Simmos Ice Creamery

Simmos Ice Creamery on Commonage Road is a South West institution, a few minutes' drive from Dunsborough, with a big lawn, a playground, mini golf and a serious ice cream operation. With a dog in tow it is a stop-and-rotate kind of place: someone queues inside while the rest of the crew holds the shaded picnic tables outside.

The dog setup

Dogs on lead are fine in the outdoor garden and picnic table areas, but they cannot follow you into the dining room, the playground or the animal pens, since the property keeps free-roaming stock and draws big family crowds. Keep the lead short around the playground, bring a bowl for water, and plan who waits with the dog before you walk in. Takeaway cones and tubs make the outdoor tables an easy option.

Worth knowing

The lineup runs to more than 60 flavours with around 30 in the cabinet at any time, from liquorice and pistachio to salted caramel and strawberry cheesecake, plus sorbets and gluten-friendly options. Portions are famously generous, which is what the 3000-plus reviews keep returning to. The grounds open 10am to 5pm daily. The on-site animal farm has scaled back over the years, so treat any animal sightings as a bonus rather than the plan.

Max: one human held the lead, one human held a double scoop of macadamia. Fair division of labour.

Getting there and parking

Simmos sits on Commonage Road in Quindalup, just off the Bussell Highway route between Dunsborough and Yallingup, with a large on-site car park and accessible entry and restrooms.

Pair it with

Geographe Bay is minutes away, and the City of Busselton designates stretches of the Quindalup and Dunsborough foreshore for dog exercise, with some beach segments switching to on-lead between 9am and 5pm across the summer peak from December to February. Check the council's dog exercise map before you pick your patch of sand, and keep dogs clear of the boat ramps and swimming nodes.

Build the rest of the day from the Quindalup guide and the Western Australia dog-friendly cafes list; Evviva Cafe and Sora Cafe in Dunsborough both handle dogs well.