Dog Shed Water Hole (Cockle Falls)

The Dog Shed Water Hole, known locally as Cockle Falls, is a freshwater rock pool with a small seasonal waterfall in the bushland off West Point Road at Picnic Bay on Magnetic Island. It is an inland swimming hole rather than a beach, and the appeal is the quiet: a cool, shaded pool in dense scrub where you will rarely share the water.

The dog setup

This is not a declared off-leash area. Townsville City Council has no designated off-leash zones on Magnetic Island, so dogs stay on a physical lead at all times, in and around the pool. The bushland borders Magnetic Island National Park, where domestic dogs are banned outright, so keep to the main roadside track and do not cross the boundary.

There are no facilities of any kind here: no toilets, bins or taps. Bring drinking water and a bowl for your dog, waste bags, and carry everything out again when you leave.

Max: this is paralysis tick country in the tropics. Get tick prevention up to date before you travel, and run your hands over your dog's coat and ears during and after the walk.

Worth knowing

The pool lives on rainfall. In the days after solid wet-season rain the water is up and the falls are running; through the dry it can shrink to a shallow puddle or dry out completely, so check recent conditions before committing to the trip. Early morning beats the midday heat.

If the waterhole is low, the beaches remain the fallback. Leashed dogs are welcome on Picnic Bay Beach outside the stinger net enclosure, which is off limits to dogs year round.

Getting there and parking

The track heads off West Point Road roughly 2.5 kilometres west of the Picnic Bay hub, with a short, flat but uneven walk in through the scrub from the roadside. You need your own vehicle brought over on the Magnetic Island vehicle ferry, since dogs are not permitted on the island's public buses.

Close by with the dogs

Refuel after the walk at Tropical Tide or Island Spice Cafe in Nelly Bay, both dog friendly at the outdoor tables, or line up a pet-friendly room at Cstay Guest House in Picnic Bay.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly beaches guide and the Picnic Bay destination page.