Pioneer park

Pioneer Park is a community-run camping ground on Pine Road in Riana, a few minutes inland from Penguin on Tasmania's north west coast, and it takes dogs on leads throughout the camping area at no extra charge. With flat grassy sites, a camp kitchen and hot showers at caravan-park-free prices, it is the low-cost base for exploring the coast between Burnie and Penguin with a dog in the back of the ute.

Dogs at the Pioneer park

Pets are welcome across the powered and unpowered sites provided they stay leashed and under control, and there is no separate pet fee on top of the camping cost. The unwritten rules are the usual ones: keep dogs clear of the amenities block and camp kitchen, and be upfront that constant barking is the fastest way to wear out your welcome in a small campground. There is no dedicated dog water station, so pack a bowl and supplies.

Pepsi: no bookings here, first in best dressed. Arrive by mid-afternoon on weekends and school holidays or the grassy sites will be gone.

The vibe

This is rustic, no-fuss camping: a camp kitchen, toilets, coin-operated hot showers (about a dollar for five minutes), fire pots for cool evenings and a small park for kids. Powered sites run around $26 a night for two and unpowered around $18, with a caretaker collecting fees on evening rounds, EFTPOS accepted. The park typically closes over the coldest winter months and reopens in spring, so check the season before you plan.

Getting there and parking

The address is 1399 Pine Road, Riana, between Riana and South Riana, about ten minutes' drive from Penguin and twenty from Burnie via the Bass Highway. There is room to park caravans and motorhomes with space left over for leashed walks around the grounds.

Make a day of it

Penguin Dog Park gives your dog an off-leash run before you head back to camp, and the foreshore paths at Penguin make a good evening lead walk. For a coffee stop, @ Coffee & Soul at Ulverstone is dog-friendly, and if you want full facilities one night, BIG4 Tassie Getaway Parks Ulverstone also takes pets.

More options are on the Tasmania pet friendly stays guide and the Riana destination page.