30 Dog friendly beaches across Australia
Summer is here! The temperature’s rising, dogs are panting and the beach holiday is beckoning. So, where can we take our dogs to a beach to stretch their legs and splash around in the cool water?
Dog lover, Kevin Crawshaw has done the hard work for us and put together a list of 30 popular beaches for dog owners in Australia.
Check out some great dog friendly beaches in your state or territory.
Dog friendly beaches in Queensland
- On the Gold Coast you can walk your dog on most beaches on a leash but you can also go to one of the following three beaches covering over three kilometres of off-leash stretches of golden sand:
- The rather untamed but beautiful Red Beach on Bribie Island offers many kilometres of space for dogs to splash around and exhaust themselves! – http://www.mustdobrisbane.com/dogs-beaches/red-beach-leash-dog-beach-bribie-island
- The Sunshine Coast has also has a number of dog friendly beaches, with one of the best being at Sunshine Beach – http://www.mustdobrisbane.com/dogs-dog-beaches/sunshine-beach-dog-leash-beach
- There are many dog friendly beaches and foreshores along the Fraser Coast. A very good website with a link to a document outlining the dog accessible beaches from Barrum Heads to Tinana is http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/dog-off-leash-areas
- The mid-Queensland coast town of Mackay has a number of beaches that will welcome dogs both on and off-leash. This link shows the beaches, times and rules around taking the dog to the beaches of this tropical coastal community – http://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/residents/local_laws/animal_management/responsible_dog_ownership/mackay_regional_council_off-leash_areas
Dog friendly beaches in New South Wales
- As you’d want from the beautiful beaches of Byron Bay, there are a number of areas along the coastline that provide off-leash walking for our four-legged friends. Details can be found on this link – http://www.byron-bay-beaches.com/dog-friendly-beaches.html
- The NSW Mid Coast and Great Lakes region has some lovely areas for walking your off-leashed dog both on the beach and around the Lakes foreshores. This website with links to maps and details is very helpful – http://midcoast.greatlakes.nsw.gov.au/Community-Recreation/Pets/Dogs-In-Public-Spaces
- On the NSW Central Coast you will find many enjoyable and beautiful beaches that welcome off-leash dogs and their owners. This website lists where you can walk without a leash from Avoca to Wamberal beaches – http://postcardsydney.com/dog-friendly-beaches-on-the-central-coast/
- In 2010, Wollongong Council put in place a Dogs on Beaches and Parks policy where they have put together coloured zones that indicate the type of access from off-leash at all hours, to limited off-leash hours and then onto totally prohibited. This website will show you those beaches, from total access at Little Austinmer to limited hours access at Sandon Point, across this beautiful coastline that offer the best places to take your dog – http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/services/household/pets/Pages/DogsonBeaches.aspx
- Kiama provides a very useful downloadable leaflet that outlines those beaches that can be accessed fully off-leash as well as their particular rules. Beaches from Bombo to Jones Beach provide this freedom for dogs and their owners and the link to this brochure can be found on this page – http://www.kiama.nsw.gov.au/residents/pets—other-animals/off-leash-areas
- Sydney – According to Great Dog Walks, there is only one dog-friendly ocean beach in Sydney – Greenhills Beach north of Wanda Beach near Cronulla. But don’t give up hope as there are also other dog-friendly harbour beaches, bays and lagoons where you and your dog can enjoy mucking about in the water. More details at http://www.greatdogwalks.com.au/sydney-dog-friendly-beaches.aspx
Dog friendly beaches in Victoria
- Melbourne has it’s glorious Port Phillip Bay and fortunately the authorities are keen to promote all forms of dog exercise and provide a very useful downloadable map showing where a dog can be taken and any restrictions that may apply. This map can be found on this website – http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/dogs_on_beaches.htm
- Along the wild and beautiful Bass Coast, there are many beaches and zones within beaches where you can walk your dog either on or off-leash. It is really worth checking out this website where you can find out the rules and options for taking your dog out for an invigorating walk – http://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/Leisure/Beaches_and_Foreshore_Reserves/Where_Can_I_Take_My_Dog_
- Along the Surf Coast and including small towns such as Lorne and Anglesea, you find some a number of areas that carry some restrictions but, fortunately for such a popular part of the Victorian coast, most areas provide some very decent off-leash areas for dogs and you can download a map and brochure from this website – http://www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/My_Community/Pets_Animals/Dogs_On_Leash_Controls
- Warrnambool is a popular coastal town that benefits from its close proximity to the Great Ocean Road. Many visitors come for the fishing as well as the very popular Whale spotting from Logans Beach – fortunately, this beach also provides off-leash dog walking. Details of this area and other on and off-leash zones can be found on this website – https://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/walking-your-dog
Dog friendly beaches in Tasmania
- It is somewhat surprising that Tasmania, with its bountiful and beautiful National Parks, could provide so many opportunities, outside of these Parks, that give your dog the chance to run free. The attached website provides you with a list of many such areas where dogs have such freedom. Of course, please check out the details of the area that you wish to visit. The extremely helpful website is http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=494
- Adams Beach, that forms part the Bridport Walking Track, is dog-friendly. Details of this lovely walk and beach can be found on this website – http://bridportwalkingtrack.com.au/village-by-the-sea/bridport-beaches/
- Hobart provides a long list of beaches and parks up and down the River Derwent that provide both on and off-leash areas for dogs to exercise. Details and a downloadable brochure can be found on this City of Hobart webpage – http://bridportwalkingtrack.com.au/village-by-the-sea/bridport-beaches/
- Back Beach is one of a number of dog friendly beaches found in the northern Tasmanian town of Devonport. Details can be found on this government website – http://www.devonport.tas.gov.au/Live/Pets-Animals/Animal-Exercise-Areas
Dog friendly beaches in South Australia
- Holdfast Bay, where you can find the famous Glenelg beach, allows limited hours off-leash dog walking. You can find further details on this link – http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=4904&c=16980
- Aldinga and Sellicks Beaches, that are part of the Onkaparinga coast (a lovely area south of Adelaide) welcome dogs onto their beaches. More details of the dog friendly areas and rules can be found on this website – http://onkaparingacity.com/onka/discover/beaches/dogs_on_beaches.jsp
- For those a little adventurous, you can venture off the Lincoln Highway onto the sands of Lipson Cove that is part of the Eyre Peninsula. It’s only 8kms of unsealed road to some worthwhile dog-friendly areas to explore. Details can be found on this website – http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/South-Australia/Eyre-Peninsula-and-Nullarbor/Lipson/Lipson-Cove-Camp-Area
- The seaport town of Port Augusta has wide estuary bays and beaches with most allowing access for dogs, although some with time-sharing restrictions. More details can be found with a link to a document from this website – http://www.portaugusta.sa.gov.au/dogs
Dog friendly beaches in Western Australia
- Over 700 miles to the east of Perth, you will find the Goldfields coastal town of Esperance where there is a positive approach to dog ownership with dog friendly access to the towns beaches with some time-sharing restrictions. Details can be found on the towns website – http://www.esperance.wa.gov.au/animal-exercise-areas#accordion-0-0
- A couple of hundred kilometres closer to Perth, there is the sea town of Bremers Bay, situated on the mouth of the Bremer River. It is known that the beaches here are classified as dog friendly, although the councils website doesn’t clarify the areas or any restrictions. Council contact details can be found on their website – http://www.jerramungup.wa.gov.au/tourism/bremer-bay/
- Albany, the oldest permanently settled town in WA, has many beaches stretching across the Rainbow Coast. Those that are dog friendly are found listed on this very helpful website – http://www.rainbowcoast.com.au/adventures/dog-friendly-locations
- On the south west corner of Western Australia, there are glorious landscapes and beaches to explore and, luckily, the local communities and the Shire of Bussleton, are keen to promote dog exercise areas across the region. A list and a useful map can be found on this webpage – http://www.dogfriendlywa.com/beaches–parks.html
- Where the Swan River meets the Indian Coast is the city of Perth and despite being a thriving urban environment, there remains many a beach for a dog to fully explore and these can be found listed on this very useful website – http://www.westernaustralia-travellersguide.com/dog-beaches-perth.html#.WETUJrJ97IU
- Over 400 kms north of Perth is the mid-west coastal city of Geralton, where, fortunately, they take their dog exercising very serious across their parks and beaches. Details can be found here – http://www.cgg.wa.gov.au/live/my-home/greater-geraldton-maps/dog-exercise-areas.aspx
Dog friendly beaches in Northern Territory
- There are a number of beaches around Darwin but not many allow freedom of dog movement. One that does allow very decent dog (and horse!) exercise is Casuarina Beach. Like all open areas in the Northern Territory, it is important to check the local conditions and obtain current advice from government websites etc. Details of Casuarina Beach can be found here – http://www.enjoy-darwin.com/casuarina-beach.html