The Artemis Dog Beach Strip

The Artemis Dog Beach Strip is a narrow band of sand and shady parkland on Hornibrook Esplanade at Clontarf, looking across Moreton Bay toward Brisbane. It is a walking-and-wading beach rather than a fenced run, and the one fact that decides your visit is the leash rule: this stretch is on-leash, not off-leash.

The dog setup

City of Moreton Bay designates the beach between Woody Point Jetty and the Houghton Highway bridge as an on-leash dog area, and the council signage is clear despite some visitors treating it otherwise. Keep your dog leashed and clear of the marked swimming areas and playground equipment, and use the bins provided for waste.

Max: check the signs at your access point before unclipping, because the on-leash and off-leash zones change along the peninsula. A long lead gives a wading dog the best of both worlds here.

The water

The bay is shallow and calm along this strip, and the water stays remarkably clear for a bay beach. High tide gives your dog a proper wade or paddle; low tide pulls the water right back and exposes a broad flat of sand and mud that can be soft underfoot. Check the tide before you commit to a swim.

The vibe

Free street parking runs along Hornibrook Esplanade, with public toilets nearby and picnic tables under the trees for genuine shade in summer. It stays quiet on weekdays and fills out on weekend afternoons with families using the adjoining parkland.

Close by with the dogs

Puk Espresso sits almost directly across the road and Bramble Bay General is a short walk along the esplanade, both handy for a post-walk coffee. For off-lead time, Kroll Gardens Fenced Dog Park on Duffield Road is the peninsula's big fenced run, and Clontarf Dog beach covers the designated off-leash stretch.

More options are on the Queensland dog beaches guide and the Clontarf destination page.