Teigan Nash and pups, from the mountains to the sea

Travelling around Australia is probably my favourite thing to do. Usually we have to get a dog sitter but when we found out the Barrington Coast is dog-friendly we just had to take our two pups on a family getaway.

Let me share with you some of our favourite dog-friendly things we did while visiting this beautiful region of the New South Wales mid north coast.

We kicked off our trip with a stay at a tiny home from In2TheWild. This was located near Gloucester in the scenic foothills of Barrington Tops. We made sure to pack our own food, drinks and supplies so we could bunker down, switch off and just relax for a few days.

The tiny house had everything you could need for a stay off grid. I loved the eco elements, eco toilet (non-flushing), solar and no wifi so it was a screen-free break! Bring a book, have a cuppa, relax and switch off.

If you’re staying in town then Gloucester has dog-friendly parks including a pretty district park next to the Gloucester River. And you’ll always find water bowls for travelling dogs at the footpath tables of the local cafes.

A waterfall and hike that’s dog-friendly

Let me tell you about one of Barrington Coast’s best secrets: Ellenborough Falls at Elands. It seems remote but it’s easy to get to and well worth it.

The first lookout near the drop-off is right at the car park and gives you a taste of the full experience if you take the steps all the way to the bottom. It’s a short walk to the next lookout which is opposite the drop, here you can see Ellenborough Falls in all its glory, tumbling off the Bulga Plateau.

The next bit of the hike is 641 steps down to the bottom, it’s pretty easy but be prepared for those same steps back up. Your legs will be burning! A big tick from us was being able to take the pups on leash with us, so we could all splash about at the foot of the falls.

From fresh water to salty sea.

After our Gloucester visit we headed to the coastline at Forster for a few days of beach activities. There are so many dog-friendly beaches, just make sure to read the timings. Our dogs loved One Mile Beach and Boomerang Beach in the morning.

My family love an adventure, and the pups love the water so we hired a SUP and a transparent kayak from Boatshed Number One. Popped on the floatation vests and we were all ready to explore in our clear bottom boat!

We first went down around the mangroves of Wallis Lake and the water clarity was absolutely beautiful. We did like a full circle around Miles Island and the water just kept getting better.

So if you want an easy activity where you can explore, take the dogs or kids and swim in the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen, then this is for you!

Awesome sunsets

We stayed at Tiona Holiday Park, surrounded by national park, lake and ocean. You can camp here, stay in a cabin or do what we did and stay in their new glamping tents which have everything you need. A full bathroom, kitchenette plus a super comfy bed… yes please!

The Barrington Coast boasts some of the most beautiful, insane, breathtaking, colourful sunsets I have ever seen, especially seen from across the waters of Wallis Lake. Stay at Tiona and you’ll have a front row seat to the colourful show that mother nature puts on.

Do like this couple, get some camp chairs and drink and enjoy the sunset from the water.

Dive right in

Let’s finish with some bite (not literally) but this one isn’t for the pups!

Have you ever wanted to scuba dive with sharks? The Barrington Coast is one of the most beautiful spots I’ve ever been for diving. It was my partner Heath’s first time and Forster Dive Centre offers beginner dives and you can also do your PADI certification here if you want to upskill.

The dive off Forster was beautiful, we saw an octopus, plenty of fish big and small, stingrays, numb ray and about 15 Grey Nurse sharks. There’s something so special about being underwater in their domain, watching these graceful creatures glide through the ocean with such ease.

We had an incredible time in the Barrington Coast. I can’t wait to explore more of what this beautiful area has to offer. We’ll definitely be back!