Daysy Hill Country Cottages

Daysy Hill Country Cottages is a garden property on the fringe of Port Campbell, with self-contained one and two bedroom cottages and two bedroom cabins set among lawns and sheep paddocks a couple of minutes from the Great Ocean Road. It is one of the few stays around Port Campbell that takes dogs inside the accommodation rather than leaving them in the car, and it rates exceptionally with guests.

Dogs at Daysy Hill

Well behaved dogs are welcome inside the one and two bedroom cottages and the two bedroom cabins, but not the spa suites, so book the right unit type. The house rules are clear: dogs must be clean and house trained, they are never left unattended inside, they bring their own bedding, and beds and furniture are for humans only. A vacuum and cleaning gear are provided so you can tidy up before checkout. Confirm the arrangement for your dates directly with the property when booking, and check the weight question for a larger dog since no limit is published.

Outside, the acreage and gardens are not fully fenced, so dogs stay on lead in shared areas. Resident sheep graze the property, which guests mention as a charm point, but it is a genuine reason to keep a keen dog leashed near the paddocks.

Pepsi: sheep at breakfast, a fireplace at dinner, and my own bedding in a cottage with a garden. Someone pinch me.

Worth knowing

The cottages have fireplaces, comfortable beds and gardens to sit out in, and this is a workable year round base for the Twelve Apostles and the Port Campbell coastline. Book well ahead in summer and school holidays, and always confirm the pet arrangement directly rather than relying on a booking platform. Note that dogs are not allowed at all in Port Campbell National Park, so the Apostles boardwalks are a humans-only outing while one of you rotates with the dog.

Getting there and parking

The property sits just outside Port Campbell township on the Great Ocean Road, about three hours west of Melbourne. Parking is at your cottage door, and the town, its beach and the foreshore are all close enough to walk with a leashed dog.

Close by with the dogs

In town, dogs on lead are fine along the Port Campbell foreshore, the jetty and the Soldiers Memorial Walk. For the dog's own outing, the Timboon-Camperdown Rail Trail inland gives a long quiet walk, and Timboon Fine Ice Cream at the end of it is a justifiable reward. If you want to compare stays, Port Campbell Recreation Reserve Camp Ground is in town and Seahorse Coastal Villas is up the road at Peterborough.

Cottage or cabin with a dog confirmed by phone, lead on near the sheep, and the Apostles coastline is yours in the morning. More dog friendly stays in VIC or see Port Campbell.