Bunyip Camping

Bunyip Camping is a bush campground at 168 Martinsville Road, Martinsville, sitting at the foot of the Watagan Mountains west of Lake Macquarie, and it is one of the more genuinely dog friendly camping options in the region. Big open paddocks, real space between campers, and bush tracks and creeks starting right behind camp make it an easy call for a tent, camper trailer or caravan weekend with the dog aboard.

Dogs at Bunyip Camping

Well behaved dogs are welcome on most designated sites and can join you whether you are in a tent, van or camper trailer, with no separate pet fee beyond the nightly site rate. The critical catch is that dog rules vary by site: some areas, notably Bunyip's Top Paddock, do not allow dogs because of their proximity to a neighbour's chickens. Choose a pet friendly site such as Bunyip's Wattle Grove when booking through Hipcamp, where all reservations are made and walk-ins are not accepted. Dogs stay on leash and under control at all times on this working property, need to be fully vaccinated, and you clean up after them anywhere they go. Cats are not permitted.

This is basic bush camping: flushing toilets, cold showers, no power, and fire pits available to rent for campfires in permitted seasons. Hosts live on site. Bring your own dog bowls and food, as only basic potable water is on offer.

Max: Wombats and wallabies at dusk and me on a leash. I called it a watching holiday. The creek made up for it.

The setting and wildlife

The property backs onto bushland and creeks, with a small bike track that doubles as an easy dog walk. Wildlife is a real feature here: wombats, wallabies, deer, bandicoots and plenty of birdlife move through the paddocks, so keep your dog close and leashed, especially at dawn and dusk when native animals are most active. A calm dog with good manners gets the most out of this place.

Getting there

Martinsville sits between Morisset and the Watagan foothills, about 30 minutes from the M1 at Morisset and roughly 90 minutes from Sydney. Most sites are reachable in a 2WD, though some of the more secluded clearings need higher clearance over rocky sections. Stock up on supplies in Morisset or Cooranbong before you turn off.

Make a day of it

Note that dogs are not allowed in nearby Watagans National Park, but Olney and Heaton State Forests next door do welcome them under control, with free campgrounds and walking tracks of their own. Closer to your base, the Avondale Dairy Walk at Cooranbong is a gentle leashed stroll, and the Morisset Dog Exercise Area gives a proper off lead run on the way through. For coffee and supplies, Relish Coffeehouse in Cooranbong or Biv's Coffeehouse in Morisset both work. More options are in our NSW dog friendly stays guide and the Martinsville destination page.