Salty Paws

Salty Paws is a single-level, three bedroom holiday house in Caves Beach built for guests who travel with a dog, on a quiet residential street a few minutes' walk from the coast. The name is the brief: fenced grassy yard, gated deck, a dog wash on the balcony and a toy basket by the door.

Dogs at Salty Paws

Dogs are welcome with prior approval, so flag your dog when you book rather than assuming. Inside, they should stay off beds, couches and other soft furnishings, and extra cleaning fees apply if pets mark the furnishings or leave behind excessive fur or dirt, which is standard holiday-let fine print worth reading properly. The outdoor setup is where this house earns its name: a fully fenced grassy yard with shade, a gated deck with dog beds, and a hot and cold water tap on the balcony with Dindi Naturals dog shampoo supplied, so post-beach rinses happen before anyone comes inside. Towels and blankets are provided.

The house

Three bedrooms sleep up to six: a queen with ensuite, a second queen, and two singles. There is a full kitchen, Wi-Fi, Smart TV, Xbox, air conditioning, internal laundry and an undercover BBQ area, with off-street parking for two cars. Check-in is from 3pm via SMS access code after mandatory guest registration with photo ID.

Worth knowing

This is a residential street, and the hosts take it seriously: no parties, restricted visitors, a driveway camera and active noise monitoring devices. It suits travellers after a quiet base for beach days, not a celebration house. Peak summer also brings time-limited dog access on some local beaches, so plan midday walks around the off-lead options instead.

Pepsi: the balcony dog wash is the best feature in the house. Salt, sand and a sandy undercoat all stayed outside thanks to hot water and proper shampoo at the end of each day.

Getting there

Caves Beach sits on the Swansea peninsula south of Newcastle, about 30 minutes from Newcastle's centre. The house is roughly a 15 minute walk to the Caves Beach town centre and five minutes to the local IGA. Hams Beach, a 24-hour off-leash beach accessed via Mawson Close, is a short walk or drive away and makes the most reliable walk any time of day.

Close by with the dogs

Boffee Cafe is the local coffee stop, Caves Coastal Bar and Restaurant is about 500 metres up the road, and Swansea Dog Exercise Area is a few minutes' drive for an off-lead run. If the house is booked out, Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park is a pet friendly fallback just north.

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