Banksia

Camp Banksia occupies six hectares at 17-21 Freers Beach Road in Port Sorell, about 25 minutes east of Devonport, and it is one of the better-known group accommodation venues on Tasmania's north coast. One thing to get straight before you book, though: despite some directories listing it as pet friendly, management states that Camp Banksia is a dog prohibited area, with no pets allowed at any time across the property.

Dogs at Camp Banksia

The ban applies across the whole six hectare property: no dogs in the cabins, no dogs on the campgrounds, and no dogs through the grounds or walking tracks. There are no pet friendly cabins and no pet fees because pets are not accommodated at all. If you are travelling with a dog, this is not the venue for your stay, and the practical alternative in town is the Port Sorell Caravan Park on the Rubicon River, which takes dogs on sites year round.

The place

What Camp Banksia actually offers is affordable, self-catered group accommodation. There are three cabin-style accommodation areas (Blackwood, Myrtle and Sassafras) plus tent and camping sites, with current rates around $32 per person per night in the cabins and about $27 per person per night for tent sites. The venue is geared to schools, sporting clubs and arts groups, with a camp kitchen and dining hall available for hire, a public adventure playground, and tennis and basketball courts. Bookings run through the Camp Banksia website with a standard deposit.

Close by with the dogs

The saving grace for dog owners in Port Sorell is that the beaches do the welcoming. Freers Beach runs straight out the front of the property: during daylight saving (October 1 to March 31) dogs need to be on lead between 10am and 7pm, and under effective control outside those hours. Hawley Beach, a few minutes south, allows dogs under effective control from dawn until dusk. Watch for signage around bird breeding areas and penguin rookeries, where restrictions apply. The Panatana Rivulet Footbridge walk is another easy leashed outing on the doorstep.

If you have booked Camp Banksia for a group event and want to exercise a dog while you are in town, check the current Latrobe Council dog management rules before you go, as beach times change seasonally.

More dog-friendly options around town are on the Port Sorell destination page, and the full accommodation list is in the Tasmania stays index.