Travels With Mac

The There & Back Again Tour to FNQ

THE GOOD, THE BAD and THE UGLY of "Dog Friendly Caravan Parks"

Fully believing that it is “All about me!”, we kind of think that we are part of that every growing tidal wave of Baby Boomers, Gray Nomads, Old Whatevers, that are hitting the road to Do the Tour. And many of us have dogs ... as old, or older than us in dog years, that come for the ride.

At home Mac was a dog who went by a timetable. He didn’t like change. On the road he is the most adaptable of the three of us! He travels well in the car and is (of course!!!) well behaved in the caravan parks. Mac, due to the dingo in his genetic makeup, very, very rarely barks. Because he has been “fixed” he is not a wanderer and not a fighter.

So far, the dog-friendly caravan parks have ranged between The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I know we are just beginners so these are beginners observations.

The GOOD : (Flametree Park at Airlie Beach) : they advertise themselves as “Pet Friendly” and they truly are. There are grassy areas to walk your dog. If you book a tour through the office, they will check on your dog during the day and take him for a walk. Signs encourage dog owners to be responsible - and they are! Dogs and owners interact in a friendly way.

The BAD : (Beachcomber at Cardwell) : Almost the exact opposite to the above. There were 2 labradors that wandered and pooed at will. There were NO signs up regarding pets and pet owners were laissez faire about their responsibilities. YUK.

The UGLY : (Lake Placid at Cairns) : My goodness they have rules for everything. Their Dog Rules say I am to walk the dog down the centre of the road till outside the front gate so he doesn’t pee on any of their trees and we are not to leave the dog unattended (so A & I can’t walk down to the no-dogs-allowed Lake Placid Reserve together; we can’t go together to the Camp Trivia Night or the Camp Asian Banquet; if we were to book to go out on a snorkel tour we would need to board Mac at doggie care for 2 or 3 days because of their opening hours; if we were to go out to dinner ....... well, you get the picture) And I am talking about an old dog who sleeps 80% of the day! I really, really can’t call that “Pet Friendly” ... it’s like booking into a “Clothing Optional Resort” and being handed rules that tell you that you can only remove your clothes when inside your van or outside the park!