The Stirling Rockhampton

The Stirling Rockhampton on Gladstone Road is a modern motel with an on-site restaurant, a licensed bar and a pool, and unlike most motels along the Bruce Highway route it sets aside actual dog-friendly rooms rather than taking pets case by case. It works equally well as a Rocky stopover and as a base for a few days.

Dogs at the Stirling Rockhampton

There are five designated dog-friendly rooms, dogs only. One of them is a Queen Executive layout with a microwave, kettle and fridge, so you can manage feeds and water without improvised setups. The catch is supply: these rooms are often not shown on third-party booking sites, so contact the motel directly to secure one and book ahead. Guests report a welcoming attitude from the staff, but the fee and the rules on leaving a dog alone in the room are not published, so confirm both when you book. Free on-site self-parking sits close to the rooms, which makes the late-night toileting run easy.

The place

Rooms are modern and well kept, with a range of layouts including family options. On-site you get a pool open 7:30am to 7pm, a well-regarded restaurant and bar if you do not want to drive back out for dinner, and an EV charging station. The motel sits on Gladstone Road on the main route through town, so it is a straightforward arrival from either direction on the highway.

Close by with the dogs

For a leashed walk, the Fitzroy River riverside precinct is a short drive away and makes an easy evening leg-stretch with river views. For coffee, Coffee Society Rockhampton and Cousins On William are both solid town-centre stops to check for outdoor tables. If the dog rooms are booked out, the Southside Holiday Village offers pet-friendly cabins as a fallback.

More dog-friendly options in town are on the Rockhampton destination page, and the full list is in the QLD stays index.