Akoonah Park Dog Off Leash Area

Akoonah Park is a 27-acre Crown reserve on the Berwick side of the Princes Highway, run by a volunteer committee of management in the City of Casey. It is best known for the Sunday market and the Berwick Show, but for dog owners it is a long, unfenced off-leash corridor of mature gum trees, grass flats and creek-side tracks, with an off-leash run of roughly 700 metres through the reserve.

The dog setup

The off-leash area runs through the reserve with Cardinia Creek forming the scenic side of the loop, and a walkway with two bridges at the northern end leads to an on-lead area if you want to extend the walk under control. Because the park is unfenced and shared with the showgrounds, market crowds and a caravan park, recall matters more here than at a dedicated fenced dog park. Casual dog walkers are not permitted inside the camping area, so keep to the reserve side. Bring your own waste bags and water; the big shade trees make summer mornings workable even when the sun is up. Ground can hold puddles after rain, so expect a few damp stretches near the creek line through winter.

Max: Sunday is market day, which means food stalls and a hundred interesting smells. Great for people-watching dogs, hard work for a dog who counter-surfs picnic tables.

Getting there and worth knowing

The reserve sits at 2 Cardinia Street, Berwick, right beside Beaconsfield Park, with most vehicle gates shut so plan to walk in from the street parking around the Princes Highway end. The Berwick Market runs Sunday mornings year round, closing only between Christmas and New Year and on Berwick Show day in late February, and the caravan park on site takes dogs on sites for those travelling with a van. Weekday mornings are the quiet window; the market brings the crowds but also the atmosphere.

For a fenced alternative nearby, try Ryelands Drive Reserve Dog Park, or an on-lead garden walk at Wilson Botanic Park. Populus Cafe is a solid coffee stop in Berwick. More options are in the Victoria dog parks guide.