New Zealand is widely considered relatively unfriendly for dog ownership. It’s true that there are a lot of restrictions on where we can take dogs. But in my experiences, when we focus on seeking out places we CAN take dogs we are often pleasantly surprised by the spots we find.

Exploring NZ with my own dogs is one of my favourite things to do during down time. This time we set out to explore the lower North Island. Highly underrated by kiwis, as we so often take our backyard for granted.

With dogs, camping is usually the easiest way to do things and keeps costs down. Previously I’ve roof top tented or slept in the van. This time it was just a ground tent and an airbed which worked just as well, while the dogs were comfy in the ute caging. Many campgrounds are happy to have the dogs in September, with most accepting dogs during this off peak time (before labour weekend or Christmas holidays, after Waitangi or Easter depending on location). This works for us as it means we’re not stressed about dogs overheating during hot summer days & most places are nice and quiet - just the way we like it for a relaxing trip.

Night 1 - Mt Urchin, Kaimanawa Forest Park

Free, dogs allowed with permit (email DOC to obtain).

We’ve stayed here a few times to do the Mt Urchin hike and it’s a magic spot. Being a wet & cold Monday in early September we had it to ourselves. Basic but clean long drop, nice short walks nearby and a great spot to break up a drive.

Camp stove and a good book. Don’t need much else!

Night 2 - ASHURST DOMAIN

$7/PP (unpowered), dogs allowed on leash. Hot showers, toilets, some cooking facilities.

I always love the drive through Desert Road, especially on a stormy day. We stopped in Palmy for a visit to animates to buy a second flexi lead (so good for travelling), then picnic lunched and walked in the Victoria Esplanade/Manawatu River Pathway area which was beautiful. Then onto Ashurst Domain for the night, where we enjoyed exploring the mix of on leash and off leash areas.

Part of Victoria Esplanade. Great example of being able to enjoy nature with your dog - even in town.

Camping at Ashurst Domain. Lot of space!

Night 3 - Mt Holdsworth Campsite

$10/pp, clean longdrops and covered eating areas.

Leaving Ashurst we headed down the east side of the Tararuas. Such a cool drive through an area we haven’t spent much time. We loved our stop at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre (NO DOGS) at Mt Bruce, seeing kiwi and other native wildlife in a great set up. Then it was into Masterton for a picnic lunch and walk at Henley Lake Park. Great to see so many dogs and owners out walking! From there we ventured out to Castlepoint Lighthouse (dog friendly on leash). We opted to leave the dogs in the car, but heading up the track we did run into a goat kid on leash out for a walk with its parents haha! Amazing views and a cool beach to have a run with the dogs (check dog rules depending on time of year & be mindful of local wildlife incl seals and sea birds). Then it was back inland to the campsite where we were greeted by the caretaker and had a huge corner of the campgrounds to ourselves (again - big plus to camping at the “wrong” time of year!).

Holdsworth Campsite - we appreciated having this covered corner to ourselves for cooking out of the rain.

Nights 4 & 5 - WELLINGTON

Leaving Holdsworth we went stopped in at Sparks Park in Casterton. This was a lucky find, with one of the best dog-specific parks we’ve seen. Neat walkways, lakes and a range of interesting features to make it a place to explore WITH your dog. Props to those involved with making this park what it is today! I’ll have to do a separate post about this at some stage.

We popped out to Cape Palliser to climb to the lighthouse and watch the seals (dogs stayed in the ute for obvious reasons), then headed over to the Putangirua Pinnacles for lunch & hiked the ridge track (dogs allowed on leash). Incredible scenery, and definitely one of the highlights of our trip - including the gnarly road to get out there.

My best friend lives in Wellington and we take any chance we can to catch up. The weather wasn’t playing ball, but we managed to fit in lots of card games, park walks, watched them compete at an agility show, caught up with our recent foster pup Digga and his dad at the Eastern Walkway.

Checking out the agility show with my dog nephew Sonic!

Night 6 - Ashurst Domain

We headed back up to Ashurst again because it was so easy. On our way out of town we stopped back in Palmy to check out Wildbase Recovery which was very cool (no dogs) - brochure stumbled upon during a visit to The Village Coffee & Co for excellent & much needed coffee.

Night 7 - Kai Iwi Beach Holiday Park

Unpowered site, $28 (up to two people). Super tidy with full kitchen and bathroom facilities. Coin operated showers.

From there it was over to the west coast, stopping in Whanganui to check out the elevator up Durie Hill (not on my bingo card!) before carrying on up to Kai Iwi Beach Holiday Park. It was Needle’s 6th Birthday, which she got to finish with her favourite thing - a good run on the dramatic beach at the bottom of the cliff. Tired dogs means happy & quiet dogs.

Kai Iwi Beach Holiday Park - great set up!

Night 8 - Ōakura Beach

$52 night for 2 people, full kitchen and bathroom facilities (coin operated showers).

After a morning beach run we headed north from Kai Iwi Beach, exploring a bit of Taranaki with some gorgeous mountain views. We stopped in at King Edward Park for lunch and walks through the gardens then onwards to Oakura Beach. Just around the corner was the Wreck of Gairlock which meant more fun beach walks, then setting up at the campground - as waterfront as it gets and absolutely beautiful. Note - lots of dogs and owners walk through here, so may be challenging for some dogs.

The view from the campsite - literally as beach front as it gets.

Happy girls making the most of beach time - walking barefoot from your campsite onto the beach is an A+ way to end a trip!

Heading Home - New Plymouth

We had intended to stay in the area a bit longer, but with the weather packing in and our old backs giving up with the airbeds (30s hit hard) it was time to start heading home. But we did manage to fit in stops to Te Rewa Rewa bridge (walkways dog friendly on leash), the free Brooklands Zoo (OTTERS!) as well as lunch and a quick explore of Lake Mangamahoe. Heaps of scope for on leash dog walks in that area (away from the lake) there with stunning views (even on a cloudy day), hopefully we’ll be back one day to check out more of what this area has to offer.

Travelling with dogs in NZ can be challenging, and there are restrictions on where you can take them. But we can still have amazing adventures in many areas with a bit of research and effort, and I hope this has given some inspiration for what possibilities might exist.

Choose your travel season wisely, ensure your vehicle is set up with a secure and well ventilated containment system (even if it’s just a typical dog crate!) and be open minded about your accommodation options. Above all, train your dogs so you can safely and happily enjoy yourselves as much as possible & set a good example for responsible dog ownership in these areas we are allowed to explore. If we all do our part, we can continue to make these kinds of adventures possible into the future.

Travelling the lower North Island with Dogs

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Travelling the lower North Island with Dogs

Kmart NZ Dog Gear - Hit or Miss

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