Pet Friendly Holidays

A family getaway can often include a four-legged companion. That’s why we’ve dug around to find some great spots that both you and your canine can enjoy.

Our pick for a pet-friendly destination is the town of Stanthopre. It’s about 3 hours’ drive from Brisbane and is in the heart of the Granite Belt. Visit when the weather starts to cool and you may even spot some snow!

The cool climate means that fruit from the vine and the orchard thrive here. But it’s also the only place in Queensland where truffles are commercially grown. Although pigs are usually used to detect these lucrative fungi, Matt at Law Dogs Australia and The Truffle Discovery Centre discovered that dogs make even better detectors! While pigs would normally eat the truffles, dogs have no interest in tasting them when found – handy when they’re selling at $3 a gram.

While your own dog isn’t permitted onsite, visitors to the Truffle Discovery Centre can see these clever canines at work. You’ll be able to see first-hand how truffle detection dogs are trained, as well as purchase the delicious truffle-infused products for sale in the onsite store.

Now you couldn’t visit Stanthorpe without visiting a winery or two. Robert Channon Wines is among several vineyards that welcome well behave hounds. The onsite restaurant, Paola’s Winemaker Kitchen offers a pet-friendly dining area in the courtyard – so you can sip some wine, enjoy a delicious meal, while your pet has a run around in the garden.

As the day draws to a close, you’ll want to make sure you have somewhere to rest your weary head. It’s only a 10 minutes’ drive from the winery to Granite Gardens – pet friendly cottages where your four-legged friend is treated as a valued guest. The cottages are self-contained with a fire place for those chilly three dog nights! There is also 35 acres of gardens to explore, as well as a three hole golf course, where you can hit a round with your canine caddy in tow.

Catch up on part one of our drive here.