Hearn's Beachside Villas

Hearn's Beachside Villas are self-contained villas at 13 to 17 Thistle Place in Port Fairy, sitting just steps from the southern beach dunes with no major road to cross. The complex is rated on its ocean views, beachfront position and short walk to town, and guests cook for themselves with a BBQ and full villa setup. For dog owners the important detail is which villa you book: Villa 9 is the pet-friendly one.

Dogs at Villa 9

Villa 9 welcomes dogs, including larger ones. The house rules are specific: dogs are permitted inside the villa but not on the furniture and not in the carpeted bedrooms, so pack your dog's own bedding. The saving grace is a secure, sheltered outdoor courtyard, an enclosed space where the dog can be left while you eat or head into town.

Request Villa 9 by name when you book and confirm the current pet terms with Port Fairy Accommodation management, including number of pets and any fee, since conditions can differ between villas and change over time.

Beach rules at East Beach

The dune access makes beach walking the default routine, but East Beach runs on Moyne Shire's seasonal rules. Between 24 December and Easter Monday, dogs are prohibited from the beach between 9am and 6pm; outside those hours, and all day for the rest of the year, dogs are allowed off-leash under effective voice control. Keep the lead on within 50 metres of marked Hooded Plover nesting sites, particularly between Connolly Street and Anna Catherine Drive, and do not take the dog to Griffiths Island or Sandy Cove Nature Reserve at all, where dogs are prohibited year-round.

Getting there and close by

Thistle Place sits on the ocean side of Port Fairy, a short drive or an easy walk from the town centre along the Moyne River. For coffee and a dog-friendly table, Borough Chambers is in town, and other pet-friendly stays include The Coach House and Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park. More options are in the Victoria dog-friendly stays guide and the Port Fairy destination guide.