Wallace Motel and Caravan Park

Wallace Motel and Caravan Park at 22 Ferry Street sits on the Tinana side of the Lamington Bridge, on the way into Maryborough, and it is one of the Fraser Coast's most established dog-friendly stops. The park takes dogs on caravan and camping sites and keeps a small number of designated pet-friendly cabins where dogs are allowed inside, which is why it draws a steady stream of owners travelling to obedience, performance and grooming competitions with their dogs.

Dogs at the park

The pet page is unusually specific. Pets are strictly prohibited inside all cabins and units except the designated pet-friendly ones, and there is a $10 per pet fee for a pet staying inside a cabin or unit. Around the accommodation areas, dogs are leash only, but the park sets aside a large off-leash area for exercise, a genuine rarity in a park that also takes cabins. You must book your pet in advance because pet accommodation is limited, and the owners are upfront about being strict on pet behaviour, so keep barking and cleanup in order. Phone the park on (07) 4121 3970 to lock in a pet-friendly cabin or site.

The setup

It is a practical park rather than a resort: motel rooms and cabins up front, then caravan and camping sites behind, including drive-through sites for vans arriving off the highway. Facilities cover a camp kitchen, a BBQ area, a pool and clean amenities, and the town centre of Maryborough is only a few minutes back over the bridge. Coming from the south, take the first Maryborough exit at Gympie Road, continue through Tinana and over the Lamington Bridge, with the driveway the first on the left.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-leash run beyond the park's own exercise area, Rambo Dog Park is the local favourite, and across the river in Tinana the Tinana Fenced Dog Park gives you fully fenced ground. If the park is full, Cheery Nomad RV Park and Farmstay at St Helens is the relaxed pet-friendly alternative a few kilometres out of town.

More around the region is on the Maryborough destination page, and the full list is in the QLD stays index.

Pepsi: an off-leash exercise paddock inside the park means the first thing out of the car is a proper run, not a lap of the driveway on a tight lead.