From cafes and restaurants to walking trails and swimming holes, Queensland has so many pet-friendly offerings so there’s no excuse to leave your furry friend behind!
First thing’s first, some tips on travelling with your pet. You’ll need to bring all their basics with them like bowls and their bed. You’ll need regular stops for water and wees. You’ll also need to have them secure in the car so that can either be in a crate, or if you have a harness with a special attachment for the seat belt that works too.
It’s a good idea to do their flea and tick treatment just before you depart too. For this half-hour show, Cookie (who is actually our Producer’s dog) got her first-ever tick so it was a timely reminder.
Another thing to think about is not only your sun safety but your pet’s! Nudicover specialises in sun protection while keeping your pet cool.
“We had lots of customers asking us if we had any for their pets and we do now so we’re made matching dog coats for the pets,” said Gail Smith of Nudicover. “They’re very lightweight and you can swim in them and they dry in 5 minutes.”
“If you have a pet that has skin allergies, they’re really really helpful and it’s a non-toxic approach as well.”
MURGON
Starting out in the rural town of Murgon in the South Burnett, there’s a great little caravan park with plenty for your pooch to do, Barambah Bush Caravan Park.
Owned by Scott Croxford, the park is situated on 200 acres and you have the choice of powered or unpowered sites. There are plenty of amenities, a camp kitchen, three dams where you can have a fish and even a nine-hole golf course. The bird feeding was a big highlight here, occurring every afternoon around 4pm. There are also several walking tracks and mountain bike tracks to explore.
“The South Burnett, it’s a fairly unique part of Queensland I think. You wouldn’t see countryside like this anywhere else,” said owner Peter. “Just down the road you’ve got Bjelkie Peterson Dam, around Moffatdale there’s four wineries and if you go through Murgon there’s a place called Boat Mountain which looks like an upside-down boat and walking tracks up there.”
For an activity, if your pooch is anything like our Cookie and they enjoy a swim, Bjelkie Peterson Dam is popular with the four-legged locals. We only recommend you deter them from drinking from the dam as during some parts of the year it can contain a variant of algae not great for dogs.
KILKIVAN
Just over 40 kays east from Murgon is the relaxed little country town of Kilkivan and the Kilkivan Bush Camping and Holiday Park where Ralph and Antonija run the place.
“We have 96 powered sites, we have 10 acres of unpowered camping as well,” said Antonija. “We at the moment have six safari cabins and three glamping cabins as well so for those guys that don’t have camping equipment and still want to come and enjoy the bush.”
The standout here? The feeling that you’re out in nature.
“Revegetation and regeneration of this area is extremely important to us. It’s really our passion that have for our park and so over the 12 years that we’ve been here, we’ve planted over 12,000 native trees and shrubs and that has just increased the bird life and the bug life and everything in this area dramatically and it just creates a much softer, more calming inviting environment.”
“We have full facilities, pool, we have our very popular Ralphies Bush Bar up the top.”
Ralphie’s Bush Bar is open to anyone so you can drop in even if you’re not staying at the Park and we highly recommend their cracker meals.
Kilkivan is also the starting point of the well-known Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail.
“The railway would have been established in the late 1800s,” said Ralph who has been a local for 12 years. “It would have basically been the lifeblood to connect the towns and service the different industries through the towns.”
The Rail Trail comprises of abandoned railway corridors that are suitable for walking, cycling, horse riding and of course taking your furry friend along.
The total distance of the trail is 88 kilometres.
For sustenance, the well-known Kilkivan Hotel in a 100-year-old building is a bit of a town landmark and will have you sorted for a hearty meal.
While it’s in the hands of new owner John Panetta, the previous owner’s dog friendly rule still applies.
“The dogs were always allowed here so it’s a big thing,” John said. “They come in the front bar, and we’ve got a beer garden our the back and a lot of travellers and locals love to bring their dogs.”
GYMPIE
The historic Gympie Train Station is the starting point for the Mary Valley Rattler journey and now every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, your pets can join you.
“It’s one of the best things about the Mary Valley Rattler,” said Linda Barry. “You can be travelling and wondering what to do when you’ve got a couple of animals, and you can bring them on board!”
Not to worry if your furry friend is a little nervous hopping aboard, there’s a special incentive. Four legged passengers get a special treat made and baked by the onsite chef.
This heritage steam train experience runs through the heart of the Gympie region into Dagan and Amamoor where passengers can hop off to stretch their two (or four) legs.
In Amamoor, the trains turns around on a turntable before heading back again.
This amazing experience is possible thanks to an amazing team of volunteers.
“They will absolutely make it one of the best experiences you can have.”
IMBIL
Imbil Camping Retreat is a 12 acre family friendly, and pet friendly, spot managed by Rob and Kelly.
Rob and Kelly were camping regulars at the retreat for 15 years and what was the main reason they decided to take it on recently.
“It’s truly magic and it’s just so relaxing for everyone where you can just switch off and you can have your dogs here, fire, it’s just wonderful,” said Kelly.
This park has plenty of powered and unpowered sites and when it comes to activities you can hire kayaks, SUPs and bikes and the kids will love a special little island on the property that Kelly refers to as “mud island”.
“I’ve seen many clothes thrown in the bin when they leave here because they are covered in mud, but they just have the best time,” Kelly laughed.
For the pets, there’s an off-leash area and they can swim in the Yabba Creek.
POMONA DISTILLING CO
This craft gin distillery celebrates our furry friends with an entire section dedicated to dog art and a polaroid wall of fame for each “distillery dog” that enters.
There’s plenty for the humans to enjoy too of course.
“We started with three signature spirits, the blue gin, the pink gin and the dry gin, we now do liquors and vodkas as well,” said the venue’s Bianca Bishop.
Pomona Distilling Co is big on infusion, and we don’t just mean the drinks.
“Everything’s recycled,” Bianca said. “So the big, beautiful arbor you see behind us used to be the Kilcoy bridge. The bar you see in the still house here used to be a mould for a concrete water tank company. All of the garden is all done by a local gardener.”
BOREEN POINT
On the banks of Lake Cootharaba, Boreen Point Campground is a peaceful and serene spot.
“There’s over 70 sites, a mix of powered and unpowered,” said Boreen Point’s Lachlan Sole. “Any site here, it’s a short walk to the water, it’s a beautiful place.”
It’s great for pets and kids too.
“We see a lot of dogs get around and great for the kids because there’s not much traffic that goes through so you can let them run wild.”
On site, plenty for them to do as it has its very own BMX track.
“We’ve got some big jumps out the back as well as a basketball court,” Lachlan added.
A massive bonus here, you can cheat a little when it comes to lunch as only a few steps away is the Apollonian Hotel. It’s one of the last surviving timber music hall hotels built in the 1870s.
As you can see there are so many pet-friendly offerings throughout Queensland, so why not take a road trip with your best friend? Your fur babies will love you for it.
Talk to the experts about your Pet Friendly RV options at the Let’s Go Brisbane Caravan and Outdoor Sale.
Let’s Go Brisbane Caravan & Outdoor Sale
Brisbane Showgrounds
27 to 30 October
