Port's Mr Ice Cream

Port's Mr Ice Cream is not a cafe you sit in. It is a custom-fitted ice cream van that works the beaches, parks, sporting fields and neighbourhoods around Port Macquarie, serving ice cream, slushies and frozen treats, and it turns up at local events through the warm months.

The dog setup is about as casual as it gets: everything happens outdoors, so a dog is fine alongside you in the queue on the footpath, at the beach or in a park. There is no seating, it is a grab-a-cone-and-keep-walking stop. Bring your own water for the dog, because a van will not have bowls out, and keep a settled posture in the line if other dogs are queuing too.

Worth knowing

The van moves around, so check its social pages for where it is parked that day rather than driving to a fixed address. Listed hours run from late morning (11am weekdays, 10am Sunday) into the evening, but mobile trade flexes with bookings and events. Warm afternoons and weekends are when the van is most likely to be out near the beaches, which makes it a treat at the end of a beach walk rather than a destination in itself.

Close by with the dogs

Pair the ice cream run with a walk at the Nobbys Beach end of town if the van is parked near the coast, or the Stuart Park Fenced Dog Park if it has set up for an inland afternoon. The Bloom PMQ cafe is a nearby sit-down option for a proper coffee afterwards.

Pepsi: A van made entirely of good decisions. I will bark strategically at it.

For more options nearby, browse other dog friendly cafes in New South Wales or see what is listed around Port Macquarie.