The Good Life Beach Home

The Good Life Beach Home is a family holiday house on a quiet Bawley Point cul-de-sac on the NSW South Coast, sleeping up to eight, with a dog-friendly beach at the end of the street. It takes up to two medium-sized, well-behaved dogs per booking, and Cormorant Beach, a Shoalhaven off-leash beach, is roughly a five-minute walk away.

Dogs at the house

Two medium dogs are welcome, and they stay out of the bedrooms, so bring their own bedding. The garden is unfenced, which is the norm for this stretch of coast, so dogs need supervising outside rather than being left to roam. The front deck has good shade and is the natural spot for the dogs when the group heads out. The house is family-oriented rather than fancy, with standard check-in from 4pm and checkout by 11am, and parking on site.

Max: keep a lead by the back door. With no fence and kangaroos grazing past most evenings, that is the difference between a quiet night and a chase.

The beach run

Cormorant Beach is a designated off-leash exercise area under Shoalhaven City Council rules, good for walking and swimming, and at low tide you can continue around the northern headland to Bawley Beach. Leash rules apply everywhere outside the marked off-leash zones, so clip on for the walk down and watch for wildlife: kangaroos graze right in front of the house, and dolphins, penguins and stingrays show up along the shore. A dog that reacts to kangaroos needs a lead on for all outdoor time.

Who it suits

Families or groups with a well-mannered dog who want beach access on foot rather than by car. It is a poor fit for dogs that need a securely fenced yard, since the garden is open and the wildlife is constant. Confirm any pet fee and house rules with the host at booking, and remember a nature reserve sits directly opposite, so no unattended off-lead time in the yard.

Close by with the dogs

Ten minutes north, Milton Park Fenced Dog Park gives a fully fenced alternative to the open garden, and Benny's American Burger in Milton is an easy dog-friendly dinner stop. Head south and Collers Beach at Mollymook is another coastal leg-stretcher.

More options are on the New South Wales pet friendly stays guide and the Bawley Point destination page.