Gold Coast
The Gold Coast has a great dog-friendly park at Musgrave Recreational Park on Kumbari Avenue in Southport. It is a very large fenced area with heaps of paths throughout. There are poo bag stations and bins provided at various points. It is a popular place for dogs and their people to socialise. There is even a set of doggy training props to exercise your dogs’ brain and body at the same time.
The best dog-friendly beach on the Gold Coast I know is at the Spit on Main Beach. It is a huge stretch of beautiful beach where the dogs can run, swim and socialise to their hearts’ content. It’s smiles all around down at that beach as the dogs enjoy the freedom and their people love to see their dogs having such fun.
Grab a coffee at the cafe at the car park on the way to the beach, or an ice cream from the kiosk at the pier.
There are more beaches and parks to share. Please feel free to share your knowledge of where to take the dogs for a great time on the Travel Sites page.
My Family lives here at the Gold Coast, so I spend a fair bit of time here when passing through, usually around Christmas time. I am amazed at how many more places I find when I look for somewhere new to take the dogs.
Next to Broadwater Tourist Park on the main drag at Southport, is a dog-friendly, off leash park called Mitchell Park, with a little beach. We come here a fair bit. It is not fenced, but for well-behaved dogs it is large enough to have a good play. The little beach has enough room to throw their floating toy and a nice swim. If people are already on the beach, then it may not be worth the hassle of trying to swim the dogs. Not all humans like having dogs around.
Further south a bit, past Australia Fair but before the Southport Bridge, is another similar park called James Overell Park. It is along the river a bit, so head for the road that hugs the waterline, just at the southern end of the bridge.
When the wind is blowing a gale, there are a couple of lovely sheltered dog-friendly, off-leash beaches on the Spit Road, just after Sea World. After the last roundabout before the seaway, look out for the two beaches on the left. I prefer the second one due to a lot more shade.
If you follow the Spit Road around to its end, following a kind of hook shape, you will find a long beach facing Southport. It can get very busy here on the weekend with lots of watercraft, but still, this is the Gold Coast.
The cafe on the Spit is dog-friendly too. Mum and I sit by the large windows looking out at the beautiful scene while Max and Chilly lie under the trees in front of us.
There is always somewhere to go and something to do with dogs on the Gold Coast. Even the popular areas that are on-leash, like the seaside walking/cycling paths and picnic areas have lots of doggy poo bags. Dogs welcome!
