Starfish Cottage

Starfish Cottage is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday house at Cams Wharf on the Summerland Point side of Lake Macquarie, with direct lakefront access, a patio, a balcony and an outdoor dining area. It is listed as pet-friendly across the major booking sites, and the house is set up as a relaxed, self-catered base for a lake holiday with the dog.

Dogs at the Starfish Cottage

Dogs are welcome throughout the house, and with two living areas plus the patio there is plenty of room to settle in. Some listings show no extra pet charge while others mention a small cleaning fee, so confirm the exact terms with the host at booking. Expect the usual holiday-rental rules: dogs off furniture and not left unattended inside. A kennel and food bowls are mentioned on some listings, but bring your own bed, bowls and toys to be certain. The important safety detail is the water: the property backs onto the lake with no barrier between the yard and the water's edge, so keep a lead handy for the first look around and supervise near the lake edge rather than assuming a fenced boundary.

The vibe

It is a three-bedroom house rather than a cottage in the small sense, with lake views from the balcony and outdoor dining for warm evenings. Everything is self-catered, so you bring groceries and the dog gear and settle in. It suits families or two couples travelling with a dog who want lake access at the back step rather than a drive to the water.

Getting there and out with the dog

The cottage sits at 8 Gordon Ave, Summerland Point, at the southern end of Lake Macquarie about half an hour from Newcastle. Lakefront reserves here are on-lead, but dedicated off-lead sand is close by: Budgewoi Dog Beach up the lake gives a proper run, and Hams Beach near Caves Beach has a designated leash-free area. Lakeside Guesthouse in the same street-side pocket is another pet-friendly option if you are travelling with a second household.

Confirm pet fees and water-safety arrangements with the host before booking, and see more dog friendly stays in NSW or what else is around Summerland Point.