Story by Ellie
Dog Friendly Billabong Retreat
Adventure in Bawley Point, South Coast, NSW, AU
If you’ve got a hankering for a coastal getaway where you can bring your beloved doggo, you’ll love Billabong Cottage at Bawley Point.
Situated on 25 acres, including 9 acres of dense bushland to explore, the cottage rests beside a flat, tranquil billabong, lined with reeds and vibrant water lilies that flower in the spring and summer seasons.
After packing up the car with all the essentials—cheese, wine and dog food—we headed off on our three-day coastal getaway with Bronnie, our little 6-month-old Aussie Shepherd pup.
Having spent much of 2020 locked inside our house in Canberra, raising our new pup, a trip out to the coast was just what we needed.
It took just over 2.5 hours of scenic road tripping to arrive at Bawley Point, where we got settled into Billabong Cottage before heading out to one of the many dog-friendly beaches in the area, Cormorant Beach.
Bronnie’s first beach experience was, and she was, well, as happy as a dog with two tails! For doggos, the beaches in the Shoalhaven are where it’s at—there are so many dog-welcoming options in the area, including beaches, cafes, wineries, breweries and restaurants.
With the little munchkin all tuckered out, we headed back to the cottage to explore the grounds, lie on the hammock by the billabong, and to drink and be merry by the campfire pit.
The property was originally a wildflower farm, so if you time your trip right, you may find yourself wandering through a magical wildflower dreamscape (contact the hosts for info on when their flower varieties are at peak flowering season).
The property also has the obligatory adult swing set for some nostalgic moments, set next to an extensive edible garden, with seasonal organic produce that you can pick to use during your stay.
About 3 hours drive from both Canberra and Sydney, this is the carefree, eco-friendly and pooch-friendly, coastal getaway you’ve been on the hunt for to slow down, breathe in that salty air and maybe even start to rid yourself of the city grind....
Situated on 25 acres, including 9 acres of dense bushland to explore, the cottage rests beside a flat, tranquil billabong, lined with reeds and vibrant water lilies that flower in the spring and summer seasons.
After packing up the car with all the essentials—cheese, wine and dog food—we headed off on our three-day coastal getaway with Bronnie, our little 6-month-old Aussie Shepherd pup.
Having spent much of 2020 locked inside our house in Canberra, raising our new pup, a trip out to the coast was just what we needed.
It took just over 2.5 hours of scenic road tripping to arrive at Bawley Point, where we got settled into Billabong Cottage before heading out to one of the many dog-friendly beaches in the area, Cormorant Beach.
Bronnie’s first beach experience was, and she was, well, as happy as a dog with two tails! For doggos, the beaches in the Shoalhaven are where it’s at—there are so many dog-welcoming options in the area, including beaches, cafes, wineries, breweries and restaurants.
With the little munchkin all tuckered out, we headed back to the cottage to explore the grounds, lie on the hammock by the billabong, and to drink and be merry by the campfire pit.
The property was originally a wildflower farm, so if you time your trip right, you may find yourself wandering through a magical wildflower dreamscape (contact the hosts for info on when their flower varieties are at peak flowering season).
The property also has the obligatory adult swing set for some nostalgic moments, set next to an extensive edible garden, with seasonal organic produce that you can pick to use during your stay.
About 3 hours drive from both Canberra and Sydney, this is the carefree, eco-friendly and pooch-friendly, coastal getaway you’ve been on the hunt for to slow down, breathe in that salty air and maybe even start to rid yourself of the city grind....
Things We Did
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- Beach
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Where we stayed
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