Melbourne metro dog beaches
Brighton Dog Beach is the best-equipped dog beach in Melbourne with a fenced off-leash area, water stations, and dedicated facilities. The calm bay water suits all dog swimming abilities and the adjacent cafe strip is excellent.
St Kilda Harbour has a popular off-leash area and is one of the most social dog spots in Melbourne particularly on weekend mornings. The esplanade adjacent has good walking.
Mordialloc, Aspendale, and Carrum beaches along the bayside have off-leash sections that are less crowded than the inner-bay options.
Collapsible Dog Water Bottle with Bowl
A water bottle with a built-in fold-out bowl so you can hydrate your dog at any stop. Fits in a car door pocket or day bag. One of the most-used items on any trip.
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Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula has the best concentration of dog beaches in Victoria. The Mount Martha Beach Walk passes through four separate off-leash areas in sequence. Safety Beach is long and flat. Rye Dog Beach is reliable year round and good for all sizes. Flinders Dog Beach on the ocean side is dramatic and less crowded.
The peninsula has both bay side beaches with calm water and ocean side beaches with surf. Bay side beaches suit smaller dogs and nervous swimmers. Ocean side beaches suit larger, more confident swimming dogs.
Dog Life Jacket with Rescue Handle
A flotation vest with a top-mounted rescue handle and reflective strips. Even confident swimmers need one in unfamiliar or moving water. The handle lets you lift your dog out fast.
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Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road requires planning for dog owners. Most of the dramatic scenery is inside national park where dogs cannot leave the car.
The dog-friendly sections are worth doing. Anglesea has council-managed beach access. Lorne has foreshore areas. Apollo Bay has beach access outside the national park sections.
Be aware that coastal scrub along the Great Ocean Road is prime tiger snake territory. Keep dogs on short leashes near any scrub or trail edges.
Dog-Safe Sunscreen
A dog-safe sunscreen for noses, ears, and exposed skin. Light-coated and short-haired dogs sunburn easily in Australian conditions. Human sunscreen is toxic to dogs, this is formulated for them.
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Gippsland
The Gippsland coast is underrated for dog owners. Inverloch has good dog beach access and the town has a relaxed pace. The Ninety Mile Beach region has extensive beach access though the scale of the beach requires good recall for off-leash time.
Wilsons Promontory National Park does not allow dogs. The state forest and coastal reserve areas immediately outside the park boundary do have some accessible areas.
Victoria has some of Australia's most beautiful dog beaches. The Mornington Peninsula alone is worth the trip. Write to us at hello@pawtrips.com.au with your Victorian beach recommendations.
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