Wolf & I Co. Blog | Adventures Of The Wolf Pack

Nestled along the stunning Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Bermagui offers the perfect mix of natural beauty and outdoor adventure—making it a top destination for dog lovers and their furry companions.

Whether you're keen on a beachside retreat, a bushland escape, or a tranquil riverside spot, Bermagui has a range of dog-friendly campsites that allow you to enjoy the great outdoors without leaving your four-legged friend behind. 

The Sapphire Coast definitely seems to be a hot spot right and we asked Lauren, a recent traveller to Bermagui, to share what to expect...

We are regular campers with our two dogs Sally & Hippo and enjoy outdoor adventures but being from far north QLD and now calling Wollongong home, we hadn't ventured far south of NSW.

Whilst staying at a campsite earlier in the year, another fellow dog loving camper mentioned Bermagui. We hadn't ventured further south than Kioloa, so we decided this would be a great opportunity to do so and experience the Sapphire Coast. 

With peak periods like Christmas it can be tricky to find campgrounds that allow pets. You may not be aware that many caravan park managers set the rule to not allow dogs in peak times. Making it confusing when hoping to book during summer months, schools holidays or Christmas. Luckily, Reflections Bermagui allowed them!

Our set up includes a Austrack Savannah X forward folding/rear slide off road camper trailer and an Isuzu D-Max. We always bring plenty of surfboards and a stand up paddle board with us.

Spending time on the Sapphire Coast was one of our most memorable camping experiences. From the clearness and colour of the ocean (which really is like sapphires), to the locality of the campground, to the town of Bermagui, and the friendly community that embraced our dogs like they were their own.

Moorhead Beach is an off lead beach that has a flat gravel footpath leading to the beach, no water or shower. Shade was limited and provided by nearby trees or shrubbery.

Beares Beach was off lead, had a cement footpath that lead alongside the road from the town of Bermagui and had some stunning rock formations. No shower or existing shade features.

Horseshoe Bay was on lead only. Located within metres and directly across the road from the campsite (Reflections Bermagui Holiday Park) it had cement paths, showers, and water. Lots of shade and seats available.

Dog friendly cafes/pubs included:

Camel Rock Brewery is a place where dogs are welcome and were able to sit amongst patrons in the expansive covered courtyard and enjoy live music and water refreshments with their owners.

Bermagui Beach Hotel allowed dogs on covered front deck area and they had numerous water bowls and dogs were able to sit amongst patrons seated on the front deck overlooking the ocean.

Blue Wave Seafood has a covered area for dogs to sit amongst patrons eating fish & chips overlooking the harbour.

We visited Tathra, central Tilba, Moruya and Broulee. These towns are a short drive from the Bermagui Caravan Park and it was great to get a feel for the local area by visiting them.

Tilba Cheese Factory and all the shops on the main street were extremely dog friendly with many providing water bowls at their front entrance.

Tathra Hotel is perched on Tathra headlands. It was a great spot to have a meal. We had a delicious pub meal for lunch there & the dogs were allowed to sit with us on the grass area where a playground and numerous tables were set out overlooking the ocean.

Broulee Brewhouse is an extremely dog friendly place. We counted over twelve dogs (not including our two) enjoying Saturday afternoon beers with their families in the expansive courtyard. It featured lots of sheltered spots and staff were so friendly and engaging with our dogs. They had numerous large water bowls scattered throughout the grounds.

Broulee Beach is a long expansive stretch of beach and it is an off leash dog beach. It had a calm bay perfect for swimming, paddle boarding or fishing. Showers and taps were located at the entrance nearest road which was great.

Single Fin Canteen & Goods Broulee is a great spot to grab a delicious coffee, homemade pies and chocolate chip cookies! Dogs are allowed in covered outdoor seating area out front of the cafe.

Moruya Markets are dog friendly. This large market was full of lots of stalls ranging from fruit, honey, nuts, salami, candles, dog treats, Mystery Bay kelp, clothes, jewellery & homewares.

Mystery Bay had a timed dog off leash area.

Five top tips to be prepared to take your dogs camping:

1) Get your dog used to car trips. Start with short trips and gradually increase the distance. Put the dogs favourite blanket or bed in the car along with a familiar toy.

2) Make sure the dogs are comfortable with being on a lead and for going on dog walks on a lead. Try different dog collar or dog harness styles and dog lead combinations to suit.

3) Socialise your dogs so they're happy to go out into the community and public spaces. Sally & Hippo love visiting markets, sitting at cafes, having picnics, walking through main streets full of shop fronts, going to beaches, waiting in line at the coffee or ice cream truck. This helps when you are out camping and have unfamiliar people and dogs walking by your campsite and are exposed to the public or some busy settings.

4) Plan for rest/dog refreshment and toilet breaks along the way as it makes for a much more relaxed and enjoyable car trip for all involved. We always pack a few treats, a collapsible water bowl & have a water vessel of some type to give the dogs a drink on stops.

5) Stock up on and pack your dogs favourite treats. Long lasting ones such as cow hoofs, goat horns and pigs ears are worth the investment and a lifesaver in times of setting or packing up or bad weather days!

What we pack for our dogs camping adventures:

• Collapsible/foldable dog stretcher beds with aluminium frame. Good for any terrain and helps to keep them off the ground in case of wet weather, hard rocky ground etc.
• Their favourite blankets or bed - A ball and 1-2 of their favourite toys
• Large sturdy dog bowl - collapsible water bowl for the car, beach days and day trips
• Lead, collar/harness. A trick is to attach one of those plastic key tags to their collars with pre-cut paper labels that you can write on your phone number & details of where you are staying (campsite number etc) in case of any mishaps or escapes
• A dog towel for each dog. We find a towelling after beach trips limits the amount of sand that comes back into the camper or car
• Long lasting treats such as pigs ears, goats horns or cow hooves, & licky mats or pre-filled & frozen kongs - these are a lifesaver in times of setting or packing up & on bad weather days.
• Two sets of heavy duty multi purpose enclosure panels to fit around our set up (800mmH x 780mmW).The panels allow for easy configuration of any shape to suit any campsite which allows the dogs to be off the lead but still enclosed at the campsite.
• Dog food stored in airtight containers. We often measure out exactly what we need for the trip by number of days so that it goes in an appropriate sized container. As space is usually limited when camping we find it is much easier to store rectangular or upright airtight containers than it is for a large bag.

Some specific challenges we face while camping with dogs:

Being large dog breed owners we have generally been drama and challenge free when staying at dog friendly caravan parks. Having two larger breed dogs can be restrictive with some parks only allowing one dog of a small size. It helps to read reviews & the small print as not all campgrounds are as dog friendly as they advertise. We tend to avoid those parks and find ones that allow dogs of all sizes and breeds. They tend to be a lot more accommodating and inclusive. 

Reflections Bermagui Holiday Park had no extra fees for dogs. There was a free hot/cold water dog washing station undercover near the women’s toilet block with a ramp for heavy or elderly dogs. There were no special or over the top rules. The rules were to keep your dog on lead, not to have dogs in kitchen/laundry/bathroom areas, clean up after your dog & ensure no unruly behaviour towards other guests.

We set the dogs up under the pergola on stretcher beds during the day and of a night they have full access in and out of the camper trailer where we have set the mattress on the rear slide out section of the camper with their beds and blankets as the prefer to sleep inside and close to us.

Having experienced the beauty of the Sapphire Coast we are hoping to try out dog friendly camping spots like Broulee, Pambula & Eden in the future.

Sally & Hippo are seasoned campers & will jump in the car as soon as they see the camping gear come out of the garage or the camper being hooked up to the car! They are wild dogs at heart and love adventure. Whether it be swimming in the ocean, hiking uphill, rock climbing & following Josh on the highest point of the headlands or sitting by our feet fishing or laying on the picnic rug while we read a book or play cards they are up for it!

The dogs are social butterflies and I think they also just love to be where we are and when camping we are together 24/7.

Check out more epic dog friendly adventures on the Blog and Subscribe for more epic adventures sent direct to your inbox!