Traveling with pets

Hi Greg & Leonie, a quick google of 'dogs in national parks' may give you some answers. You may only be able to travel through national parks with a dog rather than stay. Each state may differ. You will be restricted, as you have your dog to think about in each situation and location as well as yourselves. You don't want to have to leave your dog in a very warm car while you go off and have a look at something, or go for coffee or lunch. Have to be careful of fox bait. Hopefully you get a reply from others who travel with their pooch regularly, they may say yeah go for it!
Amanda.

Hi Greg , we traveled with our Labrador through the flinders , stayed on a station that allowed dogs , yes you do miss a bit as no dogs in Nat parks, but driving around plenty of things to get out with the dog and see, if we stop somewhere for lunch or coffee he just lies on the ground and watches the world go by, plenty of free camps or c/ van parks that allow dogs, at bourk we stay at mays bend on the river , lovely spot don't go in if rain would become boggy but easy access if dry you will fit , I've been told that some vets in towns will look after a dog for a fee, well we really don't have a option if we start to leave without him he sits in the middle of the drive way, no way is that van going without me

My dear Collie travelled with me everywhere I went. She has been around Australia twice, up the centre and many trips up and down the east coast.
So it is easy to travel with pets. There were many places I could not go to but my priority was to have this loyal and loving companion with me always.
Sadly she has now passed away but I have wonderful memories of her which far outway the beauty of any of the places I have seen.

Hi Greg & Leonie,

We travel with our dog. We use the WikiCamps app all the time and have the filters set to suit us, in this case to eliminate potential camp sites that don't allow dogs. Of course this eliminates national parks. However you will find plenty of camp sites, caravan parks, farm stays etc that do allow dogs, some of which are quite close to places you want to visit. And we have not had a problem transiting national parks. In a few cases we have come across people who are happy enough to look after our dog for a short time while we go into a park or even to go out to dinner somewhere. We make it a point to have our dog on a lead when anyone else is close by, and we pick up after him.
Cheers, Mark

We took our Jack Russell with us for years. We obviously could not camp in Nat Parks but we always found somewhere good to stay. The heat in Darwin was an issue and Darwin is generally very dog unfriendly as, of course is Kakadu. Generally you are not allowed to go out all day and leave a dog in a van or tied up in any caravan park, although you can often share dog minding with another caravanner. In Darwin we asked a vet to recommend a good kennel and she spent a few happy days in an excellent place and was cool and comfortable and very happy. In Katherine the local vet provided puppy day care and she had a happy day running around with several other small dogs while we visited the gorge. We found that day care is usually available near major attractions. We got used to sitting outside at cafes and one of us would have a coffee with the dog while the other went into the shops! The advantage of travelling with a dog was that she made us get out for good walks and we met plenty of people as we went - everyone talked to her if not to us! Check publications like Caravan Parks Australia Wide to get an idea of places available that take dogs. Badger's site also lists dog friendly places.
So a small dog like yours would be quite OK if you are willing to accommodate the dog's needs. We found the rewards were well worth the effort. Make sure your dog is fully vaccinated and carry the certificates with you for the kennels if needed and watch out in baited areas - keep him on a lead. Remember that dogs can dehydrate quite quickly even in an air conditioned car so you need to stop for walks and drinks fairly frequently but that is probably a good thing for you all. Good luck. Lynne

Hello.
We did a lot of travelling with our little Pug cross.
National Parks are no domestic pets but you can transit through but check.
On rougher roads Rocky couldn't settle and would stand up most of the time. As a result he would be worn out after a day of rough roads.
Caravan parks aren't dog friendly, even the ones that allow dogs.
We mainly bush camp and I was worried about dingoes getting him more than anything else. There is a lot of the country baited for wild dogs and I think that is what killed him. Some say it could have been a snake but I'm pretty sure it was a bait.
It's hard work travelling with a dog. I loved having him around but there are so many things to consider.
Steve

Totally agree with Lynn - do a bit of homework on where you can go and don't dwell on where you cant go and do take your vaccination certificates with you. We travelled with a pooch and the benefits far outweighed any negatives. Cheers Toni PS Look for stationstays and farmstays as they will often mind your dog for the day. If your staying with them that is.

I would leave the dog at home. Too many restrictions on travelling with dogs.