Our four-legged friends are family, they are always there to greet us, with tails wagging after a long day at work and we often favour them over our better halves. So why not strap them into the car, and make memories with your mutt on your next family adventure!

 

Day 1: Accommodation, beach swims & brews

Check into BIG4 Breeze Bargara , it’s in prime location and offers powered and unpowered sights to those travelling with furry friends and an off leash dog park close by to keep your pup busy. 

Clip on the lead and take a stroll along the esplanade to the that connects this part of Bargara with the main shopping and eating area. Head to the Windmill Cafe on See Street, to chow down on a sumptuous all day breakfast inspired and abundant with local produce. Joey and the team even have your canines covered with gelato and biccys that won’t upset their tummies.

For you evening feed, feast the way the locals do with pizza and beers at Ballistic Bargara in Bundaberg CBD. Slurp up a tasting paddle and tuck into some delicious pizzas or bar snacks off the menu. Dogs are welcome in this industrial style beerhouse where the beer is cold, delicious and there are even options for the non beer lovers.

Day 2: From brekky and beach walks to sugar highs and salty fries

Start your day right at Indulge Cafe - they have a wonderful menu bursting at the seams full of local produce and the most delectable options (son in law eggs with XO sauce/asian greens/rice noodles, Belgian chocolate breakfast panna cotta and toasted beer brioche with bratwurst sausage) and hot, delicious coffee, guaranteed to give you the much needed energy kick for this arvos adventures. Your dog can join you in outside dining on the street or in the middle part across from the cafe under the shade of the sprawling fig tree. 

Make sure you pop to Cha Cha Chocolate with your furry friend and introduce them to Melanice who owns the willy Wonka inspired sweetie heaven and has two gorgeous cocker spaniels of her own. You won’t meet Sparkles and Benny at the shop but you will be welcome to hold your dog and pick up some of her handmade fudge or the best freeze dried strawberries on the planet! There is also an amazing range of local tastes, teas, biscuits, vintage chocolate cabinet and a selection of US and UK sweets to satisfy the biggest chocoholic. 

Hop back in the car and head to Bundy’s take on the Maldives, Elliott Heads. The beach plays the perfect canvas for your pup to paint the sand with pawprints. With hidden mermaid lagoons and a calm riverside for those slightly older gals (four legged) to take a dip and sooth those tired bones. Sprawl for a while under the shade of a cotton tree before rustling up enough of an appetite for more sweet treats.

En route back to your accom, you’ll come across Tinaberries on Zinks Rd, and an juicy detour you wont regret. Dogs have their own little pooch parking area, that is shaded and stocked with water, but they must be able to get on with other dogs who might also be left there while their owners are busy picking strawberries or eating ice cream. During strawberry season you can pick your own punnet of mouth-watering berries or you can indulge in an ice cream using produce from the farm - flavours include Strawberry, passionfruit, dragonfruit and lime and blueberry. Yummo! Resident farm kelpies Tilly and Tuki will be roaming around and are always keen for a belly scratch in the sun.

Fish and chips are always a good idea! So after your dip/walk/snorkel/explore hit up one of the local takeaways for a cold drink and some of the saltiest, yummiest chippies and fish around. Al fresco dining is our kind of style, so enjoy dinner on the beach or the grassy esplanade before heading back for a well earned snooze.

Day 3: Morning strolls, cider session and an pic for the poolroom

If your pooch is an early riser take a walk along the whole Bargara esplanade to the basin and back and then  you can head to The Beach Mill just under the Nielsons Park surf club for a coffee and light brekky.

After spending the morning packing up camp, it’s time for a well earned lunch time tipple. Ohana Winery and Cheeky Tiki Cider offer a tasting paddle of 5 different ciders or you can pull up a stool and have a yarn to legends behind this brew, Zoe and Josh and at the bar and have a taste of their latest offerings. Dry Hopped, Passionfruit, Orange and Ginger, Rose, Pineapple and more flavours will compete for your paddle choices and you won’t be able to leave without purchasing a take away tallie or 4-pack. Pooches welcome and cuddles almost expected! 

Before you bid Bundy farewell, make a quick pitstop at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience and snap a selfie in front of The Big Bundy Rum Bottle. An iconic snap, to round up an iconic adventure.

Sweet Dreaming

Choose from these pads, completely pooch friendly and welcoming of your whole family - range from motor inns, caravan parks and farm stays.

• Splitters Farm - an out of town (only a short 15 min drive) farmstay style accommodation. Your pooch will need to be pre-approved and on leash whilst on the premises as there are lots of free range poultry.
• BIG4 Breeze Bargara - great location and a range of dog-friendly options from powered sites and cabins. Awesome walks not too far away and a free range, off leash area and beach nearby. 
• Hideaway Haven - tranquillity or serenity suite, located in South Bingera picturesque outlook and not far from the Bundaberg CBD. 
• NRMA Woodgate Beach Holiday Park - perfect for a quiet, beachside holiday stay. Glamping tents, cabins, campsites and caravan spots available across the road from stretches of pooch-friendly, white sandy beach. 
• Bundaberg East Cabin & Tourist Park - located in the centre of all the wonderful things to do, Bundy East is a great option near to the rum distillery, Ohana, only a short drive to Bargara. The Tourist villas are the best option for you and your family pooch. 

Where to throw a ball, play with other pooches and take your daily walks (mostly with a view)

• Dog parks - there are a number of off leash dog parks where your pooch can explore, roam and freely play. Daph Geddes Park in East Bundaberg, Edina Street park in Bundaberg North, Mary Kinross Park at Bargara and the northern end of Neilson Park at Bargara. 
• Elliott Heads Beach & foreshore - vast expanses of sandy flats to explore, roam and sniff out. Dogs love this beach and so do owners, with many pooches spotted aboard a paddleboard or splashing about in the shallow spots. 
• Bargara Esplanade and Archie’s & Rifle range beach - the esplanade is a paved path that stretches over 3km along the Bargara coastline. Archie’s and rifle range beaches are popular spots to walk and doggy paddle with your furry friend.

Check out the full list here