Travel: Best Friend Holiday Retreat, Vic

By Ros Bromwich

People who love to travel with their pets know only too well how varied conditions at caravan parks can be.

Sometimes pet owners are welcomed with open arms but other times they can be left wondering why the park bothers to accept pets at all. Perhaps worst of all are the so-called ‘animal friendly’ places which don’t bother to ensure that the rules are followed for everyone’s comfort. If you’ve ever been bailed up on the way to the shower by an unleashed large menacing dog you’ll know what I mean!

Having had some poor experiences of their own while travelling with four-legged family members, the owners of Best Friend Holiday Retreat, Ralph and Coralie, made their desire for pet friendliness the whole basis for the design and operation for their lovely caravan park in the heart of Gippsland’s Tarra Valley.

Located on 10 undulating acres less than three hours’ drive east of Melbourne and only 3km from the magnificent Tarra-Bulga National Park, the park is surrounded by green rainforest next to an all-year-round waterfall and rock-formed swimming pool, and it’s just 25 minutes to the beach. Birds abound and there are resident koalas and other wildlife.

Ralph and Coralie made the sea change from their accountancy practice in Tasmania to take over and develop Best Friend Holiday Retreat a couple of years ago. They were initially looking for a small cottage or bed and breakfast-style accommodation to run, but during their travels around the country in a caravan with two beagles they enjoyed the lifestyle but could see that the pet angle was far from perfect, and so the dog focus took shape.

Cabin accommodation, camping and drive-through caravan sites are individually fenced to help ensure your and your dog’s total relaxation. Dogs are required to sleep inside the accommodation – van, cabin or tent – in the interests of peace and quiet.

Securely fenced off-leash dog exercise areas – complete with toys – provide heaps of room for running around. Park facilities for humans include two separate covered barbecue and camping kitchen areas. The larger area can seat 40 people and also has cooktops, microwave, refrigerator, hot and cold water and a pen so you can have your best friend around securely.

Other features include a hydrobath for dogs and a block of luxury day-use dog kennels – videos and comfy chairs provided!

There’s a dog-friendly playground (mini agility) and Coralie proudly points out the areas suitable for showing of dogs, dog agility and dog obedience activities. There are ‘doggy-doo’ stations scattered around the park, many tethering places (in the on-leash areas) and various dog drinking spots.

Our visit coincided with the test of the neat Slingshot camper (CW, March 2005) and my companion was one of the three Bromwich dogs, Jonah. It took a while for him to work out why he was the only one taken along and he was very surprised to find himself sleeping inside the Slingshot, being an outside dweller, but once he discovered there were three mates in the adjacent site, he was happy enough chasing up and down the fence! The numerous rabbits also provided interest, especially the ones under the cabin next door to our site.

Ralph and Coralie made us both welcome and the fully enclosed site was roomy enough for a much larger van than the Slingshot, with drive-through convenience. The small amenities block was scrupulously clean – there was even doggy patterned loo paper!

It was a coolish January weekend – typical of this year’s Victorian summer – but most sites and many of the cabins were occupied, so there were plenty of dogs around. Everyone got on well, and there wasn’t much barking at all.

There’s plenty to do around the park. During the day, fish for trout or the freshwater cray or relax with the spectacular birds of the rainforest in the quiet gardens.

The many delights of the Gippsland area are within easy reach and the dogs can be left behind in comfort in the day kennels if you want to visit the nearby national park.

An off-leash beach run at Woodside Beach, 35 minutes away and some great fish and chips at sleepy Port Albert.

Best Friend won the Holidaying with Dogs Five Paw Rating for dog-friendly accommodation – it was the Victorian and National winner for 2003/2004, voted by holidaymakers themselves.

Ralph and Coralie have done a great job developing this park as a unique location for RVers.

It is an excellent idea and I would not be surprised to see more such parks springing up in other places across Australia.