by Janice Heath (
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Welcome. Here you can find the most unique, fun, traditional, tasty, wacky, historical, contemporary, discovered and undiscovered places, events, experiences and things to do.
Ever wished that it was
easy to take your dog on holiday? That there might be places where there are walks aplenty, things to do, places to explore and welcoming dining and accommodation venues?
Well,
Shoalhaven on the NSW south coast has just the thing. A truly brilliant guide entitled "
Pets on Holiday", shares all the inside info on places where you
CAN take your dog in the region.
Accommodation, beaches, off-leash areas, walking trails, markets, day trips, dining and even
wineries, as well as a listing of
local vets, doggy daycare and
pet boarding, grooming and
pet supply providers - everything you want or need to know in one place. The guide is available in hard copy and downloadable formats.
Beaches, glorious beaches
Having picked up a hard copy of the guide at the information centre, our first interest was in finding pet-friendly accommodation. This was well covered with a long listing of all varieties of places to stay from bed and breakfast through to camping. We ended up at
Tall Timbers Caravan Park in Shoalhaven Heads and it proved to be a friendly and comfortable environment for us and our pooch.
The
Shoalhaven region stretches over a considerable area encompassing mountains, coastal plains, a plethora of beaches and 49 towns and villages, so there is plenty to see. Some of the suggested itineraries for days out with your dog include Berry, Nowra, Jarvis Bay and Ulladulla. We chose a day trip to inland Kangaroo Valley. The scenery was spectacular, the historic Hampden Bridge something of a marvel and the pretty town offered a variety of shops and several dog-friendly eateries.
The famous Hampden Bridge in Kangaroo Valley
One of the best parts of the guide was its listing of fifteen walks to do with your dog (and these are only some of the itineraries available). We chose the Abrahams Bosom Wreck Walk in Currarong as it was easy to park (in the off-season - in Summer it would likely be busy) and a relatively short and well-graded track for our not-so-young dog. There are however plenty of different walks to suit various levels of human and canine energy and interests. A picturesque array of rainforests, cliffs, beaches and rivers, historical sites, wildlife, wildflowers, scenic views and the possibility of whale sightings are on offer.
Shady, well graded walking track at Abrahams Bosom
We really enjoyed our stay in the area and appreciated how easy it was to plan our days knowing in advance what dog-friendly options were available. Often you have to be a local to gain such inside knowledge so well done Shoalhaven for creating such a useful and welcoming guide for your pet-loving visitors.
Shoalhaven Heads Beach, a good spot for a long walk on the sand
Shoalhaven is on the New South Wales south coast approximately two hours drive south from Sydney and around two and a half hours drive north from Canberra.
