On the road with Brodie: a week in Tasmania

Over Christmas I travelled with my partner and our dog Brodie all the way from home in Newcastle, to Tasmania to visit family over Christmas. In the last post I talked about all the adventures to get from Newcastle to the Spirit of Tasmania in Melbourne. After arriving in Devonport from the Spirit of Tasmania we drove straight to Launceston which is about an hour away. In Launceston we stopped for coffee at Stillwater Restaurant who welcome dogs at their outside tables – they have water bowls available and even serve puppuccinos. After that we did a lovely walk along the waterfront around to the Seaport which also has several restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating. The nearby Cataract Gorge is beautiful, and you can walk across Kings Bridge for a view of the Gorge, but unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the Gorge walking tracks.

From there we drove down to Dodges Ferry, about 40 minutes from the Hobart CBD. It is a nice little beachy town, that we used as our base for the week – it has all the essentials including a supermarket and cafe but it is otherwise very quiet and relaxing. Nearby Sorrell has more if you need supplies. We rented a dog friendly Airbnb which was in a really nice spot, only a five minute walk from Carlton Beach, which is almost entirely an off leash dog beach. We went there every day we were there, which Brodie absolutely loved. The beach was so clean and never too crowded. From Dodges Ferry we explored a range of dog friendly activities including:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port Arthur

As it turns out, one of Tasmania’s most famous tourist attractions is also dog friendly! The main entrance to Port Arthur is through the visitor centre but dogs can go in through the side gate. When you purchase your tickets, just let the staff member know you have a dog and they will then meet you to unlock the gate. The majority of the attractions are outdoors anyway, so we had a great time wandering amongst all the ruins. There are also a couple of bushwalks you can do towards the back of the property. On the drive back from Port Arthur we also stopped at the Dog Line statue at Eaglehawk Neck, where dogs used to keep guard and look out for escaping convicts. From there you can take a short walk along the beach (which is an off leash dog beach) and check out the Tessellated Pavement: a beautiful natural rock formation.

The Margate Train

Margate is a town only 20 minutes drive from Hobart CBD. There we visited the Margate train – the last passenger train in Tasmania that is permanently located on the platform there. Each carriage has different shops including lollies, a pancake cafe, a craft beer and wine bar serving a great selection of local brews, and an antiques shop. There is plenty of undercover seating and water bowls for the dogs. Margate also has lots of walking tracks that are dog friendly. We did one along the Margate Rivulet that ran between farms and along the water. It was a lovely country walk.

Wobbly Boot Vineyard

Wobbly Boot has to be the most dog friendly winery we’ve ever come across. There are several off leash areas – they have fenced off their vines and allow dogs to play in amongst them. They don’t usually serve food but you can bring your own picnic, purchase a bottle of wine from the cellar door and let the dogs play while you relax. The wine was delicious and we had such good weather. Brodie loved playing with the three other dogs visiting, with so much room to run around. The owners were so friendly, and made sure we had plenty of water for the dogs. Check out their socials as they often have special event fundraisers for animal rescue organisations.

 

On the drive back to Devonport to catch the Spirit of Tasmania back to the mainland, we stopped in at the Tasmanian Butter Co in Launceston. They were dog friendly, and had a few outdoor tables and water bowls for dogs. Really great coffee and delicious baked goods. When we reached Devonport, we found the Empress Craft Beer Bar which had undercover outdoor seating and they were very happy for us to sit outside with Brodie. They had a really good selection of beers, from Tasmania as well as other places. The last spot we stopped before boarding the Ferry was Back Beach – the closest off leash dog beach to the ferry terminal. It was busy when we were there but the dogs were all friendly. There are a few steps to walk down to get to the beach but that also acts as a bit of protection so the beach is sheltered. It was a good way to let Brodie burn off a bit of energy and wear her out for the Boat ride. Because she had been on there once before she seemed much less nervous, and I think she slept just about the whole trip back to Melbourne!