Amaroo Park Phillip Island

Amaroo Park is a holiday park in Cowes on Phillip Island, a short walk back from the foreshore and the main street's shops and cafes. It is one of the few parks on the island that takes dogs inside designated pet-friendly cabins as well as on sites, though only outside the peak periods, and the booking rules are enforced to the letter.

Dogs at Amaroo Park

Dogs are permitted in a limited set of designated one and two bedroom cabins and on the powered grass sites. Pet stays are generally restricted to off-peak times and are not available over long weekends, event weekends, or Christmas and New Year, so check dates before you plan around it. You must declare the dog when booking: a one-off $55 cleaning fee applies per pet, while arriving with an undeclared pet draws a $100 charge.

Inside the pet-friendly cabins dogs are welcome but must stay off all beds and furniture, and the cabins have no fenced yards, so leashed toilet trips are the routine. In the grounds dogs stay on lead at all times and are never to be left unattended. Bring your own bedding, bowls and waste bags, and clean up promptly.

Pepsi: declare the dog at booking even for a site stay. The no-notice charge is triple the cleaning fee and nobody enjoys that conversation at check-in.

Worth knowing

The park itself is tidy and level, with a pool, playground, BBQ area and games room, and guests repeatedly mention the friendly hosts. It sits at the quieter end of town yet remains walking distance from the Cowes foreshore and shops. The Penguin Parade, The Nobbies and the Grand Prix circuit are all about ten minutes away by car, but none of the wildlife attractions admit dogs, so plan those visits for a day you can leave the dog settled in the cabin.

Getting there and parking

Cowes is roughly two hours from Melbourne via the Monash Freeway and Bass Highway, crossing onto the island at San Remo. Free self-parking is included with one car per site or cabin, and extra vehicles park on the street.

Close by with the dogs

Bass Coast Shire allows dogs on several local beaches with seasonal rules: the sand west of the Cowes yacht club is off-leash outside the summer daytime window, and Ventnor Beach, ten minutes away, permits off-leash dogs at all hours year round. Keep clear of the Phillip Island Nature Parks reserves, where dogs are banned outright to protect the penguins and shearwaters. If the park is booked out in peak season, other dog-friendly Cowes options include Verandah Retreat Phillip Island and Holmwood Guest House & Spa Cottages.

More options are on the Victoria dog-friendly stays guide and the Cowes destination page.