Mersey Bluff Caravan Park

Mersey Bluff Caravan Park sits right on the coast at Devonport, under the lighthouse at Mersey Bluff and a short drive from the Spirit of Tasmania terminal. It is a pet-friendly park, particularly for caravan and camping guests, with clean amenities, a camp kitchen and sunrise views over Bass Strait as the recurring notes in guest reviews. One warning before anything else: the beach directly beside the park is not a dog beach.

Dogs at the park

Dogs are welcome on caravan and camping sites, but the published details stop there, so contact the park before booking to confirm which sites take pets, any fees and limits, and the rules on leaving dogs unattended. Do not assume cabins are pet-friendly without asking. The park is well kept and geared to vans, camper trailers and tents, and sites are close to the foreshore, so a dog that travels with you rather than being left behind is the natural fit here.

Worth knowing

Devonport City Council prohibits dogs at all times on Bluff Beach and throughout the Mersey Bluff precinct, which includes the ground around the lighthouse next to the park. That means no off-lead time out the front gate, even though the water is metres away. The real dog beach is Back Beach on Coles Beach Road, a designated off-leash exercise area where dogs stay under effective control, and Coles Beach itself allows dogs outside the summer curfew of 9am to 8pm between 1 November and 31 March. Waste bags and bins sit at the top of the stairs at Back Beach.

Max: the closest sand is forbidden sand here. Drive the few minutes to Back Beach for the off-lead run and you will not get fined.

Close by with the dogs

Back Beach is the off-leash beach for your morning run, and Devonport Dog Park gives a dedicated off-lead option inland. In town, The Little Goat is the cafe stop. If the park is full, Discovery Parks - Devonport is the other major caravan park in town.

More options are on the Tasmania pet friendly stays guide and the Devonport destination page.