There’s no reason why you need to leave your dog at home while you have all the fun! We’ve come up with some dog-friendly places along and around the Great Ocean Road we think you and your furry friend will love.
Whether it’s camping, a beach house or holiday house – there are plenty of options around the Great Ocean Road for your dog.
So long as your dog is on a lead, there are plenty of walks and hikes you can do together. Just always check the rules of each place before setting off — some may even let you take your dog run free off lead!
Dogs are welcome on promenade and esplanade walks – but here are some of our favourite bushwalks to do with your pooch:
The best way to find out what dog friendly walks there are in the area is to chat with the locals at a Visitor Information Centre – they’ll probably even let you in on a few hidden ones!
You can also check the Parks Victoria website for more information.
Keep in mind that most places in the Otway National Park won’t allow dogs.
When it comes to dog-friendly breaks, you can’t beat beaches, especially on the Great Ocean Road! Your furry friend will love nothing more than to run around a beach feeling totally free, stumbling over the sand and doggy-paddling around in the waves. There are many beaches around which allow dogs to have fun without being on a lead, just be sure to check the signs as off-lead times are sometimes seasonal.
Here are a few to get you started:
There are always signs, so just check before you head out as sometimes peak season will have different rules.
If a cafe or pub has an outdoor area, chances are they will welcome your pooch with open arms. Here are our top 4 places to hang with your dog for a beer and a meal:
The pub’s dog-friendly beer garden is the perfect place for you and your furry friend to unwind — soak up the sun, check out the amazing landscape, and have a pint with man’s best friend! How many dog-friendly restaurants do you know that serve their own doggy beer?! At the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse, they serve “Beerdog’s Bitter”, a special alcohol-free brew that is designed to appeal to the taste buds of dogs, mimicking the taste of a pint but without giving Fido a nasty hangover!
Behind the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse, you will find Tastes of the Region, the Great Ocean Road’s one and only dog-friendly tasting room.
Here you can try some exciting local brews including the full range plus specialty brews from Prickly Moses handcrafted Beer. They also offer wine tastings, along with a fantastic selection of local produce from the Otways and Great Ocean Road regions that you can take home with you.
But the best of all, your furry friend is allowed inside the Tastes of the Region building and what’s more, they’ll be taking a polaroid picture of your dog for the Dog Wall of Fame! A brilliant way to honour the canine patrons and give their owners something to boast about over a pint or two.
It’s all in the name. Salty Dog doesn’t just allow dogs, they actively welcome them! There are always a range of big and small dogs here, salty from the beach and happy with their doggy treats you can buy at the cafe. This is a must stop with your dog and they serve great local coffee too.
Aireys Pub has a huge outdoor space and you’ll often find a dog or 2 outside keeping their owners company while they stop for a beer.
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Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
