The Goat and Goose Bed & Breakfast

Lakes Entrance is the Gippsland town where the lakes meet the surf, and The Goat and Goose Bed & Breakfast is its cosy hideaway: a small B&B on McRae Street with ocean views, a spa bath in the mix, friendly hosts and the kind of extras guests remember, home-made scones and a goose nesting in the garden.

Dogs at the Goat and Goose

The pet line here is reported practice rather than an official policy page: visitors and pet directories record pets allowed, 2 pets of any size for 15 dollars per pet per stay, dogs and cats welcome, and a local dog-owners group recommends the B&B as dog friendly accommodation. Because that comes from visitor reports rather than the venue's own policy, ring ahead and confirm the fee and which room is open to dogs before you rely on it.

Ask for a downstairs room when you book: the house is a pole-frame build on a hillside, and the stairs are the part older dogs and gear-laden owners remember. Regulars with small dogs aim for the Goose Nest room, which takes a pet bed without a squeeze and catches the morning sea breeze off the terrace. The house rule that matters most is no dogs left unattended in the room, so plan outings around the dog rather than the other way round.

The setting does something few B&Bs can: the deck sits at tree level, and the lorikeets and kookaburras that move through at dawn hold a dog's attention better than television. The unwritten etiquette is the same as the fee — modest: bring the dog's own blanket for the furniture so the next guest's pup finds the place just as spotless.

For walks, skip the main Esplanade at peak hour: the quiet tracks toward the Cunninghame Arm and the coastal stretches east of town run empty before breakfast, and the B&B is an adult-couple style stay by the look of the reviews, so it suits travellers who want a quiet base rather than a family motel. Book early in summer: Lakes Entrance fills to the roof from Boxing Day.

Close by with the dogs

The Seacombe wild dog shore down the lakes is the off-leash payoff, with the Seacombe foreshore walk as the easy walk to pair it with. More options sit on the VIC stays guide.