Spear Creek Holiday Park

Spear Creek Holiday Park sits on a working sheep station at the edge of the southern Flinders Ranges, out Boully Road from the highway near Port Augusta, and the setting is the entire product: sunset views across the ranges, walking trails straight from the park, 4WD tracks into the hills, and powered sites and cabins spaced for privacy in the bush. Guests put sunset views and the campfire culture at the top of their lists, with the coffee van, the fire pits and the lamb feeding sessions as the small things that make the stay.

Dogs at Spear Creek

Per the park's own FAQ page, pets are more than welcome, with one non negotiable condition: because this is a working sheep station, all pets must be kept on a lead at all times. That is not a formality.

There are sheep on the property, and the rule is the reason dogs are welcome at all.

The rule earns its keep beyond the sheep too: wild goats move through the hills and along the trails, and guests report dogs getting seriously fixated on them. If a forum thread is right that roofed accommodation stays pet free, the dog trip here is a camping trip, so confirm what your booking covers before you count on a cabin.

The upside of the rule is that this is one of the most genuinely dog friendly bases for the southern Flinders: a dog on a lead can do the park's walking trails with you and sit at your fire pit in the evening. The kit list is short: a solid leash, your own waste bags, and enough water for hot months.

Check paws and coats after a big day on the trails: the ground cover carries native prickles and burrs that long-haired dogs collect. There is no fenced off leash run inside the station layout, so the trails on the lead are the exercise.

The vibe

Campfires, sunsets over the ranges and a coffee van in the morning set the rhythm. The park leans into its station setting rather than polishing it away, which is exactly what people come for: the lamb feeding is a hit with kids, and night skies do what Flinders skies do.

Close by with the dogs

Over the ranges, Melrose Caravan and Tourist Park makes the natural next stop for the Mount Remarkable country, with the Mt Remarkable Hotel Motel and Wozzas BnB in the same little town. Browse more dog friendly stays across South Australia for the whole Flinders run.

Pepsi: Sunset over the ranges from the fire pit, dog asleep at our feet, coffee van in the morning. This is what we came for.