Bottle Bend

Bottle Bend Reserve is a free riverside camping area on the Murray near Buronga and Gol Gol, just across the water from Mildura, where shaded red gum campsites sit right on the riverbank. Dogs are welcome, which makes this one of the better value dog-friendly bases on the lower Murray, as long as you arrive self-sufficient.

Dogs at the Bottle Bend Reserve

Dogs camp with you in your own tent, van or motorhome, and there is no fee or size limit attached. The ground rules: keep them leashed when other campers are around, under control at all times, and cleaned up after, with wildlife left undisturbed. This is a working natural reserve rather than a caravan park, so the usual etiquette carries the weight of the rules.

The Murray sits at your campsite for swimming and paddling, but treat it with respect. Currents, submerged logs and steep banks are real, blue-green algae alerts are possible in summer, and snakes work the riverine vegetation in the warm months. Check algae warnings before your dog swims.

Worth knowing

Facilities are minimal to non-existent: no flush toilets, no drinking water, no power. Some listings mention a 24-hour stay limit while others describe an open free camp, so read the on-site signage when you arrive. Campfires are permitted using fallen timber only, and every rubbish item leaves with you.

Pepsi: check the algae alerts before a river swim and keep to a long line near the steep banks. The current can sweep even a strong swimmer sideways faster than you think.

Getting there and parking

Access runs via Bottle Bend Road off the Sturt Highway, with roughly 2km of dirt track to the reserve. It is generally fine for caravans and 2WD in dry weather, but ruts and mud follow rain, so check conditions after wet weather.

While you're out there

If you decide the bush camp is too rustic after all, Discovery Parks - Mildura, Buronga Riverside offers full-facility pet-friendly sites a short drive back towards town. The Gol Gol Hotel beer garden is another dog-friendly stop for a pub lunch.

More bases in the region are in the New South Wales pet friendly stays guide, and the suburb's other entries sit on the Buronga destination page.