The Kangaroo Hotel

The Kangaroo Hotel is a proper country pub on High Street in Maldon, the heritage gold-rush town in central Victoria, and dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden and rear alfresco seating. The building dates to 1856 and has had a few lives since the goldfields days, which gives the room a character newer pubs spend money faking.

The dog setup

Head down the side of the building to the beer garden and rear seating, where dogs are welcome on a lead and staff put out water bowls. Indoor dining is for people only, so plan the visit around the outdoor tables and pick a mild day if your dog is a shirker in the cold.

The vibe

Inside there is a log fire and a cosy, old-school bar; outside it is relaxed and unhurried. The kitchen turns out hearty pub classics, with the parma a regular pick and the sticky date pudding doing its job, and live music pops up regularly. Trade hours run Friday and Saturday evenings, Sunday afternoons, and the pub is closed Monday through Thursday, so plan a weekend visit rather than arriving midweek hopeful.

Getting there and parking

The pub sits at 89 High Street in the middle of Maldon's historic main strip, with free street parking along High Street and the side streets. Maldon is about 40 minutes from Bendigo and under an hour and a half from Melbourne, with Castlemaine the nearest large town.

Make a day of it

Maldon's town centre is flat and walkable, and the historic reserve walking loops around the old gold-mining relics suit an on-lead wander before dinner. Mount Tarrengower lookout is a short drive out of town, though keep dogs leashed on the tracks.

If the day needs a fenced run, Waterfront Dog Park and Hoblers Bridge Reserve Fenced Dog Park at Newstead are the nearest options, and Maldon Caravan and Camping Park keeps you in town overnight. The Victoria dog friendly pubs guide and the Maldon destination page cover the rest.