Rockhampton .... Ambassador Motel ... a simple motel but is pet friendly (dog in the room with you), and good for a stop on the highway if the trip has you driving through Rocky in the late arvo/early evening. The highway takes you right by this motel.

Airlie Beach ..... Big 4 Holiday Caravan Park ..... the whole park is dog friendly, that is, tent sites, the cabins, villas etc are dog friendly BUT can't leave the dog behind in the cabins or villas when you go out, so is sort of a compromise here. On the trip up I got the last ensuite cabin ... small, no cooking facilities, but at the last minute to find a bed that was dog friendly for the night I was not complaining. On the trip back I stayed in a villa (fully self contained, nice veranda ... I upended the veranda table to barricade the external stairs so doggie could laze around on the veranda) for two nights and the dog and I drove and walked around site seeing. They charge an additional $10 a night for a dog .... and didn't bat an eyelid when I booked with the dog. Did the Airlie Creek Track walk ... about 45-50 minutes leisurely stroll with the dog.

[There are also other caravan parks in Airlie that advertise as pet friendly.]

Townsville ..... Spanish Lace Motel ..... again a simple motel, but is pet friendly, and the double room was huge so plenty of room for dog bed, dog ruggsie, and me.

Cairns .... I stayed at Pandanus House through Cairns Holiday Homes http://www.cairnsholidayhomes.com.au they have a range of pet friendly accommodations from houses to studio apartments .... a studio apartment might suit in Cairns for a stay.

In Cairns the RSPCA, 4055 1487, cnr Arnold and Greenbank Streets, do day and overnight boarding, and I put the dog into the day boarding a few times, and used the overnight boarding a couple of times too. The RSPCA hours are 10am to 5pm 7 days and they are a 10 minute drive from central Cairns (just north of the airport) .... so sometimes I put the dog in late the afternoon before as I had something starting the next day before 10am. And was good to be supporting a charity .... the boarding for the Cairns RSPCA is one of their main funding streams. These are not fancy kennels by any means but they are secure and every one of the staff I dealt with was great and I was confident leaving the dog there.

I also put the dog into a very, very nice kennel http://www.kurandapetresort.com.au on the Tablelands (Cairns) one night as the RSPCA were fully booked .... but it was a 45 minute drive one way, so was not ideal.

There are lots of variables when travelling with dogs .... some dogs might be fine in the crate on a veranda, some dogs may be fine on a secure, enclosed veranda, other dogs may need a well fenced garden as, even at home, they prefer outside to inside, and so on.

Travelling with the four footed furry friend does bring some different challenges, and for me, I now don't chance it, and usually have the next day or two pet friendly accommodation sorted before starting that days drive.

It is great travelling with your dog. Have a wonderful trip.

We have been travelling full time for 8 months with our 2 maltese pups. We have had no problems so far and have free camped and stayed in caravan parks. If you want to visit a National Park then you either get a dog sitter or put them in a kennel for the day. Make sure they are microchipped and have an id tag on. They make our trip that bit more enjoyable and keep you fit as always taking them on walks

Hi Everyone

My partner and I are planning on driving from Perth to Melbourne just before Christmas with our two dogs (a border collie and english staffy - both 5 yo and very well behaved) and want to do it in 3 days/2 nights if possible.

Planning on staying anywhere between Cocklebiddie and Eucla the first night and then Port August/Barra/Port Pirie the second night.

Where we drive to each day and stay will depend on where will allow our dogs to stay too.
Has anyone got any suggestions or information that would be useful?
We would prefer not to camp as we won't have room for camping gear in car.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Hey everyone!
I'm planning a road trip with my kelpie from Brisbane to Port Douglas/ Cairns, I'm hoping to have him with me most of the time but am happy to leave him in a kennel for a few days at a time if needed. Does anyone have any suggestions for dog friendly accomodation, dog day care or nice kennels along the way, as well dog friendly beaches and bush walks? I've never even considered anything other than leaving him at home while I go away so this is completely new to me but I'm so excited! What do people generally do with their dogs when you want to do an activity that doesn't allow dogs, but can't leave them alone in a caravan park? Do any parks have pet minding services?

Thanks for the help!

Hi Forum
I have just heard that our fellow native land owners are permitted to have Dogs inside the national park areas, and further are given $85 per year for their upkeep. Not sure if this is true.
Would anyone comment.
Regards
Cedric

CGC awards are for dogs behaving well and being well socialised (this doesn't mean just playing with other dogs). It is not an award of flashy obedience trals. The owner gets trained along the way but the award is for the dog. Just like Service Dogs.

All dogs are capable of getting to Gold level CGC if their owners do the three course levels with them. The don't have to be especially smart. Read about it.

Hi Teeto.
Having thought about this Gold level training for dogs, would it not be more sensible to have the Owner trained and accredited. Dogs are dogs, and not all dogs have the ability to be trained to the standard that may be required.

The visit to the National Parks is for the benefit of the Owner, and this should not be left to the temperament and intelligence of the animal.
What does the Panel think?
Regards
Cedric

I totally agree with all of your comments Cedric. It can be difficult finding "pet friendly" places, but we have travelled for 3 years with our old kelpie and have overcome any problems with a little bit of research. Depending largely on your requirements,we almost always stay in Showgrounds ( we are also set up to free camp) Not so much because of our dog,but because we prefer the freedom it gives us. Showgrounds almost always have power,water,showers and toilets. Not always of a high standard,but for $10 to $20 per night it suits us. Dogs are always welcome and they have plenty of space to run free. If you have an iPad or iPhone you can download an app called Wikicamps which tells you the locations of caravan parks, camping spots, dump points etc with photos, facilities, comments and prices. As for petitioning National Parks, go to www.change.org and you can start your own Make sure it is the Australian site. Good luck and happy caravanning

I believe the Delta Accreditation for Dogs is trying to negotiate with Govt so that dogs with Gold level Good Canine Citizen Award are able to go wherever Service dogs can go. They are given a very distinctive collar and lead which identifies them. This would mean they could go into National Parks on a lead if approved and would be a huge incentive to train a dog. I am not sure where this process is at, but I can't wait.

Many caravan parks are loosely pet 'friendly' as long as you have your own accommodation, that is you are travelling with your own caravan, motor home, popup camper etc.

So if, Cedric, you are travelling with your own accommodation, the trip will be relatively straightforward .... though as mentioned in my previous post, will still need to do the research and phone work.

The caravan park will, in the majority of cases, allow your pet as the pet stays in your accommodation. Can't vouch for what sort of facilities the caravan parks might have for pets .... eg. off leash area, pet washing area, pet poo disposal etc.

If you are wanting to stay at a caravan park in one of their cabins, in all instances that we enquired, the caravan parks were NOT pet friendly. The pet was not allowed inside the cabin; had to be on the veranda, which in all our enquiries was not a secure veranda, and often exposed to the elements. Consequently we didn't stay in any caravan parks!

I've got a year to plan my Around Australia caravan holiday. I have a Maltese Shih Tzu. I would prefer to stay at dog friendly Parks, and I think it should be conditional for EVERY Park to have a section for caravaners with dogs. This should not be an option for us Grey Nomads.

ALSO we must campaign the National Parks to allow dogs on leashes into the parks. With high penalties if not obeyed. This business of native animals getting their scent is ridiculous, for crying out loud in reality they are all animals.

If you agree can you please contact me as to how we go about this action, and take the next step.

If you have your own motor home, caravan, pop-up camper it makes travelling with pets some what easier and relatively straightforward as the pets stay in your own accommodation.

BUT if you are travelling with pets in a car, which we did with two dogs for 3.5 months last year, 2014, it is DIFFICULT. Many accommodation places say they are 'dog or pet friendly' but when quizzed they are NOT 'dog or pet friendly'.

There'll be size restrictions 'small dogs only'. Or access restrictions 'only outside', and then they'll say, 'oh but we don't have any fences' .... how is that 'pet friendly'?

If you're travelling with pets it means they are important and you want them to be with you. Not stuck in the car, or outside on the veranda; plus we need to know they are safe and secure when we head out for a bit of site-seeing.

It is like people who travel with children, nearly all children and their parents are well behaved, and do the right thing. Same with pet owners ... most of us will do the right thing, travel with dog bedding, pick up after our dogs, obedience trained, well socialised, and they are part of the family.

It does take a bit of effort if it is just you and the car and the pets, but do the research (get on to the internet, read reviews, make phone calls), there are places out there that are truly 'pet friendly'. 'Pet friendly' = allowed inside (not on furniture), can be left securely shut in the motel room, cabin, or house, with a secure and well fenced yard. These places may not necessarily be in the places you would choose, but travelling means going with the flow.

We found it simpler to plan a few days in advance as we'd need to sort out where the 'pet friendly' accommodation was and then travel in that direction.

Though it was a challenge finding 'pet friendly' accommodation, we had a great trip and loved having the dogs with us.

It is an untapped accommodation market; travellers with pets - I know we would have happily paid a bit extra to have the dogs with us in many places.

Happy travels to all.

I agree with you

It gets very hot and uncomfortable for "southern" dogs in the northern areas at that time of year, so you will need to plan to keep them cool. We have spent the winter months in Darwin and central Qld with our Kelpie and even then we had to be careful to keep her cool, even though the temp was high 20s to 30 degrees. Also be very aware of ticks, especially paralysis ticks. You definitely need to talk to your Vet and get medication. Paralysis ticks are sneaky and are not just confined to the Eastern coastal regions

Hi CAR

This will depend on your proposed stops we live in Brisbane 2 dogs and we travel to cook town dogs in all there are towns leading to Brisbane that are dog friendly also in Cairns or 5 min out of cairns we only took one dog so call them up once you locate them and let them know how many and the bread first i would plan your stops and googol dog friendly caravan parks in each location plan your trip and you will be fine . But please do your own searches location and caravan dog friendly parks .

Kind regards,

Darren Millar

Hear!!! hear!!!, well said mate. My sentiments exactly....

Hi Donna

It is a joke we don’t have kids we have our dogs they stay on their leads sleep in there enclosure and go everywhere with us we have had changes of management at our desired spot in Brisbane both the beach and caravan park changed the rules we no longer can travel up the road we have added over an hour travel to do to the next beach the restrictions what a joke caravan park went from 2 dogs to one per site at least we can take dogs however the council closed off the beach after years like century’s . We are not retired as yet we are set up for free camping tell that to caravan parks they hate it was recently on a program disputing set ups on either side of towns while a caravan park was losing income in town amazing that it looks one side they don’t care about rules that affect travellers the market is strong as more retired get on the road go the free camping .

Kind regards,

Darren

Hi - I am considering traveling from northern NSW to Cairns in January/February 2016. I have two Labradors. I don't want to leave them behind but I have concerns about taking them. Any tips or suggestions greatly appreciated

Julie,

Try Pistol club
or PCYC
Overflow parks

Hi Julie
I think you may have to settle for 20plus Kms out of Broome as we did in Darwin (29 Kms). I think caravan parks are doing themselves a disservice by their attitudes towards pets. I think the only way to change things is to let them know how much business they are missing out on. Of course there is also always the problem of feral animal owners who don't train or take responsibility for the behaviour of their pets!
Donna

Thank you Darren! And I totally agree with everything you say, especially on discrimination against the size of dogs. I'd rather hear a large dog do the occasional bark than hear little ones yapping away but of course that's not the issue. They say that a dog is mans best friend, in my case it's woman, so why can't they cater for all dogs of all sizes and country wide?! Do they expect everyone to give up their animals or just leave them in a kennel for however long you're away? I'd be first to boycott but unfortunately it doesn't help me right now. Good luck to all who travel with our special friends!! ?

Hi Julie

It’s crazy that they allow dogs but put a size restriction in place it makes no sense it is almost discrimination. It is annoying that most people especially the elderly travel with dogs it almost takes the enjoyment out of travelling may be the country needs to boycott caravan parks with pathetic rules they would some change their attitude wit out an income . All the best in your travels .

Kind regards,

Darren

Hi everyone! We're heading to Broome in the next few days and cannot find ANYWHERE that will take my Kelpie X!! What on earth are we supposed to do? The only place is 20+km's from Broome which is totally ridiculous!! Can anyone give me advise as a matter of urgency? Thank you all!! ;)

Hi Donna! What a shame we aren't still in Darwin!! I'd gladly look after your "baby" but we've now moved on and are near Halls Creek! Hopefully you can find some wonderful person to look after your dog! Hope you enjoy the concert too!!

Julie

Have you tried Helga's Pet Resort ..at Virginia 3km from Coolalinga ? They very good, clean and reliable. We volunteered there for several seasons and their prices were reasonable.

Hi Julie
We are currently in Darwin staying at Coolalinga as it is the only park that will take our 17kilo, elderly and very placid blue heeler. We are looking for a dog sitter for tomorrow night (25th) so we can go to a concert. All the local sitters charge an arm and a leg. Not a very dog friendly town. We have travelled from WA to SA Vic NSW QLD and now NT. Generally no probs until here.
Donna

Hi there everyone!! We are travelling atm with our dog and we've been to Queensland, Northern Territory and now Western Australia. Our hardest problem so far has been getting a Caravan Park that will accept my 25+kg Kelpie X. Coolalinga is the only one in Darwin that we could find that would allow a dog of her size! Another would only take 10kg

We've done a bit of travelling around Aus with our dog the last couple of years. We love it! There are plenty of places to go. We have been putting the places we've been on www.donethataustralia.com Can't wait for our trip to Cape York in 6 weeks!

Hi

So how did people get on travelling around Australia with their dog? These posts seem old so keen to see how you got on.

Jennifer

Enter Message
Hi Great reading all your travel stories we are heading to NT next month does anybody know of any boarding kennels or dog sitters in the Kununurra area. Would be much appreciated.

happy travels
Lynne

Hi all,
And the tourist industry wonders why Australians dont spend their money locally????

Like everyone reading this site, I enjoy living life with my loyal companion, but find it near impossible to spend a weekend away without rediculous constraints regarding where your pet can and cannot go.

In the smaller townships in Germany, and many parts of Europe, you can have a beer in a pub with your dog...try that in Australia!!!

Its about time 'mans best friend' got a fair go in this country.

Luckily for us, I live on the outskirts of Melbourne where there is a magical piece of reserve not far from me, where he can roam around and have a ball (cobbles dick forde, near werribee) for those who are passing through.

In saying that, there is a really great caravan park in South Werribee, and nobody cares if your dog explores the beach area off lead (despite what the signs say).

Has anyone got any suggestions for a weekend location along the murray river not too far from melbourne?

Dave

I was pretty sure that the paralysis tick is only found on the east coast of Australia which is the most dangerous, the others are dangerous if many are on the dog sucking the blood but the paralysis is the one that really kills them

I don't think WA has them and know for sure South Australia and Darwin definitely don't

I get the yearly heartworm injection so I don't have to worry about monthly.

Hi

My vet told me about the soda crystals you can get them from Woolworths as I was travelling across the Nullarbor in 2010 I have used it on my naughty boy a few years ago when he ate my brownie which was very high in dark chocolate and has gotten into other stuff and he has thrown up, you can give a fair amount as they will throw it up, the more you give the quicker they will throw it up. I won't travel without it and they said if they get 1080 to give it to them immediately.

As long as you keep them on lead in the roadhouses, there are websites you can look up, my boy will eat anything so I keep a close eye on him, unfortunately the crows pick it up and it can be found anywhere. don't let it detur you as long as you are aware and play it safe. I couldn't believe that people in the roadhouses 2010 that just let there dog wander parked next to the bush, even when you check in they tell you and signs everywhere

The Paralaysis ticks are bad on the east coast, and Darwin during the wet was bad for bush tick/brown tick. Advantix is what the vets now recommend in Sydney as Frontline isn't doing as well, but it needs to apply every 2 weeks for ticks and 4 weeks for fleas, and the flea collars like Scalibor can be used with it. You still need to search daily for them as nothing is 100% effective. the tablets have just come out and my friends who have used them found ticks on their dogs for the first time, so not sure but I don't want my dog to have such a huge intake in their stomach that it lasts a month and is a chewable to me putting that in my dog even it is slow release I don't want to.

I'm extremely luck in my vet and the specialist my boy goes to gives me prescriptions is only a phone call or email away that I travel knowing that if anything goes wrong I have help on the phone, and I always list the vets in the area I am travelling so if an emergency happens I don't have to try to find one, and list the opening hours and if it is 24 hours or for emergency too, has helped a lot.

I'm more paranoid about crocodiles and snakes than anything else as my girl is water crazy but saying that last year she did seem to sense the danger at Rocky and the Mary River.

Good luck and enjoy it, I love travelling with my two and I just keep an eye on them

Thank you Donna! We are actually heading up to Northern Territory and the West Coast and I believe that the paralysis ticks are different in West as apposed to the East? And I was also told that any medication cannot stop these horrible ticks, only checking your dog on a daily basis can you keep them under control? My girl is organised to head off soon re vaccinations, heartworm, etc so I guess I'm trying to avoid another expensive vet bill! Thank you for your help! ;)

Using a bait muzzle is the best protection against 1080 and strychnine. It has a false bottom so the dog cannot lick the stuff but can still comfortably drink and pant. I took lectic soda,my vet advised to induce vomiting immediately and if only a small amount ingested and near a vet it may help, but will not save a dogs life. Best to keep your dog on a leash or in sight at all times especially in rural areas. The stuff is air dropped in WA and can be anywhere. You are warned at the SA/WA border. We travelled throughout WA with no problems though. Our dog has always been protected from heart worm, ( Interceptor) it's prevalent even in cities. In the NT and Qld we used (Frontline plus ) and had no probs there either. Brown dog ticks are found most places up North, but paralysis ticks mostly near the coast and adjacent inland of the East Coast. Most of these applications last from several weeks to a month. Don't be put off, just be vigilant. Good Luck.

Our vet in Perth has provided us with tablets to put in the eye to induce vomiting if a bait is ingested and syringes to wash the eye out to stop the vomiting. Also we gave tablets to give our boy for fleas and ticks, particularly for the paralysing tick on the eastern seaboard. I can give you the names of these products if required but your vet should really be able to do the research for you.

Some very interesting reading! My fiance' and I are also heading off again soon to NT & WA. I was actually looking for preventative measures for problems with dogs. I question Sue Winn about her idea of using Soda Crystals to induce vomiting. Is this for your dog if they ingest 1080? I know it's a shocking and cruel death for any animal but can these crystals save a dogs life? And no one has mentioned anything about heartworm. Is that because we are just expected to have our dogs protected from this or do none of you worry about this? And I also worry about the paralysis tick, or any tick for that matter! Can some of you please let me know how you have gone with such things as my Vet doesn't seem to know a great deal about this! Thank you everyone for your informative suggestions and advice!

Has any one travelled around Tasmania with a dog and found places that will mind them for several days whilst you go into n/parks.

We have travelled around aus twice with our dog and have no trouble when going to n/p we have put him into accommodation for a period with no problems.

Hi, my husband and I are going to be travelling through Victoria and South Australia for 6 weeks with our 2 year old Chihuahua who weighs 1.5 kilograms. He is tiny. We would like to know if there are any exemptions for dogs in NP in Victoria and SA. Also are there any dog friendly caravan parks or camping grounds around Mount Kosciuszko. Cheers.

Great to read all the comments from like minded dog lovers. My husband, Syd (our elderly blue heeler) and I are setting off on 26 March from Perth to travel around Australia for six months and would love to catch up with other dog travellers to share dog sitting when we are visiting National Parks and other non dog friendly places. Are there any sites where we can arrange to meet up with other travellers who need a dog sitter for a day or two?

We are planning to travel to the mid north coast NSW in the next few months. Has anyone had any experience with kennels in the Coffs Harbour/Moonee Beach/Woolgoolga area in the last 2 years? After a previous bad experience we would prefer to have feedback from other pet owners before we commit to a specific kennel. thanks.

Hi I have been travelling for about 15 years now every trip with my dog, I have ben to Tassie around WA Darwin, and Qld, Victoria well everywhere nearly well every state.

I have recently been up the coast to Rocky and had no problems at all, despite what people said, there are SO many dog friendly caravan parks along the way, Mylestom beautiful park on the beach, all the way up nearly and off leash beaches, I have water obsessed dogs and they had a ball, Sunshine coast, gold coast, Hervey Bay every place.

I have left my dogs always asking before I book sending an email to them, I leave treats, interactive toys, adaptil fuse and have never had a problem, I also ask my neighbours when I come back. There was only one park or two in the 9 weeks that didn't allow me, but I was away for ages anyway.
tying your dog up outside a lot of parks will not allow due to incidents that have happened and now ban dogs being left, due to water being tipped over, lunging at people walking past and some getting off, wandering the park. Left in the van is ok but the minority ruin it for others.
I went to Fraser Island and Lady Musgrave, Cania Gorge and Larc tours, Hervey bay and Agnes Water I found doggy sitter wonderful people one from the caravan park the other came and picked them up and took them to the beach and walks, couldn't of asked for nicer people.
I have been on the road for a few days, to 4 weeks, a few months, couple months and 8 months all with my dogs, capital cities are harder but still found places, I haven't been to the Northern Territory in a while but hoping to go back next year 2016. 

There is a lot of 1080 bait around especially the Nullarbor and other, and even being warned you still saw people with dogs off the lead, only takes one thing, I travel with soda crystals to make my dog throw up if necessary and a first aid kit for me and my dog including prescriptions and a first aid book.
My advice is just do it, I have not been limited, been to national parks, Belair in Adelaide allow dogs on lead, it depends if it is a Fauna or flora park in SA, some in NT allow them in the carpark, WA is the worse for national parks, even ones that are just light houses I have found in most states won't allow dogs even in cars. I went to Byron Bay especially travelling and had the dogs and even the light house you couldn't have dogs in the car there reasons the wildlife can smell them in the car, I was like are you serious there is another car park further away I think you can park but not sure and in WA the parks officer actually go to the tourist destinations just to book people, have a run in at Kalbarri with them after buying my ticket and given the ok to leave them in the car.

WA has lovely beaches especially south and the only place I found hard was Broome but now it is slightly easier in peak time but I didn't go up that far and Port headland had mainly permanents in the parks. Some parks will check on your dogs, other give you names of permanents who look after them.

Be careful of crocodiles they are further south in the Mary River and unfortunately no signs around that I could see at all, very irresponsible of them but they are moving further south in WA and Qld, and love dogs and can smell them.

All in all it is the best experience and I wouldn't enjoy my travels without them, I travel with 2 or 3 cocker spaniels.

We have seen quite a few of the enclosures you describe. We don't have one as our dog is a kelpie, but while they seem to work really well for little dogs they appear quite flimsy and would not keep bigger dogs out. OK if you are around. A large crate would be better I think if leaving them unattended. Another point to consider is that if you both work and have to live in a caravan park ,in almost all cases, you will not be allowed to leave your dogs in the park while you are not there. Some pet friendly caretakers may offer to mind your dogs if you go out, but that is "hit and miss". We look for jobs where we can live onsite and that works well, financially as well. Good luck and enjoy your adventure as we have.

Absolutely Annie, i have seen it in just about every park around Aus. Have a fab time with your pooches on your travels, I know we did.

Hubby and I are about to set out on a big adventure. We are preparing to hit the road and travel/work indefinitely. We have two toy poodles, weighing in at 9 kilos collectively. I've just bought a portable pet enclosure which has 10 panels and is 120cm high, which I'm hoping will keep rogue dogs out and give mine freedom to move around. Well this is my hope....

Has anyone else used or seen this type of set up in their travels?

Hi Tays
Travelling with a dog is good company . Let us know when your on the road
We could catch up

Great reading these posts :)
Just thought I'd drop a quick hello, I am currently selling my house in Perth and then heading off around Australia on a working holiday adventure with my Am Staff Busta.

Looking to meet other people especially solo travellers with dogs to share tips and tricks or chat and catch up if our travels cross paths.

I might email you Katrina as you sound similar to myself, look forward to hearing from you all, cheers guys:)

I've just read many of the comments posted and I am now convinced I can travel with my dog. Thanks guys as I was starting to get worried. I am also thinking of getting a sign magnet for my car advertising dog sitting for while I'm away to earn a bit of money while I'm away.also another good idea is to offer other people travelling with their dogs to look after each other's dogs when each of you want to go and do something as my dog loves to play with other dogs and won't it tire them both out and everyone gets a good night sleep.

Hi
I am also going to travel around oz from Melbourne to Perth, broome across to Townsville ending my experience in noosa where I intend to live. Also with my dog. I look forward to your posts.

Oh and one more thing, do not put the dogs into the kennels at Derby. My little mate came back covered in ticks even though they had on collars and Advantix. Plus it was a hole, I could tell the dogs couldn't wait to get out!!

Hi Joel.

We are currently in WA after having travelled through NSW, Vic, SA, and NT> We have just done 14000kms and have our 2 beautiful dogs with us (a cavie and a greyhound x kelpie).

So far only a few troubles. Absolutely no dog friendly caravan park in Port/South Hedland, had to put them in kennels. Broome was pretty much the same, we stayed at the Roebuck Caravan park about 30km out and drove in. And Exmouth, at the moment has some crazy person baiting dogs around the caravan park. That was 3 very worrying days. I put them into the vets for doggie day care when we went out for the day.
Other than that, I am so glad we brought them along. They are having a ball.
Hope this helps out.

We have travelled with our Jack Russel, & have loved every second of it. If site isn't pet friendly then they miss out of meeting not only us but our very well behaved pet. I'm sure you are just like us who are responsible pet owners, who pick up there poos & have them on a lead at all times while of of the van.

Of course there will be times that you may not be able to do everything you wish because of your doggy, but we have never been sorry that she 's been with us. Or there is always a kennel near by that will have her/him for aday for you, or like the OPAL CARAVAN PARK in Lightening Ridge that as a FREE doggy day care. Happy travels with your beloved friend.

Hi,

I have read through its forum but I would just like an update. We are doing a similar trip next year with a mini poodle.

Has any one got any stories / problems to share.

Thanks

Jr

Thank you for your replies to my request, I will follow-up on your suggestion
Regards

Also try caravancaravan.com.au its a free to use website where you can get all sorts of info on just about anything. I don't buy the Camps books anymore because the info can be out of date even in the new book. I just use the above site and it has served us well in the last few years.

We are heading up there this month with our fur babies shitzu/poodles. ..we bought the Camp 7 book....has free and cheap places to stop. ..can get from RACE. ....Google was a help too...

If you have iphone or ipad get Wikicamps app Best info on camping and dog friendly places

I am driving to Cairns in December, with my little dog Cavalier/Maltese from the Wide Bay area, has anyone got any suggestion on dog friendly accommodation.
I checked with the Book store and they say the Traveling with dogs book is no longer available.
I have the RACQ accommodation book, very few places available.
Would be grateful to get some feed back Thank you.

Daz I am not sure but one question is "who owns the road into the NP"? Council? If so then NP can't fine you. Same with NP beaches...below high tide line is not NP but owned by the State. Correct me if I am wrong. So they can't fine you for having a dog on the beach either? Interested in other peoples take on this.

Does anyone know the rules on leaving a dog in a car (Outside caged on back of Ute) in national parks.
I can't seem to get a straight answer even from DEC.
Thanks

Great info - we are due to go that way in Sep, so good to know.

Have a great trip, and enjoy the Centre and the Top End.

Carmel

Hi All,

My daughter and I are having the time of our lives travelling around this amazing country.
We are from Port Macquarie and have travelled so far all the way down to Melbourne, across the Great Ocean Road, through Mt Gambier, Adelaide and up to Port Pirie, where we are right now. We head off on our adventure up the middle in just a few days.

Like many of you, I have been fretting as to what I will do with my 2 furry babies at Uluru. There are no dog kennels closer than Alice Springs and they are not allowed in the National Park. I was at a lose and thinking I would have to drive up to Alice, find kennels and then drive back again!

But I have just been informed, and I have verbally double checked that it is OK to leave your dogs in the caravan at Ayers rock campground if you are out for the day. What a relief! I can do my thing and still have the kids with me. Being winter, the lovely lady told me that the temperature is fine to leave them in side, even a little on the cold side.

I hope this may help anyone else out there who is wondering what to do when it comes to the Rock!

Happy travelling!

There is a fantastic kennel in Kuranda. A bit of a drive but worth it for your babies. Our pup is an escape artist and fretter she seemed good when we picked her up. Kuranda pet resort. Recommend it.

Hey happy campers,
My husband and I are planning a trip to the Cape in late August early September. As we have to be in Palm Cove August 28 for a wedding .....we will be traveling with 2x Shitzu/Poodle cross babies( can't leave them at home).....any suggestions on where we should/ could get someone to doggy sit so we can have a look around as well, the caravan park is only pet friendly in the off season.....

Hi Pam. I have a red kelpie pup who is very active and inquisitive. Loves people, kids, Water, swimming
I just went to Cooktown across to Normanton; Kurumba Gregory's downs; and Lawn hill; Adels grove
You need to be conscious of : Crocs, snakes; 1080 bait; ticks, heat; the new law of having your dog constrained In the car just to name a few things

I free camp most of the time and have my dog in the vehicle at night.
I check with locals where ever I am on the crocs etc.

Camping at Gregory downs river and Adels grove are dog friendly
I sent her to a dog kennel in Mount Isa and Cairns.
And had a couple mind her in Mount Surprise caravan park whilst I went to lava tube park it's a 57 klm journey one way back an forth but worth it.

I stayed at earth caravan park in Mount Surprise .
It was limiting in my travels but I met some nice people because of the dog also!

Lynne

Delta Dog trainers are currently negotiating with the powers that be, so that dogs that achieve Gold level Good Canine Citizens Award would be allowed wherever service dogs can go. If they achieve this is will be a huge incentive to train to a high level.

Hi Dog Lovers Hoping to travel through Queensland across to Northern Territory along Savannah Way through to Gibb River Road into WA, down to Exmouth and back across to SA then to NSW with 2 golden retrievers (good car travellers). Any info on Doggie day care centres, Kennels dog sitters, etc. would be great. I agree it isn't good about National Parks. Also agreed with a previous comment that the wildlife must be trained to know the difference between a guide dog and a normal pet. Strange!!! Any info would be appreciated.

Google also racq accommodation book for caravan parks we have done half of Australia and really apart from nature parks no problems, even better if they can sleep in a caravan or tent or back of a ute.

Hi all dog owners and dog lovers. We have 2 small dogs and are planning a 10 week trip from vic up through centre and down west coast and East across the nullabore. We have limited knowledge about kennels but will just "wing it" as the saying goes. We will enjoy ourselves as we have our 2 best mates with us.

Good call!!

Totally agree

Lions Den at the top of the Bloomfield Track (just near Cooktown) should be fine. And depending on how your dog is pop him/her in a canvas shopping bag & people usually let you wander anywhere & just seem a bit confused.

It's not the state law, council by laws just have a 10 meters from food prep areas, you can usually download them off council websites, they are just a little ignorant.

Good luck!

I understand where you are coming from. I feel that doggies are not welcome in alot of places. I think alot of places need to review their thoughts on this matter. I also feel that even in NATIONAL PARKS they SHOULD be allowed with owners. We are prepared to keep them on a lead at all times with no fear of upsetting native fauna.

Lower Light Hotel north of Adelaide has a nice beer garden out the back with a bird aviary. Very friendly and no problem with dogs on a lead.

Hi to all travellers, we are into our 5th week of travelling across the top with our Chihuahua cross foxy 9 yr old Chichi. She travels really well no problems and so far no trouble with caravan parks, sometimes limited to where especially Broome. But not one outdoor beer garden yet has allowed us to enter or enter but tie her up outside!!! No way too many local dogs that could eat her in a blink, I cant understand how smokers are still allowed and little dogs are not.. QLD health regs say up to management as long as not near food prep.???

Hello Everyone
Its great reading all your views on travelling with your dog. I have a kelpie I would like to take with me on my travels around OZ.

I plan on leaving Brisbane in April heading north to Cairns Cape Trib etc then beyond to NT WA etc. As a thought from your suggestions if anyone is also on the road/place at the same time as me and would like to share doggy sitting I am also happy to assist.
My Kelpie is just 1 year old and loves company of other dogs particularly kelpies loves kids and is so loving.
I too thought about leaving her here in Brisbane, but its my longing to have her with me is the strongest feeling. She has travelled in the car most of her life and accepts it.

Camps 7 book has places to stay with dogs.
I also use a long rope to tie off between trees at head height, then tether her to this rope so she can have a free run.

She loves the beach and swims well, but again heading north into Croc/snake country will be a concern.
Great web site
Happy travels

Lynne.

We lived and travelled around Australia with our Jack Russell. He was brilliant, but some places are more dog friendly than others. We thought we would share our experiences and I have published a free ebook, available on the iBooks store.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/dog-down-under/id737466964?mt=11

If you like it, please share and review!

Thanks and happy trails!

We have a 3 yr old Jack Russell, we are going to do our grey nomand bit shortly & taking our Milly with us. We have had short trips & she just loves it. If a site won't take our dog then quite simply we don't stay. I would willingly watch another caravaners pooch while they went shopping or wanted to take a trip for a day where doggies weren't allowed. Us caravaners have to look after each other heh.. hope to meet some of you on out travels....

If you look on sams warehouse catalogue they have a play pen that if you buy more than one you can put them together and dogs don't have to be chained as long as they don't jump they are on for $29.95 I think.

We are just about to take off living the dream with our boy an active 6 yr old Doberman. I have seen vans with mesh fences around them, Jormax in the UK sell them does anyone know where to get similar in Oz? We are looking forward to travelling and would like to give our boy some free space not on a lead or chain when parked for a while. Any ideas?

Broome is difficult. Only the overflow park will allow dogs and you can only stay there when the others are full. Port Smith down the road is much friendlier.

There is a lot less 1080 baiting as you go further north in WA. You have to ring each council to ask and they don't always know.

I have two dogs and a campervan.

I can't wait to learn of places that will make our travel easier.

Mostly interested in Victoria, Tasmania, NSW, Sthn Qld, and the North West including Broome.

Thanks

Hi,

No we let her inside the van and she was an indoor dog she very really went outside but a fence is a good option our new dogs we just leash and rope them to the ute or caravan or mostly the lay in the canopy of the ute there too strong for a fence your dogs will be fin with an fenced area we also have a small sand shell as there bath as beau loves a swim we travel with in summer he loves it

Kind regards,

Darren

Thanks Darren.

We have 2 small dogs - Zac an 11 year old maltese silky, very dominant and protective, and 3 year old Monty, a Maltese poodle, quite and cuddly. We will be giving them their first 'trial' in Jan/Feb when we leave Darwin to drive to our new home in Stansbury SA. It will be a 3 day, 3000k trip, so we should have an idea by then as to how they will 'handle' the Motorhome. When you travelled with your one dog, did you have a fold-up 'fenced' area for her so that she was safe outside the van (when you where in the van)?

Thanks Debra, will take your comments 'on board' and will definitely get a copy of the RAA books.

Thanks Judy - yes, it is less stress without the dogs, but you do miss them.

Carmel

We drove from Adelaide to Cairns 2 weeks ago (see previous post) used books from RAA and rang ahead every night. We had our 8 year old Labrador with us in our RV. All went really well. Stopped every 2 hours. Animals dead and alive are dangerous on roads, we left earlier and finished by 4pm to relax every night and avoid heat. A bit of common sense and forward planning makes it easy. Good luck!

Hi, I ended up having to take my dog back home as he didn't settle well and kept barking. There were alot of places we couldn't take him and he didn't like being in the caravan. In Cairns there's a few day care centres for dogs but if you're on a budget then that can work out expensive to.
We've enjoyed our trip much more without having our dog but of course I miss him heaps.

Hi,

Firstly how are you travelling, where are you going, what car have got and are you in a tent or camper / caravan how old is the dog?
 
Caravan parks a lot do take dogs get hold of the caravan and parks book from racq if your dog is quiet and you can secure it in your camper you will have a lot more freedom to visit national parks we had an old girl she stayed in our caravan for a full day when day tripping our new 2 well different story they will eat the van we have taken our dog to Darwin Cooktown the snow there are areas where you can't take dogs and careful planning for dog kennels along the way is advisable but a lot of people travel with dogs look out for bait areas also bad news in the different states but sighs and discussions are advisable good lucks start researching the areas you wish to travel.

Kind regards,

Darren Millar

My boyfriend and I are heading off early next year with Oscar the maltese/shitzu and we're just wondering what to do with Oscy if we work or how people have coped with this?
Any tips we would be super grateful!

Happy Travels

Hi Debra,
We did that drive early July 2013 and found staying at the free camp sites were great. We did find a caravan park at Charlieville and just on the outskirts of Ingham that take dogs too. We didn't have any problems with having our ridgeback cross dog with us.
Good luck with your drive.

Hi. Moving to Cairns in next few months and driving with my Labrador. Taking about 6 days. Anyone know of motels or sites that allow dogs? Broken hill is no problem, just wondering between there and Cairns. Any ideas, comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

I lost my husband to cancer last year and I have now decided to do the big trip with my 10 year old daughter as I don't want to miss out on the things 'we should have done'. I am torn between taking our 2 beloved dogs with us or finding someone else to care for them whilst we are away for 6 or 7 months. I would be devastated to be apart from them and so would prefer they come, not only for their incredible company, but also for protection and peace of mind. They are used to being in the caravan and are well adjusted to being at camps. We have some great dog friendly spots up here on the mid north coast.

My plan is to head down the south, then up the center then back down the west coast before heading home. We have done QLD several times so are not worried about doing that again.
Can someone please give me encouragement that it will be OK if I take them and that there will be plenty of spots where we will all be welcome. Please suggest any books to purchase (other than camp 7) where I can lay my hands on really good info.

And if anyone is heading to Port Macquarie, I can give you a GREAT dog friendly camp and if you cant get booked in, drop me a line and I will help you out all I can!

Thanks fellow dog lovers. Happy travelling!

Thanks guys, would also like to know if anyone has any tips for a portable type of fencing to attach to our van/campsite as an alternative to tethering our dog? Does any one know of any of the fruitpicking campsites and lodges that allow pets?

At Ceduna, Shelly Beach caravan park has great cabins with an enclosed outside small yard. They are dog friendly and they can run in the beach off leash. Lovely.
Fraser Range Station has no baiting around the camp ground but you need your own tent or camper I think. Watch out for 1080 baits at all parking bays. We got our dog used to a muzzle.
Kalbarri has a few dog friendly caravan parks. Less baiting as you go north I think. Good luck.

Hi everyone, my husband and I are looking to move to paraburdoo from Mildura and I am desperately wanting to take my 2 fur babies with me, they are border collies.. I can't bare to leave them behind, I have already decided to drive them over with me as flying is out of the question but the main problem would be a place to stay for possibly a night or maybe two and any tips anyone has to do this and keep them healthy and happy, as well as do I need licences ect for them to live in wa?? Any advise would be appreciated thanks :)

We have just travelled from Adelaide to Perth with our pup. Free camping is out of the question with 1080 baits everywhere. Over a million dispersed from Eucla to Norseman alone. Fraser Range station is the only safe place to stop here. It's a pain.

Message 
Hi Tess, We have travelled with an ageing Kelpie, and yes there are difficulties, especially with the "no dogs" rules. We do a mostly free camping, which we find much more pleasant than caravan parks. People are friendly, always love our dog and she gets lots of pats and plays. (no reading of riot acts re dogs, signing of waivers and paying of bonds that park owners seem to relish.

At Virginia in Darwin there is a pet boarding kennel called "Helga's Pet Resort" that have an ongoing need for helpers 15 hours pw, to clean and care for dogs and cats, in return for a powered caravan site, shared toilet, shower and laundry, and possible free kennel for your dog. Check it out on the Grey Nomads jobs site.
 

Hi, my husband and I are planning to go working and traveling around australia next year. We have a small shitzux and can't leave her behind. We wanted some ideas and anyones advice from experience how you went about working etc with the dog eg. Where you left them etc? Any help would be great thank you :)

I am travelling 2014 with my blue heeler and yes am worried how we will go.
My main worry now is when I work as its a working holiday and I am going alone with her.

Hiya
We have 2 German Shepherds and have just finished a 2 month trip in our pop top van from Central Qld to SA following the Murray River. We tend to go inland and stay off the major highways. This makes it easier to stop regularly for the dogs to have a run and we normally find somewhere down a dirt road or track and away from stock etc. When stopped in one spot (e.g. van park etc) we take them out twice a day for runs/swims etc. They sleep in the van so we don't have to worry about them barking at roos, rabbits etc. They are also very happy to jump in the back of the 4wd wagon and settle in there if it's raining. Always carry leads and plenty of plastic bags. I made some long heavy duty rope leads and spliced clips onto each end for easy attachment. Make sure you take their vaccination certificates. We had a great trip and are now talking about going for an extended trip next time.

Very informative... I guess I'm still thinking about traveling with dogs... but some day I will :)

No worries!

Be careful along the Nullabor. Over a million 1080 baits dropped from Eucla to Norseman last week. Muzzle your dogs.

Hi there,

My partner and I are very interested in traveling Oz for a few months next year. We will have out 2 dogs (Bull Arabs) with us and are wondering has anyone else traveled with 2 larger dogs, what they would recommend and how they found the trip?

We are keen on camping and have plenty of traveling equipment appropriate for the trip.

Thanks!

Thanks Jan, I will check with our local Council when we move.

We live in the Riverland but have lived in SA all our lives and never had a problem here, especially in a town area. As far as I know baits are normally buried here, and the laying of baits on a property or in parks is marked by signs. The local councils would know as well. It's not as random as the aeriel baiting in WA. Just ask around locally if you are still concerned.

Jan, where do you live in SA - we are moving to Yorke Pen and have 2 small dogs - very worrying

Carmel.

Hi Sophie,

We've had great success when travelling and pre-planning doggie sitters by contacting the various dog clubs in the area. We have a pedigree big dog and have found that particular breed has a great network of clubs with members across this lovely country all willing to help with happy travellers and their happy pooches.

There are dog clubs of all kinds around the country - and not just breed specific - that might be able to help put you in contact with a sitter, or carer for your travels.

Happy Travels!!! xx

We are taking our 2 small dogs (aged 10 & 11) to Kununurra. We want to visit the Mitchell Falls, which is a National Park. While we do this, we need someone to care for our dogs for 7 to 10 days in Kununurra - someone who can offer care & a secure place. One dog is only 3 kgs so needs a well fenced yard. We will pay for this of course. We will be in a caravan in a caravan park before & after this trip. We are looking at first week in September but are flexible.

We have travelled extensively with our dogs and rarely go anywhere without them. Has anyone info on Kununurra?

Many thanks.

I'm glad to have been of help. I agree, it is such a cruel death for the animals and such a shame that Australia still uses 1080. Where we live in SA the baits are mostly buried, WA seems to be the worst, but it's best to be safe. I'm sure you will enjoy your travels as much as we have. Good Luck.

Thanks Jan, I bought the muzzle today and will slowly get her used to it over a couple of weeks. 1080 is banned in most countries. I think it should all have to be buried here if they have to keep using it.

We travelled extensively through WA goldfields to NT last year and yes there is a lot of aerial baiting carried out. We were warned by inspectors at the border fruitfly block. They told us that baits can and are found allover, even in parking bays and caravan parks. We always kept our dog in sight and on a leash. Whenever you stop make sure you check under your van and vehicle for anything suspicious. We also had a "bait muzzle" that she wore when outside (available from Vets or pet shops), the muzzle has a false bottom to stop a dog from licking a bait, which is often chicken and can be rolled in the toxic powder. We had no problems, just be vigilant,1080 is used allover Australia, especially in pastoral areas and parks.

There is a lot of 1080 around, there are normally signs about. Best way keep dog on a lead.

I have read some worrying posts about camping around Oz and 1080 poison baiting, particularly in WA. I would love some reassuring advice about people's experience regarding this. Is it easy to avoid? How do you find out which areas are baited?

Travelling with a dog you need to avoid Broome as no caravan park will take dogs after 1st June.

Are you are asking if you need a permit to enter the NT for you dog

1) Are you coming for a holiday or to live????
2) if you are only coming for a holiday, no, there is nothing required, but you cannot take it into National Parks and Dog restricted areas
3) If you are coming to live, you will have to get a license which is renewed yearly - prices differ depending if the dog is desexed or not.
4) if you are a breeder, there are other restrictions.
5) no more than 2 dogs are (usually) allowed on a regular house block
6) make sure your dog is vaccinated against parvo virus and heart worm
7) ticks can be quite a problem so come prepare
8) don't let the dog near any waterways - crocs love dogs

Hope this helps.

Carmel Tuohy

Planning to go to the Northern Territory, question is do you have to have a permit to enter for your dog?

Thank you Teeto - I will give that a try.

Teach your dog to bark on the command "speak". Set him up and have someone come to your door. Tell him "speak" just before the doorbell rings. When he barks (as he hears the visitor) praise and reward him. Repeat lots with stimulus he usually barks at until he will bark on command. Then gradually reduce the number of times you tell him to speak.
In the same way you can label "quiet".
Read "the culture clash" by Jean Donaldson

My Maltese / silky x is 11 years old and has become more protective of me, which causes him to bark more if people approach or if he hears loud noises such as thunder or fire crackers - has anyone ideas how I can train him to stop this as we plan to start travelling
soon, and want to take him with us.

Zac's mum

National Parks is a big no no. Here in WA we went to the Pinnacles and being a national park we went online and saw that there is a doggy kennel in the nearest town. Having said that when we came there it was in the middle of nowhere and NOT secure and no one there on a weekend! I went back to Pinnacles and explained to the lady at the gate that we have travelled 350km's to be here and DID do provision for the dog but there is no one there....Like a drone she replied sorry but we still can't go in with our 5 month old spaniel puppy not even if it stayed in the car!!!I had to turn around what a waste!

Hi,
I'm in Cairns & likely taking off with my beloved 13 year old Maltese in Sept 2013. In the mean time if you are in Cairns and need a dog sitter yell out.

We have been working/travelling now for 9 months on the east coast of Oz and have not had any problems with finding dog friendly caravan parks and free sites, however there are towns and cities that are not so dog friendly, most esplanades, beaches, parks etc are a no dog zone so it is hard when we want to go and see these places.

We are lucky that my jack russell Lucy is quiet and so we sometimes leave her in the van with air con and tv on for a couple of hours to go have lunch or dinner somewhere, but most of the time she is always with us. There are places eg Shoal Bay Nobbys Beach or near Coffs Harbour Jetty where it is leash free and the dogs there were friendly and playful.

Trying to find a doggy day care has also proven difficult and expensive and @ one place $28 for the day and she hated it. All I can say is taking our pet has made our trip interesting and we have met so many people who have taken their dogs and not regret it. We wouldnt want it any other way and taking her was a no brainer. You just have to think of everyone and their needs even the precious pup. Go out there and Enjoy.

Id just like to add that where are these people that say they will dog sit for you if you do it for them. Im sure my Lucy would love a play date and everyone gets what they want. Just putting it out there.

Hi Simone,

We travelled with our big male labrador a few years back and spent Feb/March in northern WA and the Northern territory. Our dog prefers the winter months too and while he could swim and cool down in any of the dams/rivers in the rest of the country it isn't advisable in the territories!

We found that soaking a towel in cold water then securing it over him helped him in the heat and humidity. The breeze cools/evaporates the water in the towel therefore keeping him cool. He absolutely loved it ... and all the fuss and attention too!

You can't avoid the heat unless you constantly have your car air conditioning on him but this helped our boy so much. Enjoy your travels, you'll have even more of a blast with your fourlegged faithful with you :)

The northern parts of Aus can get extremely hot and humid and unless you can get your dog into air con for relief from the heat it would be pretty horrible for your dog. Our Great Dane Ridgeback doesn't cope with the heat well (we are in Broome) and wants to spend most of her time in the air con.

You could have your dog clipped to help cool the dog but be careful as they can get sunburn and they will still feel the heat.

Don't let it stop you going just be aware you may need to find different ways to cool your pooch down.

My first thought here is theft of your dog. We have heard of two instances where dogs have been stolen from caravans so anything less secure will be an even easier target. Often there are doggy day care centres in larger towns. Also of course hunting out the best pet resorts can help for short stays. Failing that sadly, sometimes we have to do without activities where dogs are not allowed.

Hi all,

A great variety of information here. My husband and I are thinking of taking off around Australia for a bit in our camper trailer, maybe working along the way. I had concerns about doing it with our Newfoundland but this site has given me some great food for thought.

We live in Victoria and our dog prefers the winter. Does anyone have any experience taking a large, hairy dog into the more humid northern half of Australia?

Hi everyone,
thinking of taking our pet with us on a camping holiday from tasmania upto the gold coast and back again.
We are hoping to be gone for a month and i cant be without my maltese/shitzu for more than a day let alone a month.

However my only issue is, when we are off on cruises, shopping etc, what do i do with my dog? ovoiusly we will take her as many places as possible but for some things it just wont be appropriate.

I dont think it will be suitable to leave her in the tent as shes a chewer and will probably chew her way out. and dont feel comfortable leaving her in the car as it will get hot? so i was thinking is their a portable wire fold up doggie pen that i could put her in, in the tent that she wont be able to get out of but still have plenty of space to move around?

If anyone has any advice please contact me on anna.caville@live.com.
Thanks

We spent a month touring the US in a hired RV. Dogs are welcome in ALL the parks there and can even go into many National Parks on a lead or in your car. The RV park owners were astonished when we said it was so difficult for dogs in Australia. They said it would be the same as banning children. Where did all this anti-dog sentiment come from? Why are parks so blind to the opportunities available as baby boomers retire and want to travel with their pets?

Dear All,

We have been on the road since May8th 2012 with Bob the Shih Tzu. We travelled from central coast NSW inland to QLD via Lightning Ridge criss crossing through Longreach to Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. We had doggy day care in Cairns while Bob was being grooming we took the Skyrail to Kuranda and back down on the train. We took advantage of day care at Bedrock but that just involved tying Bob up at reception and hoping for the best, not ideal. At Yulara we left Bob in the big rig with the air conditioning on (it was not a hot day at 23 degrees) while we took a three hour scenic flight. A week later we did the same again while we cycled round the rock. Recently we left him to spend New Years Eve in Hobart and again to spend a full day at the Taste festival.

Bob is very well behaved and we are very lucky to have him. It took him a good few months to realise the big rig was home and that we would always come back to him. We started just by leaving him in the big rig for an hour with the TV on, sometimes with the air con on sometimes without it. We know from other campers that Bob never makes a sound. But we get the best welcome when we come home and always take him for a long walk if he's been on his own. Having said all that, Bob has only been on his own half a dozen times. If we can't take him we simply don't go. He's part of our family and the reason we have him is to share everything with him as he gives us such loving feedback. We would like to see cradle mountain but will compromise with a scenic flight over the top which will mean he's only on his own for a few hours.

We are responsible owners and always follow caravan park rules, we always clean up after Bob, we never allow him to chase rabbits or birds which he would love to play with, and we always ask before sitting down at a cafe table with him. We have only been refused one cafe, the coffee club at Mackay! We search online for info on dog beaches and have always found beaches which allows Bob. He's had awesome runs at Townsville, Cairns, Bowen, Bay of Fires and so many many more.

He's been groomed and clipped in Coffs Harbour, Cairns, Longreach, Mildura, Alice Springs, Bendigo, Mount Isa, Mornington, and Launceston.

He had injections at the RSPCA clinic in Broken Hill.

We get his food sent to us from the Natural Pet store (we feed him Evo) to whichever post office is closest at the time.

Bob is more important to us than a national park. At the end of the day it's their loss and there is so much to see in Aussie we only make the effort for somewhere incredibly special. Our next park will be Kakadu where we'll take a scenic flight. We understand that Darwin and Broome are the most dog unfriendly so we won't be staying their for too long. We've yet to experience WA and the ACT but I'm sure we'll find a way round whatever problems we encounter.

No one should be put off travelling with their dogs. Its down to how important they are in people's lives and what comes first, the faithful pal, or the scenery. Where there's a will!

We personally, would never ever leave Bob in the car. Even with the windows open it gets hot. We are very lucky to have a big rig with air con and that's the best place for him when we're stuck for taking him with us. We have also heard reports of pets being stolen where people have left a dog tied up outside the Stockmans Hall of fame in Longreach, and a parrot was stolen from a caravan park in Bowen while the owners were at the site BBQ! So we're conscious too that not everyone is as honest as we are.

Pets are for like and they become family. We always put Bob first. That's our philosophy.

Enjoy the road everyone, we're only here once, so make the best of it all. X

I totally agree with what Deborah says it is up to the owner to take responsibility for own pets regardless what they are.

Well said Bex.

Becky I do understand that owners need to consider what their animals are like before they decide to take them along on the trip, but I do not agree that it is the large breeds that are necessarily the problem. We have been travelling with a Great Dane/ Ridgeback cross and is a gentle giant. She does not require a huge amount of exercise, does not bark or chase wildlife, other dogs or children. She, as far as she is concerned is an inside dog and likes to spend her time with us inside or when we are outside by our side.

People who take their large dogs or active breeds should understand the exercise requirement of their pooch and many are out walking their dog, or running them on the breach or playing with them in relevant areas. It does the owners good to be exercising with them too.

Lots of small dog owners we have come across have yappy dogs that bark at everything and anything and the owners don't attempt to correct the behavior. Also many small dog owners think that because their dog is small and only have small poop that they don't have to pick it up. It really peeves me when I hear comments like this as some of the larger breeds are certainly less invasive to other campers than the noisy little yapers. I'm not saying all little dogs are like that but each dog should be taken on its Own merit and not be labeled all the same as they are not.

Sorry to say but it should not matter what size your dog is or necessarily the breed, it is about how trained and well behaved they are that should be the consideration. Are they socialized and the commitment of the owner to supervise their dog at all times. It comes down to the owner responsibility at all times.

Thanks for the comments Becky, and agree that prospective travellers with pets should definitely take their own pets needs into consideration as well as that of their fellow travellers. Each owner and breed of travelling pet has their own pros and cons, some pets will be suited to travel, others may not be. I can say without hesitation, that our trips with our beloved Great Dane have been some of the most enjoyable and life changing we've ever had. In contrast, I travelled with a small cross breed and (bless her cotton socks) we had more trauma and trouble in one week with her than we've ever had in 6 years of travelling with our Dane. As every human is different so too are our pets, regardless of their breed or size. A large friendly dog can have just as much fun travelling with his family as a small friendly dog...we've even had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple who were travelling around Oz with their Parrot and pet chicken (called "Turkey")!! Their pets where loved, well cared for and protected when travelling and at each stop they had a lovely little set up for the birds to "play" in. Which just goes to show, that if the owners are thoughtful and organised and willing to put in some effort to travel with their pets, size, shape or breed makes no difference to a happy holiday for everyone!! :)

There is good information here but i think dog owners also need to be responsible when considering what breeds to take. I dont agree with any large dogs or agressive breeds. You have to think of the restrictive environment they will be in and if they 'may' pose a risk to others. Please think of the dog and other people and their dogs.

I can only answer from my daughter's position from her now open hostel in Esperance WA but she loves all dogs and they are all treated the same.
Visit her @:

http://www.countrylaneboarding.com
Email: countrylaneboarding@bigpond.com

and if visiting Kalbarri WA for animal friendly house accomodation phone 0899372968 mob 0428620068
cheers
wafarmer

Hi I'm about to take my 3 year old son & our dog who is an Irish wolfhound are the hostels as good to big dog as they are to small dogs??

Hi, My partner and I did our first trip around Australia in 2009/2010 with our beautiful labrador cross. We tried to use kennels as much as possible when we went to National Parks but sometimes there weren't any kennels near them. From our travels, my understanding is that you can travel through a national park with your dog in your vehicle however you cannot enjoy the National Park in the conventional way such as taking them with you for a walk through the park, on a lead or otherwise it simply isn't allowed in any state. So you can drive through and observe from your car otherwise find alternative arrangements for your beloved pet ... or as the Barker Brood suggested, get used to the fact you have to consider all members of your family. On the other hand there are many lovely state forests which are happy to have your pets. Hope this helps you :)

Wendy, I dont think that is correct as what I have read has all said that it is against the law, however they were reviewing the complaints they had had from many people. So that may be correct, would also like to know as we are planning on travelling next year with our two year old little puppy. Cheers.

HI All

Interesting reading. We are planning a trip to Mt Augustus soon and I have been researching the situation with the national parks. I spoke to a gentleman at DEC for the region and he indicated that lots of people take their dog into the national parks in the area. He "unofficially" said that as long as its on a lead and you pick up, there is no problem and in fact you are very unlikely to encounter a ranger in these remoter areas. I'm undecided as I'm a bit of a conformist and dont like to break rules and would be mortified if I was stopped. Has anyone else taken their dog into a national park?

Wendy

We have just bought our caravan and are heading out for a lap of oz in March 2013. We leave from Townsville with our 2 young boys and our 7 year old black lab x kelpie. Macey (the dog) has been so amazing to us and has put up with moving from the freedom of our farm into suburbia, so this trip is also to give her some freedom too. We are intending on heading North first and we are happy to pet sit for anyone and would be looking for others to swap pet sitting with while we are away.

We are aware of the sacrifices we will have to make having a dog with us, but think the benefits will far out weigh those. It will also teach out kids that we have to care for ALL our family members, teaching them to be less selfish. I hope to meet many other people who are as caring about their animals as those of you who have posted on here. If I find out any info I will post to let you all know.

We have been travelling up the west coast from Perth to Broome for the last 3 months with our Great Dane x Ridgeback. She is a gentle giant but we do respect that not everyone loves our dog like we do so she is kept close. She is a gentle giant does not bark, howl or hassle anyone and we ave found that many role have remarked on how good she is, even those who don't like dogs.

We have found that some towns are just not dog friendly and will not allow you in the caravan park with a dog. We are currently in Broome and the only caravan park that will take a large dog is 30kms out of town. There is one in town that will take little dogs and of course there is the PCYC that is taking overflow parking and dogs. Thanks to the PCYC as it has given us somewhere to stay and enjoy what Broome has to offer otherwise we would have had to move on.

I cannot understand the mentality of a no dog policy or only take small dog policy. Surely each dog should be taken on its own merit and if the owner does not comply with the rules then they should be asked to leave. I am sure the majority of dog owners do the right thing. I am sure that any of you dog owners will agree your fur child is often less problem than some people's children. I for one would not contemplate leaving my dog behind with someone else so we can travel for the next 5 years.

Someone earlier on in this blog mentioned the amount of people travelling with dogs (and cats) and how short sighted the parks were that would not take dogs are. The towns too are to blame in not encouraging people to stay in their towns and spend their dollars. We get the impression that some of these towns don't care as the mining boom is lining their pockets and travelers both with or without dogs are not considered as required.
On the up side there are some wonderful towns we have visited and the caravan parks have gone out of their way to accommodate you. We have ensured we have spent or dollars in these places.

Thank you.

My Partner and I are planning to travel round Oz next year so I have been checking out place that we can stay with 2 small dogs because no way would I leave them behind they need a holiday too.
I found a site that has Camping Sites in every state that are dog friendly

http://www.big4.com.au/dogswelcome/

They have Cabins / Tent Sites / Caravan Sites the lot I will be booking places to stay as we go and make sure they are still dog friendly.

Reading things that people have posted here has really helped and I will take into consideration a lot of the things people have gone through while Traveling with dogs.

Thank you

Hi,
I came across this site while researching ways for my daughter to inform the public she is very close to opening a dog boarding kennels in Esperance and in the near future because of encouragement from the local Parks people a day care facility also.

I hope I am not upsetting anyone by putting up this information and links to her Website as I have found that for people with dogs/pets it can be quite difficult to find accommodation. 

I would also like to make the observation that as the owner of a "pet friendly" rental house in a midwest WA coastal holiday town who was told we were crazy and how bad allowing dogs would be we must say that we have not had one bad experience with the dogs or their owners, they seem to go out of their way to leave no trace of the pet having been there and are very appreciative of being able to have their pet with them in decent accommodation.

The details for the above facility is: 

http://www.countrylaneboarding.com
Email: countrylaneboarding@bigpond.com

I hope this helpful to some of you.
Cheers
wafarmer "who is heading back there tomorrow to help finish them"

Hi All

First off fossicking in QLD! Best place we found was Sapphire, a real hoot. Stayed at Sapphire Caravan Park. OK its not free camping but the location is to die for and dogs are allowed. The cafe at Rubyvale was quite happy for us to sit at the bench tables outside too.

NSW fossicking - don't drive past Opal Caravan Park (and there is free camping south of the town) at LIGHTNING RIDGE. Its the wackiest place on earth and both main cafes let you sit with the dog outside the cafe.

We've been on the road for three months with our four year old Shih Tzu BOB. Now everyone says their dog is well behaved but ours really is a rock star. Quiet, playful and friendly. Has all his jabs and is treated with Advantix every two weeks. We do this out of habit living in Port Macquarie and then Umina Beach as paralysis ticks are quite an ordeal in both locations.

We made the decision (Bob is our fur kid) that if Bob can't go, we dont go either. This includes caravan parks, freedom camping (Camps 6 and Caravan Park by the same publishers gives great insight into who does or doesn't take Bob), cafes, towns, beaches, parks etc. So basically when it comes to where to stay we just don't look at those who don't have the Bob symbol. It's their tough luck and given that most families have pets, their reasoning for 'not' taking pets is just beyond me! Anyway........

We don't and won't leave Bob in the Winnebago. Not that he barks or moans, he doesn't, we just would never know what the temperature is like inside or how worried he might become at us not being there.

So far we have only had Bob looked after for two days. The first we had a lot to do in one day, including Winnebago servicing and a dentists appointment in Cairns. We took advantage of Poochies Parlour who did a full grooming for Bob and day care was thrown in. Can't recommend them highly enough. Had no idea what he'd been up to while we were gone but he was buggered when we collected him. Also on that day we took the Skyrail up to Kuranda and came down on the train. We worked the servicing and dentists around arrival and departure times. It was a full on day but excellent.

The second day care for Bob was at Bedrock Village so we could take their all day tour of Undara Volcanic National Park. It was a great day but I do think Bob was a little neglected as he seemed to have been tied up at reception for most of the day. He was quite distressed when we collected him. We learnt alot from that.

We now have to 'shop' separately as a couple so hubbie who hates grocery shopping anyway stays with Bob wherever and walks him or has a coffee while I get on with groceries. If we need retail shopping we take turns dropping in to stores. We used to eat out a lot at restaurants which we now find hard and of course things like going to the cinema are also off the cards.

What we do is 'ask', people can only say no. In Lightning Ridge we took Bob down the Chambers of the Black Hand opal mine. We had to carry him, so its no good for big dogs but they still thought it was a hoot we'd asked!

Lot's of tourist info centres allow dogs inside unless of course they serve food. He's been in Inverell, Coffs Harbour, Cairns, Lightning Ridge and many more.

I think the ruling on National Parks is a complete crock of bollocks. It sums up the double standards Australia so often has towards farmed, introduced and native animals. Animals are introduced and cause havoc but hey, keep the domestic dog away! YES, we have heard horror stories of dogs attacking Roo's (Sapphire) and I'm not saying there aren't unstable horrible people out there who think getting their dog to maul a wild animal is nothing more than good fun, but we're not all like that so why should we ALL be tarred with the same brush. After all, declaring a dog when going in to a National Park and having the rangers read the riot act and rule book while taking photos of a persons driving licence and details of the vehicle goes some way to saying get caught doing anything 'naughty' and you will be fined, but we'll trust you to be a responsible adult and owner is much better than sneaking dogs in! We've spoken to LOTS of people who take their dogs in ANYWAY (hiding their pet in the back of a caravan or mobile home) and who knows what they get up to, good or bad - they might even allow their dog to have a walk and a pee while in the National Park! ! !

Anyway. We love our dog and life would not be the same without him.

Our next challenge will be Yulara and Uluru next week. We are hoping to take a scenic flight but we'll have to see how that works out!

Wanting To Travel With My 15 yr Old Border Collie !!!!???

Hi all, great post with lots of great tips, ideas and advice. We will be heading off from Port Macquaurie in January 2013 to SA to start. We are selling all our belongings and renting out the house for an indefinite trip with our 11 year old female red cattle cross named Jas. We hope to meet up with amazing people and hope to be able do each other a favour and mind each others loving pets whilst seeing and doing things pet free.

We can't wait to go. Thanks again for all the great info. This is our first post and love reading about the great adventures ahead of us. Take care and travel safe. Sharee & Jeff

Hi All
Great to see a lot of happy travelers in campers or vans with the pets we don't have kids and have 2 staffys we travel a lot when ever we can. We took our last girl before losing her from brisbane to darwin back then to the bottom lakes entrance back through sydney 16000 klm yes the nat parks are a problem will be looking in to whether you can drive in with them as long as they stay in the ute.

The other solution i'll be looking in to is a jack off tray from the 4x4 this will as it is set up as there bed allow them to stay put at the site the van is at or if camping the tent site while we explore. We currently have the canopy fibreglass set up with mesh windows the jack of system is the next level, we used to let our last girl sleep in the van as she was quite old now beau and skye at 1.3 years old they may eat my van so to over come this problum as well as have a detachable tray. If you leave your number with the site owner and advise that your portable kennel is left on site they are quite good about it this will save in day care, always walk them first and get them compfy remember dogs like sleeping up to 18 hours a day thats why they call it a dogs life shade, water, blankets and a great portable kennel dodges $ 3000.00 kennel $ and set up tray $ 6000.00 happy days priceless improvise work the solution to suit your needs and take ya mate happy travels. Oh and if they go in a dogy day care free camp this can counter act the expense regards Darren

Hi Maree,
A lot of the caravan parks near the national park except dogs and have dog minding services so you can go out for the day to the national park and enjoy. If you wish to go for longer side trip you should be able to find a good dog kennel nearby to look after them, but we have always been happy doing the day trips and coming home to our beautiful puppy.

Costs with a lot of dog minding services are anything from a gold coin donation to the Royal Flying Doctors to $15.00 for the day and some for the $15 bath and clip their nails for them too.

Lawn Hill National Park– Adel’s Grove Caravan Park
Undara Larva Tubes – Bed Rock Village Mt Surprise
Darwin for the National Parks – Oasis Caravan Park and Pam who doggy Sits or the Kennel across the road
Kununurra – The local Dog Kennels Doggy sit for the day
Cairns – Poochies Parlours

These are just a few of the ones we have used on our travels hope this helps, there are a lot of people out here travelling with their dogs and more and more places catering for them.
Joanne

Hi my husband & I are looking to travel by the end of the year. We have 2 small dogs & are concerned about caravaning with them. My question is when you get to national parks and you want to stay and you can't take your pooches are there any pet friendly kennels that anyone has used.
i would appreciate any advice you may have
Thanks Maree

Hi All,
We are currently travelling with our 22month old Cairn Terrier named Beau and we have Travelled through from Melb up through Dubbo, Charlieville, Winton, Longreach, Cloncurry, Townsville, Cairns, Atherton Tablelands to Mt Surprise, Normanton, Gregory owns and now are in the Northern Territory. On our trip so far we have gone to all the National Parks and also did the drive tour of Dubbo Zoo we have stayed in parks and free stops and have had no issues. In Dubbo the Van Park offered to keep and eye on him while we went to the zoo, at Lawn Hill National Park there is Adels Grove and even though we did not stay there they still looked after Beau while we went into the National Park for a donation to the Royal Flying Doctors, the same at Mt Suprise when we went to Undara and th Cobbolt Gorge is not a National Park and they have a van park there that takes dogs and will again keep an eye on them while you go on the tours.

So far the only problem we have had is finding a vet in some of the remote area's so go prepared with a first aid kit for your dog and enjoy the country and stop stressing about it.It's good to have your 4 legged friends with you they bring you joy.

HI
Im planning a trip round oz jan 2013 with my mate Monty ( King Charles Beagle) have been round vic with him for a trial run was great no issues with camping ( which i prefer) but when needed a park to stay at was easy and i found camps australia book a great guide. restrictions well i gather there will be a few like NP i would like to see some but am reluctant to leave monty in kennel (any thoughts anyone)''that would be my only concern otherwise monts a joy to travel with has his own bed set up on back seat up high enough to see out of the window or snooze, water at all times in car is important, my one tip not too much food while on the move
Mick
tas

Hey guys, my husband and I are travelling around Australia in our camper trailer from January 2013 onwards, with our 1 year old son, and our mini poodle. We will be travelling south (from Central QLD) in January, but will be back up in Byron Bay for my brothers wedding in April, and then heading north and around from there. Anyone else in the same boat as us? Our biggest concern is our dog, but there is NO WAY I am leaving her behind.

Hey guys

We are about to set off over to WA for 6 weeks to explore potential places to live and work next winter i.e exmouth. we would love to stop in at the red bluff also for a few weeks to surf, we have a collie and an english bull terrier cross and have travelled before with no problems, they are great dogs! Although I completely understand the whole scary big dog mind set having my Bullie cross! I would love some info about WA, we will be driving the Nullarbor and up as far as Exmouth before heading back home, any info would be unreal. I'm not going to lie my partner and I are not quite agreeing on taking them, I need some great info so I can persuade him! Help! Also a tad worried on the 1080 baits and ticks. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Yes our dogs are part of our family. It's our choice whether to take them on holidays with us or not. But if we do decide to take them, they should be our priority and not the National Parks or the Beaches or the Tourist Spots or worry about the inconvenience of it. I won't always travel with my dogs, as I want to visit friends in America, UK and Asia and will not subject them to any of the stress. But for sure, they are coming along with me anywhere I go for holiday here in Oz. I love my 2 Spaniels and I'm committed to them 100%! Are you?!

WOW, I never thought when I originally started this post back in 2007 we'd have so many like minded pet lovers travelling with their furry friends!! Unfortunately we never made it on our planned 12 month trip around OZ (it's still a plan!!) but it's been really great to hear back from everyone and we're even more determined to get out there with our BIG baby, Harley the Great Dane. There have been so many posts that have struck a cord from the experiences we've had travelling locally in WA - none more so than "3rd time lucky" and your Big Dog experiences - we have EXACTLY the same response from fellow travellers initially!! Harley loves to travel with us (he's happy as long as he's with us) but we never ever take liberties when we travel and always have Harley on a lead or packed away safely - we respect that not everyone is a dog lover, especially of big dogs, no matter how cuddley we think he is! Although that said, the kids at sites or carparks or rest stops are always happy to pop over and introduce themselves to the "horse"! I think we've made more friends as a result of Harley being with us than we have without him!!
Thank so much to every single person who's contributed their experiences of travelling with a dog (or pet) to this post - keep 'em coming...we'll be out there soon!!! xx

Hi, I love this last post from 3rd time lucky. You are exactly the person who should own a big dog. We have a labrador and we found the same when we were travelling. Our lab is a very soft labby but gets excited easily when he sees other dogs and his excitement could often be misunderstood for boisterous / aggressive behaviour when all he wanted was to rough and tumble with fellow doggies. We always kept him on a lead or long rope when he wanted to swim or run. Like you said, it was other peoples dogs who ran up to him and caused mischief. Loved the "travelling with dogs is your choice not theirs". Very well said and although our lab loved every minute of it, he is our baby and needed taken care of. Thanks for sharing :)

Hi everyone. We are planning to head off west in a couple of months on a long working holiday with our 13 yo deaf mastiff. We did a trip 3 years ago for 8 mths up the east coast almost to the tip and across to the centre and up to Darwin then back down the centre as had to come back early for family reasons. Our dog loved it and had his own home 2 live in.

Bcoz of our dog's breed-mastiff (he looks a bit like a labrador though) we found a lot of ppl did not want to park near us in the parks. They would drive by and wave and smile but as soon as puppy appeared they would keep going. It did stop us getting unwanted visitors but didn't make us a lot of friends unless we left our site.People do stereo type big dogs 4 sure.

We always kept him on a leash even when swimming but had a long rope and in remote areas he had a run. He got used to it and was happy as he had our company so much more than at home.Funny thing is other people always let their dogs run up to him and didn't seem to mind they jumped all over our dog but if the shoe was on the other foot I'm sure we would have been told.In Townsville they have fantastic dog runs where they all run around together-he loved it but we kept a responsible close eye on him as we always do.Some people don't care and their dogs get out of control.

No way to get into NP's but we knew that and would have used a day kennel if needed to.When we did work we did opposite hours to each other. My hubby worked some day hours and I packed supermarket shelves in the evening (not bad money)so one of us was always home with puppy. After all he is one of our children!

SO if you are travelling with your dog remember it is your choice not theirs, even though they just want to be with you, so you will have to accommodate them and be unselfish-they will love you for it.

Free parks are great but very popular and you still have to be a responsible dog owner. We are aware Khan is a big dog (yes small dogs are more popular with park owners BUT they can yap a heck of a lot)and so we know people are a bit wary of his breed so we don't stay in busy ones.

HAPPY TRAVELS EVERYONE.

Hi
We recently travelled from Perth to Melbourne and we purchased a prepaid Telstra wifi from Australia Post, $99 with 5MB. Best thing we did, great service in towns were we stayed and fabulous for travel.

Internet from your caravan is easy. All it takes is an internet stick and your laptop. Many providers offer internet sticks but Telstra will give you be best coverage across Australia. Unless you're a high internet user where a plan will be best for you; most people find the prepaid offer of $150 per year for 10GB works for them.

hi , we want to travel around oz WORKING and we have a little dog, where do you stay thats pet friendly and you can leave your dog at the caravan while you go to work during the day.

Hi
my husband and i are planning to move out of our rental and buy a caravan and travel around aussie working. We have a little dog HARRY but we have rang a couple of dog friendly caravan parks but they all say you cant leave the dog unattended? WHAT do you do , where do you go . We are in the north brisbane area for now . We want to do this but where do you stay thats pet friendly and you can work and leave ya dog at the caravan ,He would just sleep under the van no doubt and thats about it. Any ideas. is it really that hard , need help.

Great Blog! Just out of curiosity did you come across anyone massaging from their caravan? I am keen to do this soon. That way I can stay home with our four babies while my husband works here and there :}

First a little note to everyone on this blog: please stop the "friendly lecturing" on how to behave and what to do and not to do with your dog, as I am pretty sure all people on this blog do exactly that anyway. Only people who don't take their dog everywhere don't have a clue about training their dog and keeping it well behaved.

Hello Not Done Yet,
generally we found the East Coast very dog-unfriendly yet there are some really lovely places you still can go to (they are not necessarily in the correct geographical order):
NSW:
Coff's Harbour - there's a good stretch of dog-friendly beach which is really nice
Bellingen Show grounds is a fantastic place to camp and the town is a wonderful artisty town with great pubs, restaurants and shops
Windham Reserve - just a little parking spot by the river and next to a Flying Dog reserve it is a beautiful and tranquil place, excellent for an overnight and a walk through the Reserve. The town has seen better times but the people are friendly
QLD:
Airlie Beach - is a hippie little town and even though there's not a whole lot to do WITH the dog you can stay in Flametree caravan park, which is very nice and a year and a half ago they had a weekly market where you were still allowed to take the dog (even though there were signs for No Dogs, the stand owners brought theirs along and we saw a lot of dog people around)
Saunders Beach - tiny spot for free camping on a lovely stretch of beach, all dog friendly. Great to stay for a few days to just kick back
Wongaling  Beach / Mission Beach - there's a nice caravan park right by the beach with lovely Managers who have dogs on their own. Huge and long beach, great small town, superb Restaurant right next to the CPark, truly fantastic place! We met a group of people from NSW, VIC and SA who go there almost every year to stay there for about 2 or 3 months in winter.

TAS: Tasmania is fantastic and in general very dog friendly. We loved it and extended our stay by 2 weeks so stayed there 6 weeks in total. Could still have stayed longer. Everywhere you go is just really really great. Dogs usually no problem.

Good luck and most of all: enjoy it and have loads of fun!!!! The people you will meet on your travels are fantastic, so you should have a wonderful time.
All the best,
Judith from Germany

Three on our 9-months long trip around Oz we used dog sitters: one was just a "Doggy Day Care" in Cairns which was basically just 2 rooms with lots of dogs, a tiny stretch of outside around the house, and our lab hated it, you could actually see how miserable he was. The other one was a woman taking the dogs into her private home with yard but she  didn't take the dogs for a single walk all day long, on top of that she lost our floating cong (worth 30$) in her house/yard. This was in Exmouth/WA (where people are really unfriendly even though they really depend on Tourism but that we found in lots of places. Another time we had our Lab in a Vet's day care and that was great.
We did manage a couple of times to dog sit each others dog with people in the caravan parks which always works great, but then it really depends what type of dog one has 'cause most people travel with smaller dogs.

Network, network and network with others in the "same boat".. doggie minding at van parks if u wanna go pick fruit... and reciprocate... Lots of dogs welcome at caravan parks.. the thing is if u go out u have to keep them quiet! go figure.. so if u think of them like young kids and have them around other humans they will settle. Unfortunately can't go to National Parks , but there is sooo much else out there... Toilet stops for them as well 2 hourly.. and keep them on a lead at all times! No exceptions.. Sams wearhouse has doggie enclosures for $30 which can lay flat under the bed when not in use.I am embarking on "an endless road" retreat with my 2 fur kids.. don't forget the harnass for the car.. don't make them a flying missile in an accident, not to pretty on the inside of your windscreen and a hurt dog is a dangerous dog!

its interesting reading everyones comments, we are going around australia to work. rest and play in june with our two dogs. An Australian blue heeler 12yrs and a jack russell 5yrs. both well behaved and do play well with other dogs. I could never leave them behind. As soon as we decided we were going to do it, it was always going to be the four of us. We would like to go to the eastcoast first but the comments are a little contradicting, i know CP are out, but i would mind other peoples dogs if they would do the same in order to visit these places. I guess more research and just go out there and see what happens.

Hi, I am on last stage of cancer and have 2 dogs with me. Leaving Townsville and looking at finding other like minded people who fossick and looking at heading over to Tasmania. Otherwise, any suggestions on where not to stop?

Hello to all,
I am travelling with my 2 dogs to finish my bucket list. I am on my last stage of cancer and I would like to know if their are any other travellers who fossick and free camp leaving or vicinity of Qld. Also want to go over to Tasmania.

Hi Hayley I have been travelling with my Dogs for several years. I believe that 99% of dog owners have respect for our unique wildlife within Australia and keep their dogs under control. Unfortunately the minority make it difficult for the responsible owners. I have contacted Parks and Wildlife in two states and have been told that you may drive through the parks as long as you dont take your dogs out of the car which unfortunately means you are not allowed to camp within the Parks. I have passed through Queensland Parks keeping my dogs in the car ( holidays without them are not an option.) I have found Free Camps Australia very useful and Bush Camping With Dogs Happy travelling with your best friends!

Hi Steve,

I agree with you entirely and know your points only too well, however, I know that many places that used to allow dogs and don't now and actually have good reason. It is a case of the minority spoiling it for those of us who are good dog owners and respect rules. For example, some dog owners believe that when their dog is well behaved and won't run off and bother people or wildlife then the "dogs on leads" signs do not apply to them. This annoys me so much! The "dogs on leads" signs are there for many different reasons and should be adhered to. Many people are scared of dogs, especially the bigger dogs, and these people deserve respect as well. How do we over come this behaviour to the benefit of those people around us and our beloved pets? Also, my partner and I travelled for 10 months in a camper trailer from 2009-2010 so we know the expense of kennels and the problems associated with National Parks but how do we deal with this? We even had to miss out on some National Parks because we had no where for our labrador to go.
cheers Hayley

We love our dog and travel with her as much as we can with our business. Our business relies on being able to access weekend markets, festivals and other events to sell our wares and the rest of the week we are tourists.

Problem is a lot of events are now addopting the "no dog" rules which is now starting to affect our ability to make a living. They say to leave the dog at home but when you are traveling for months at a time doing a circuit that's not possible and the cost of putting a dog in a kennel beyond a couple of days is too prohibitive. Additionally some places you go there are no kennels and the nearest could be a couple of hundred K's in the oposite direction.

So, Kennels are not an option for us, besides that we consider our dog as part of the family. So now we try to channel our travel to dog friendly locations and our "tourist" dollars are spent with businesses that recognise that Pets are family too but that's becoming increasingly difficult.

I don't think they realise it yet but when thay say "no dogs" they are loosing potentially up to 60% of the traveling tourist dollars out there. These are the morons that keep complaining that the tourist industry is in hard times cause there not as many tourists anymore. In our travels over the past 2 years we've found that 3 out of 5 people that are traveling more than a month do it with their pets, mostly dogs. Wake up Australia! - There's an untapped market here wanting to spend money with you.

It annoys me with national parks saying that the reason dogs can't come in is because they'll scare the native wildlife - thats crap!. Think about this, a guide dog is exempt from that rule, so does this mean that the national parks have trained all the wildlife to recognise the difference between a pet and a guide dog?

Then these parks say their visitor numbers are down and they don't know why. Well that's because 3 out of 5 travellers on the road are forced to drive past your gate or face a fine! And I thought these people that run these parks were educated!.

If you think my figures are an exageration? check out these stats:
www.petsaustralia.org/pet-industries/industry-statistics/

Be sure to read the bottom paragraph titled "So What Can We Say About The Australian Pet Industry then?" And pass on this info to anybody who says "no dogs" perhaps will educate them.

Well what an Interesting mix of opinions and experiences. I have 3 dogs, 2 small and a Lab puppy only 12 weeks today and we are talking about travelling with dogs, kids and work. this has certainly given me food for thought.

We took our tour August 2010 until April 2011. While we went to many beautiful places many made it no fun to go to as they wouldn't allow dogs or were very restrictive.

The East Coast was particularly bad in the latter regard, camping grounds we were never allowed in the "nicest" ones or the ones close to CBDs or the beaches. Many times I actually wished we'd have chosen to travel North America instead of Australia as it seemed so VERY dog-unfriendly. Yet when going to towns - and we always take our dog with us - we met many nice people and very dog friendly people and as we seemed to be quiet exotic taking our dog into towns almost every other person asked if they could pet our dog or at least they'd go "ohhh, look at that puppy!" (and he's not a puppy but a full grown 32kg chocolate Labrador).

So I am convinced that legislation must change so you can actually bring your dog to more places, also people must realize that being a responsible dog owner you are not a threat to nature nor people.

So WA - being the biggest state anyway - does have many places where you can take your dog along: Monkey Mia - beautiful! Broome - with the most fantastic beach I have ever been to (and our dog as well!!!) - Coral Bay - in Fremantle there's even a brewery/pub where you can bring your dog!! - Alexander Bridge, a fantastic camp ground by the Hardy River - the Coast to Coast Hike between Albany and Busselton (I believe) where, at least on parts, we took our first proper hike with our dog after 4 months in Australia! - Denmark and then in SA Smokey Bay (near Ceduna) - VIC: Johanna Beach and Upper Yarra Reservoir - NSW: Jindabyne by the Threadbo River. But the dog friendliest of all states seemed to be Tassi!

Thing is, you can never really take your dog on long hikes or walks (except in Broom on the 20-something km long Cable beach) and in the South-West, so I am sorry to have to say that it was a relief to be back in Germany (and Europe in general) where you can take your dog pretty much anywhere without any hassle!
I did love Oz, but the Anti-dog thing is a big turnoff!

Taking your dog will undoubtedly give an extra dimension of pleasure to your trip though I have to say that West Australia particularly the SW area in which I travelled for 4 weeks recently with my terrier, seems much more dog friendly than SA, NSW and QLD - where I come from. I was amazed at the magnificent dog beaches in WA and the amount of accommodation and access dogs were allowed. Top town was Bunbury where the Tourist information give out maps of where you can take your dog off leash and accommodation that allows them. My dog learned how to behave well in a lot of situations he would not have access to in QLD Even the other dogs seemed friendlier, maybe they are better socialized. Rules for dogs seem much more restrictive in other states so be prepared. Taking my dog camping in WA was a great decision.

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My fiance and I are going to be travelling around Australia for about a year, leaving at the end of this week! We're taking our 4-month-old staffy pup with us.

I've started a blog to document the trip, if anyone's interested in reading it:

http://ozgypsies.wordpress.com/

Thanks Jules, I totally agree. A dog is part of the family and should be treated as such, they are great company and they love to travel.

If you expect problems travelling with a dog, then you'll probably find them! We never thought twice about taking our dog with us, even though she was 15 years old when we left. What was the alternative? Have her put to sleep, when she's still okay? Leave her to spend her final years with some one else? Absolutely not!

Bill, I find your comments very strange, as we have also been travelling around the mid north coast of NSW and haven't had any problems, in fact, we've had no problems anywhere since we started travelling from Airlie Beach 8 months ago. We bought a 2-person tent and pet fencing from Sam's Warehouse.

Some pet-friendly caravan parks have a rule that dogs must not be left unsupervised in the van, but we've found that if you explain that you want to go out without the dog, and make arrangements with them, most of the time they are fine with it, as long as the dog doesn't bark or whine while you're gone.

We stay out of NPs, but have found great campsites near NPs, for example, Little Styx River campground west of Dorrigo is right at the entrance of the New England NP. We use the Camps Australia Wide #5, but ring ahead to make sure the information is still current.

When you become a dog 'parent' you make a commitment for the term of the dog's life, regardless of how your own lifestyle changes. We've met so many people travelling with dogs, and NEVER encountered any problems. Just get out there and do it!

Hi All

My partner and i have to relocate back to Melbourne in March 2012 for work and we are driving back with our two dogs, we are planning pretty much a 4 day trip between Perth and Adelaide making overnight stops in Coolgardie, Mundrabilla, Ceduna. Can anyone out there help me find some pet friendly accommodation options, they are small dogs maltese X's. At home they are pretty much indoor dogs and sleep inside on their beds.

Any info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and happy travels to you and you four legged buddies.
Cherie.

My partner and I travelled around Oz 2 years ago without our dog as we thought he would hold us back. But 2 weeks after we left we missed him so much spolit our trip and it turns out we would have been able to have him. Hundreds of people have dogs and manage to find people to watch their dogs while they go explore and then you pay them back the next day by minding their dog. We are heading off again next year and will be taking him this time :)

This place looks great and they look after your dogs for u while u do day trips.
http://www.bedrockvillage.com.au/

we have a shepard and a wrottiee both are very friendly and great with all people and kids ,we wont to take them with us on a working round aust holiday

hi leslie we also would like to know about dog sitters and is there a book that lists shire sites. We are thinking of going away for 3 months and taking our border collie with us and although she is trained and well behaved she has never been away in the caravan but travels well in the car on long distances. Had your border collie done a lot of travelling in your van and any hints we should know about travelling with a dog

Hi Lesley and everyone else,

I have never heard of dog sitters? Are they easy to come by? And how did you track them down?

Hi, My husband and I travelled round Australia with a border collie, was concerned to start with as the first caravan park we stayed at was terrible not dog friendly at all no where to run the dog and she had to poo on rocks . we decided to stay in freebies or shire sites which was fantastic no problems at all and when we wanted to go out for dinner or go to a national park we used dog sitters and they were really cheap and our dog got to play with other dogs, highly recommend it. were off next year to do the same thing in America and yes were taking our dog....good luck
lesley

My husband and I are currently travelling around Aus. on a working holiday with our 2 red cattle dogs. We left with one dog and ended up purchasing the other to keep the first company while we're not around.

We've been travelling for 3 months and so far we haven't had any hassles. We stay in free camps most of the time that we find in camp books, that inform us if we can/can't have the dogs.

We have on occasions had to leave the dogs alone due to us working, wanting to national park, shop, etc. We have tied the dogs up to our caravan with plenty of water, a few toys and usually a bone. We have not had any hassles doing this. Before we left we kept our pre holiday purchase dog on a rope on occasions to prepare him and let him know that being tied up was ok! we found the majority of the time he was tied up he just slept.

While we were skeptical about travelling with a dog we are really glad we did! Both our dogs are great guard dogs and great company :)

hi there guys! im jealous lol..... my parnter and i are planning and have been planning our trip around oz and not coming back to a base just selling everything and going with my 2 chihuahuas. We heading off when my daughter 15 finishes school and she is settled in life which can be less than 3 years shes smart lol..... I would love to hear your adventures with your dog and any tips u come across...... i no one thing when cum into a town theres alwsys a info centre go there first ya get lots of info privately from the employer there ...... happy travels........take care of ya all

Sorry I don't have any travelling with dogs advice (though we and our dogs are mighty jealous!), I do know why dogs aren't allowed in National Parks. 1080 baits are designed to attract foxes, and dogs love 'em. The poison kills quickly and painfully. If you kept your dogs safely on lead, native animals are still going to be frightened by their scent. We love hiking and camping, and we knew that getting dogs would restrict our options, but hey, most choices in life have pros and cons. Happy travels!

I am about to travel oz, on a solo trip. and I would like to get a dog to take with me, .. any suggestions on a good dog to get for the trip. I am liking the staffys, yet am open to any information.

Hi everyone!

My boyfriend and I are leaving early February, from Tasmania, to travel around Australia for a year (give or take a few months). We are travelling with our 3 year old maltese! He loves car travel, and people, and based on everyone elses responses I'm guessing that it will be challenging, but not impossible. I just simply could NOT leave him behind!!

I was wondering if anyone has any tips about what to do with your dog when you find a job? And in response to the lady who wants to do massage therapy from the annex of her van, I'm a beautician and am planning to do the EXACT same thing!

We will be heading east first after being in Melbourne for a month so if anyone is on a similar timeline, let me know. Maybe we can look after each others dogs at times?

Thanks!
Maxibon's Mum!

I'm in the processing of travelling but for those of you with a dog/s if you are ever in the Umina Beach/Gosford area there are a lot of places to exercise your dogs. Down at the southend of Umina Beach is a dog free area and Saturday mornings at about 09:00 the Lab Club and up to 90 dogs turn up for a run around. My dogs are friendly but I take them to Ettalong near the boat shed and the tide goes out almost to the middle and they run and swim and I can't stop them from annoying other dogs there. You can visit but don't stay - it still is our best secret okay!!!

Bill, I don't think it's about the size or age of your dog. A dog is a dog and if they allow one dog then they set a presedence to allow all dogs.

I sympathise with you. The fact that Nation Parks don't allow dogs even on a leash is pretty unfair. I can understand if they were off-leash and there were some endangered animals or ones likely to be injured by a dog but there should be some areas of National Parks where Dogs can be exercised at least on their lead.

hello you-all

my husband, our lab Marley and I have been travelling in a campervan for the past 6 weeks or so (and another 8 months to go). We've started in Sydney to go up north along the coast and have been going west for the past couple of days.

Even though we travel with Camps 5 and our dog is well trained and even a "Search and Rescue" dog, we find it extremely difficult as everywhere we seem to go dogs are not allowed. Yes, you can take your dog into certain campgrounds, but they are never allowed off leash and you hardly find a place to go where you can actually take your dog for a run or a bit of fun. Certainly dogs are not allowed in NP, which seem to be everywhere where there's something remotely interesting, you cant take them on a hike, because most likely the park you want to hike in is a NP again and today the most ridiculous thing of all: just outside Mount Isa is Lake, wildest outback, and there are actually signs "no dogs". I am sorry but it doesnt get more ridiculous than that. So you can have a dog as long it stays in your yard - or on the back or your truck. Stupid. If anyone would have told us up front, we would have spent our year off in North-America and saved AUD5000 for travel and quarantene.

Like you I am planning to work and travel around Oz with my 2 little dogs.

I would love to know how you get on.

I will have to work and am wondering what do I do with my 2 dogs whilst I am at work. I have a malt x and a chihuahua x.

Enjoy your trip.

Hi
My boyfriend and i are planning a working holiday around Australia staying in our camper trailer, leaving early next year.

We were wondering how you found travelling with your dog. We would love to take our dog with us, but are concerned about accomodation and work.

Any information or hints would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tracey

Hi

I travelled around Australia about 8 years ago and am about to do it again. One of the caravan parks I stayed at in Port Douglas had a hair dresser who worked from her caravan. She was a permanent resident though. Another girl I met up there started doing the same thing.

Maybe check with the caravan park you are staying at. If they are not too keen on the idea offer to give them a small commission.

Hope this helps a little. Goodluck.

Hi,
my husband and i are planning on travelling around Aus with our three 'kids' maltese x's. I am a massage thearpist so i was thinking i could set up my table in the annex of the caravan and massage for a living.
im not sure if that would be allowed tho.
Does anyone know if it is?
i have been doing a bit of research on taking the dogs and it seems as if quite a few people do it so it cant be too hard!!
cheers :}

Hi Bill,
Im from the mid north coast and i have three maltese x.
its a shame that you didnt find anywhere to walk your doggies because there are plenty of beaches around coffs (where i grew up)and tweed/gold coast (where i now live) and there are caravan parks where you can take your pets.
Im not sure about national parks though. I have read that there are a few around Aus that let you take your dogs on leads.
Hopefully you have better luck next time :)

Hi,

My partner and I are currently travelling Oz in our camper trailer with our lovely lab. We are all having a great time and my 4 year old "puppy" is having an absolute ball! It is quite easy to travel with your dog because a surprising number of caravan parks accept dogs (most with a good behaviour bond from $20 - $50) and there are numerous other camp spots/ camp grounds to camp at with them. My labrador loves swimming and playing ball and there are numerous beautiful beaches where they are allowed. We are travelling for over 10 months and didn't want to leave our dog behind and I would tell others to do the same. As long as your dog is reasonably well behaved and you keep them on a lead (when signs say to do so!) and pick up after them then you shouldn't have any problems. We wanted to go to several different National Parks (which we have) so did some forward planning and found suitable/reasonable boarding kennels for a day or overnight. The only one we're having problems with is the Bungle Bungles National Park, all the others have been fine.  

cheers
Hayley

ps. I have previously recommended the Campsaustralia book which has been a fabulous resource for us (see other blog from June 2009 below)

We are about to head off on a trip around oz and we have to large dogs (boxer x bull mastiff) i was worried that some caravan parks wouldn't accept them because they are so big. I would appreciate anyone comments on large dogs. We leave in a month and are seriously considering putting them in a kennels for the whole time. But i don't wany to do that if i can get out of that.

Australia is not a dog friendly location. Most parks and ALL national parks prohibit dogs. My wife and I just returned from the NSW mid north coast and could not find anywhere to walk our 2 small dogs other than along the street. Goodness knows what damage an old chihuahua and small fox terrier can cause to a national park or beach.

My patner and I have just travelled from SA to FNQ and had a lttle trouble in only a few places. Kalbarri in WA where we were turned away from caravan parks that advertised that they allowed dogs but in most caravan parks we had very little trouble but we did find that they prefer small dogs.Lakeside Van Park in Kunnurra WA has a section of the park just for travellers with pets. We have a ridgeback x mastiff

Hi, we have been travelling for nearly 8 months with my mini foxy. We started in Newcastle and have gone the coast road to Cooktown and are now travelling through inland to the Northern Territory. We have found it not too bad, a little restrictive at times, but still quite easy.

We have visited places like the Wallaman Falls, where we left her for a few hours at the kennels about 1/2 hour drive away. Paronella park was extremely dog friendly. They watch your dog on their balcony while you wander the park, they also allow the dogs to stay in their caravan park the night.

Most caravan parks will allow dogs as long as they are under control, but no Big 4 parks at all.

We went on a 1 hour cruise on the Daintree River at Daintree, and the cruise organiser was quite happy to watch Squirt while we were away.

There are 2 caravan parks at cape tribulation where you can stay, and the beaches there are dog friendly but have to be on a leash.

If you want to visit the Undara Lava tubes, the Bedrock Village caravan park at Mt Surprise pet mind while you go on the tour (only through their tour though). Plus this park is one of the best we have visited, clean and friendly and not alot of rules.

The Holidaying with Dogs book is available from most book stores, and has a list of pet friendly accommodation and pet sitters for the states, which we have found helpful. The Camps 5 book is really good for rest areas and cheap campgrounds that allow dogs. Also some state forests and National parks allow dogs - and is in this book.

Hope this helps, and hoping for more dog friendly places in the north and west.

Hi we are also planning the big trip around oz and would love to hear how people with dogs go

Beth

Hi, Me and my partner are planning on travelling around australia with our two dogs in Dec 09. Has anyone had any trouble in doing this. They are both a large breed Staffy x and Doberman x. They are no troubles in the car. Has anyone had trouble with what season you travel, as I've heard that some places don't allow dogs in 'peak' season... Looking forward to reading your thoughts.

Hi and thanks for your info on travelling with a dog. Our biggest concern is travelling through El Questro.

You said that it was 'great'. Does that mean they allowed you to camp with your pet?

Or did you find a kennel?

Any info would be really helpful.
Please write back.

Greetings everyone. We took 10 months to travel around Oz with our Maltese. It was great and not too inhibitive.

The biggest hurdles are National Parks and accommodation but it is generally fairly easy to check them into a kennel for a day or two so you can visit these parks. The only one we really had trouble with due to its remoteness was Purnululu (Bungle Bungles. Other than that, some caravan parks were a bit unfriendly (although surprisingly not Yulara) but most were really good, just so long as you kept your dog under control and on a leash. Beaches are a bit of a bummer in QLD. Many don't allow dogs and of course, travelling through Cape Trib migh prove a little difficult. El Questro in the Kimberelys was also great.

If you need to leave your dog in your car, make sure you have a bowl of water in a seat well for them, cover all the windows to minimise any heat and always try and park in the shade. If you can tether them outside the car, even better. This way, they can lie down under the car for shade (just don't forget the water). For kennels, leave a favourite toy and pillow or towel with them so they don't fret.

Oh, and one more thing, expect to have a few sleepless nights when you are camping. They like to keep watch and can get excited when the roos get too close (but they are great watch dogs).

Hope this helps.

HI

Where can I find the "Holidaying with Dogs" book?

Cathie

Hi, my partner and I are planning our trip around Australia for 2009 in a camper trailer with our labrador. I have picked up a couple of books which are "Camps Australia wide" by Philip Proctor which looks like it could be very useful as it gives you many caravan parks and rest areas and their facilities and contact details.

This tells you whether or not they allow dogs. I think version 4 is currently out and can be found at www.campsaustraliawide.com.

Another book I have is Bush camping with dogs, published by Flat Earth Camping. This also has places to stay with contact numbers etc. I have heard that some National Parks have places where you can check in your dog for the day while you visit the parks. I'm not sure which ones or where so I would be grateful for any info on this.

Happy travelling all you puppies!!!

My husband & I are about to head off to work & travel around Oz for about 12 months with our 2 yr old Jack Russell too. I have researched into accommodation & kennels if we need them but have been a little concerned about him being in the car so much & being restricted to where we can go. Would love to hear some suggestions too.

Hi Guys,
My wife and I are about 3mths away from traveling around with our dog. Visiting National Parks will be a problem and would have to leave our little mate in a Kennel. Shame we could not tag up with others on ocassion and look after each others dogs when needed.

Mick & I are heading around Australia in April, we have a terrier who is 11 years old we are a little concerned if we are doing the right thing, is there any advice that would be of any help.
Hope to see you all out there.
Barb

I would be really interested in seeing how you guys go too, my husband and i are planning on doing the same.

Hi Guys,
My wife and I are also in the last couple of months of planning to take us and our dog (Jack Russell - Maximus) around OZ for 12 months. The most obvious thing that restricts you seems to be no access to National Parks with your dog.

We have picked up a couple of really good books from RACV about camping around OZ with dogs, plenty of camp sites available.

The other thing we are looking into is dropping Max off at kennels occasionally if there is NP that we are dying to see (ie, Kakadu) but this can be expensive so will be limited. Have fun, hope to see you out there somewhere!

Cheers, Jim

Hi, your pet needs to be microcichipped, for safe return if lost and you need a very good tick wash, and use it every week. Find out from your vet which is the bad areas for heart worm, all the best Rob.

Hi,

A friend and I went travelling in Oz last year with his dog (Jack Russell) which we thought we cause problems but was far easier than expected. We always stayed in hostels, holiday camps, lodges etc which were always fine as long as we stayed in our own rooms (i.e. not in a dorm). Sometimes we would call the hostel ahead to check but on the whole it was fine. We used a couple of good websites offering loads of accommodation details. We traveled West Coast, East Coast, Alice Springs and NZ.

Hi, My partner & I are also planning to tour with our dog. I look forward to seeing some replies to your post.

If i get any tips mean while, i will let you know.

Cheers