Half Moon Bay Beach Dog Off Leash Area

Half Moon Bay sits at the end of Canadian Bay Road in Mount Eliza, a rugged little cove below red bluffs that runs off-leash 24 hours a day for most of the year. The catch is the summer clock: from 1 December to the end of February dogs are banned between 10am and 6pm, so this is an early-morning or evening beach in the warm months.

The rules. Off-leash applies from the Canadian Bay Club west for roughly 250 metres to the western headland. From March to November dogs are off-leash around the clock. Through summer (1 Dec to 28/29 Feb) the beach is closed to dogs 10am to 6pm, leaving 6pm to 10am for off-leash runs. Dogs must be under effective control at all times, and the beach is unfenced with cliffs behind it.

Getting there. Park free at the car park at the end of Canadian Bay Road, then take the staircase down to the sand. The car park is small and fills fast on summer weekends, so arrive early. Public transport is awkward: nearest station is Frankston, then a bus or taxi, and it is still a walk from there.

What's there. Picnic tables, a water tap and public toilets sit near the car park, with dog waste bags and bins at the access points. There is no water down on the sand itself, so fill a bowl up top before you head down.

The water and terrain. Rocky underfoot at the shoreline with soft sand a few metres out, and decent rock pooling at low tide. The bluffs give some wind protection but the cove is exposed in a southerly. Low to mid tide gives you the most room; high tide swallows much of the beach.

When to go. Weekday mornings are quietest and coolest. In summer your only legal windows are before 10am or after 6pm, which happily lines up with the better light and lower crowds anyway.

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Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.