Mutts

Get a Dingo they basically look after them self, Welcome everywhere accept maybe by farmers, all you need to do is be able to stand that howling. :)

We bought a book Camping with Dogs in Australia and it is surprising to see just how many places there are where dogs are allowed.

Had to sneak through the Simpson not so long ago as roads were closed. Someone reported us but nothing has come of it yet. I don't really care. Pay the fine if one gets caught or let the gov waste lots of money taking you to court.

Funny thing is No Dogs allowed in National Parks but Dingoes roam everywhere

I am dealing with exactly this problem atm as I am planning the trip from Cairns to Sydney at the end of the year and of course my precious best friend cannot fly so I will be driving with him and SWMBO (who is the real reason why the dog cannot fly - she could not bear to leave him in the cargo hold). Naturally, we will be camping most of the way and staying with sympathetic friends dotted down the coast for the rest of it as there are not many hotels that have a dog house. I rang Nat parks and they say that you are allowed to take dogs through nat parks but not let them out of the vehicle when off main roads. This is obviously fairly restrictive and I would rather not get caught disobeying this rule so will probably be staying away from Nat parks on the way down. There are two books from Life Be In It: Camping with Dogs and Holidaying with dogs but they mainly just have caravan parks where dogs are allowed and even then it seems like most of these places require quite strict control of the dog (which I always exercise anyway) or advanced notice of arrival. I have been up the Cape a couple of times in the last year and left the little man at home because I think that the crocs may like him more than me. This has meant that SWMBO has had to stay at home and baby sit which is fine by all three of us.

In short, my dog is a bit of a drag when it comes to finding camping spots but the benefit of his unconditional love certainly outweighs the small concessions I have to make and if I really want to go somewhere that he is not welcome then I leave him with friends who also have a dog and don't mind one more

Michael

You can normally drive thru Nat Parks with dogs and State Forests usually allow you to camp with em. Still, dogs really do limit you. I was out-voted, unanimously by the bread-kinfe & two parasites (I love em dearly, really) and we now have a little Jack Russell who we hate to leave behind and as a result deny ourselves access to a lot of places. But we're just softies who can't bear denying our little mutt a holiday which he enjoys probably even more than we do.

Just finished a trip aroun Oz with my dog. I found no problems at all. I didn't attempt o go into NP. In my opinion too much of our country is taken up by NPs. In some cases NPs are an excuse not to do anything with the land. In regards to dingoes I believe they were brought here by the aboriginees from South East Asia and are therefore an introduced spiecies like their owners

We never take the dog. He goes to a boarding kennel or gets looked after by neighbours.

How come their is no specific mention of taking pet CATS into National Parks?

I can understand why dogs and cats aren't allowed into Nat. Parks but was amused when travellers we met on the road, who have a caged bird, told us that they were denied entry to a Nat. Park. ??

Banjo (WA)

Davoe. We dont go anywhere without our little bundle of canine joy (35kg. of girlie bull terrier!) Apart from being No.1 best mate, she is also our "over the horizon early warning device", very handy when you camp in some off beat locations.

Yes, we have been chipped in a NP, respond by saying a/ did not see any signs to identify it, b/ 30 yrs. ago this was open crown land, what has changed?, (you need to be obviously over 65 to justify that comment, c/ if camped beside or off the road, ask where the road reserve fence or boundary is. I have also asked for the ranger to provide me with their full identification if I am to provide mine. No one should ever let anything go unchallenged, we do still have our rights. Have been threatened, but not prosecuted (yet!)

So I spose Davoe, I (we) do what we have now long done and take the pooch anyway. (and whether native protected or feral, any property owner is going to be happy for you to knock off any dingo's seen on their or others property).
My main regard is that when you have a dog, to be totally responsible for it and its behaviour.
the kesh

G'day Davoe,

have tried both - took my foxy, when I turned left at Melbourne and kept going 'till I hit the Kimberley - it was a bit of a drag for both of us (I don't have the luxury of having someone to stay at home and mind him, or to come with me and share dog sitting duties). Trouble is, there's lots of baited areas, crocs etc., all of which are bad for dogs, not to mention the time he nearly died from mouthing a dead toadfish at Coronation Beach. The poor little bugger had to be leashed most of the time, I didn't get to go to many of the places I wanted to visit (which are in NP's), nor did I manage to do much fishing, as I couldn't leave the dog unattended, and he likes to get involved with fishing, which ruins my time. Not to say that I didn't get to some magic places, and we both had a good time, in spite of these restrictions !

Last trip, where I turned right at Melbourne, I left the dog home with my neice as dog sitter which allowed me to fully enjoy my trip, camp where I liked, and fish whenever I felt like it - great ! But missed the dog a bit, and when I came home after 3 months, a bit like strangers.

Too expensive ($10-$12 per day) for me in boarding kennels - I don't know what I'll do next time, but travelling alone with a dog is not much chop IMHO !

WRT the other stuff about dogs and NP's - I have a bit of a problem with them being barred from such areas as Wolfe Creek etc., where the reserve is created for its outstanding landforms, (anything a dog is likely to threaten there has already been put under the hammer by dingoes, which have been here a lot longer than domesticated dogs ) but no problems when wildlife reserves are concerned, or where no dingoes are (or have been present). I guess that, as usual, rather than choosing (or providing the resources ) to manage perceived problems, governments find it easier to legislate and regulate against activities.

"Feral" dingoes ??? I thought that "feral" meant "introduced and naturalised", which criterion the dingo does not meet. "Pest" animal is another issue though.
cheers
Terry
2003 HZJ78 Poptop camper

dave
take our dog most places we go but miss out on seeing heaps amd very restricted re some of the bigger trips.-never realised how much of country is national parks
live vic so plenty of state forest areas that allow dogs. travelled from melb to nambour(qld) and back down coast cple months ago and very restricted re free camping spots-bit of extra planning needed and ended up in some caravan parks which normally wouldnt have considered
other points to consider-cant take dog shopping ie for food,into restaurants/cafes/pubs,and many beaches wont allow dogs so very restrictive.
certainly changed our lifestyle and where we can go but it is great having dog along for ride most of time
cheers
fozzy