Anna Bay On-Lead Dog Exercise Area

The Anna Bay On-Lead Dog Exercise Area is a flat grassy reserve on the corner of Fitzroy Street and Robinson Street, right next to Birubi Beach, and it is the on-lead option for owners who want a walk without the tide and seasonal rules of the sand.

The dog setup

The reserve runs flat, easy grass with accessible parking right at the edge, a playground for the kids and public toilets nearby. There is no dog water station on site, so bring your own bowl, and the wide grass suits a steady leashed loop rather than ball games. The reserve doubles as the dog-friendly holding pen before or after a session on the sand next door.

Worth knowing

Port Stephens Council rules apply: dogs stay on lead and under effective control here, no more than four dogs per person, and waste gets picked up immediately. Dogs are not permitted in the playground or within 100 metres of the lifeguarded patrol area in front of the Birubi surf club.

Pepsi: if your dog wants a proper off-leash run after this one, Birubi Beach next door allows off-leash from 5pm to 9am October to April, and all day May to September, so time your walk around that if you want to unclip the lead.

Getting there

It is reached via Nelson Bay Road into the Anna Bay town centre, with free and paid parking right by the reserve. The Tomaree Coastal Walkway connects through here, and there is a bus stop on Gan Gan Road a short walk from the park. Public toilets and showers in the Robinson Reserve precinct rinse off sandy paws before the drive home.

Close by with the dogs

The Birubi Beach dog beach is literally next door for the off-lead hours, the Salamander Bay On-Lead Dog Exercise Area repeats the on-lead option further down the peninsula, and the Bagnalls Beach off-lead area sits at Nelson Bay.

When to go

Weekends and school holidays get busiest between 9am and midday, so an early morning or late afternoon visit gets you the most space and the coolest grass.

More options are on the NSW dog beaches guide and the Anna Bay destination page.