Grady's Riverside Retreat

Grady's Riverside Retreat is a 17-acre camping, caravan and cabin park on the Shoalhaven River at 674 Burrier Road, about 20 minutes west of Nowra, with more than 500 metres of river frontage, a private boat ramp and a jetty. It is a working family park: jumping pillow, playground, camp kitchens, and river swimming, kayaking and fishing from the bank. Dogs are welcome on the sites, which makes it one of the more reliable dog-accommodating options on the upper Shoalhaven.

Dogs at Grady's

The key word is approval. Small pets are accepted on request, not as a blanket policy, so call (02) 4421 3282 and get your dog confirmed when you book. Dogs are welcome on the camping and caravan sites; they are not allowed in the cabins, so a pet-friendly booking here means a tent, swag or van. Dogs stay on lead and supervised at all times, and you pick up after them. During peak periods the limit is one pet per site. Management is strict: break the rules and you can be asked to leave without a refund.

Max: ring before you book, not when you arrive. A dog on a powered site is a different conversation to a dog in a cabin, and the second one ends at the gate.

The place

Unpowered sites hug the riverfront and powered sites sit slightly back. The 279-review average sits around 4.4, with clean amenities and the river access the things guests keep mentioning. Fire pits are part of the setup with firewood sold at the kiosk. The surrounding country is bushland and dairy paddocks, and quiet Burrier Road suits an early on-lead walk before the park wakes up.

Getting there and close by

Burrier Road runs west from Nowra along the river; reception is on site and parking is at your booked spot. Telstra reception is workable but do not rely on it. There is nothing dog-specific in Burrier itself, so a supply run means Nowra: the Nowra Fenced Dog Park makes a good leg-stretcher stop on the drive in, and Sea Dog at Woollamia is a coffee stop on the Jervis Bay side.

More options are on the New South Wales pet friendly stays guide and the Burrier destination page.