Grey nomads Greg and Judy Hay are finding more parks are welcoming feathered and furry friends. Picture: Tim Marsden
PET-FRIENDLY holiday accommodation is being taken very literally by adventurous Aussies who are toting more than their dog or cat along for the trip.
It is now not unusual for holiday-makers to travel with their guinea pigs, goldfish or pet lizard in tow, or in some cases chickens and horses.
In response to the demand savvy operators are happily accommodating the pets, providing fenced parks and paddocks, and even pet-minding services.
Chief Executive Officer of Top Parks, Stuart Livingstone, said 143 of their 200-plus properties were now pet-friendly and that figure was increasing at a rate of 10 per cent a year.
“There really has been a surge in demand that we’re trying to accommodate more and more with fenced areas, dog beds, kennels, you name it,” said Mr Livingstone.
“We have lots of different requests for pets and normally the park manager negotiates with the guest to provide the best solution.”
Grey nomads Judy and Greg Hay travel with their chicken Chook Chook and border collie Missy. Picture: Tim MarsdenSource:News Limited
For grey nomads Greg and Judy Hay, travelling with their pet chicken Chook Chook and Border Collie Missy, only enhanced their adventures.
Mr Hay said they no longer had difficulty finding a park that accepted their feathered and furry friends, and they were amused to see some of the other creatures fellow caravanners had in tow.
“We’ve struck people with parakeets, a woman from the Northern Territory had a rabbit,” said Mr Hay, who previously called the Gold Coast home.
“We never intended on travelling with a chicken, but Chook Chook hitched a ride on the (caravan) coupling when we were in Margaret River last year.
“Somehow she survived a 40-minute car trip at fairly high speeds without falling off. We felt obliged to give her a good home after that.”
Roy Bascombe is never far away from his bearded dragons Sleepy and Liz. Picture: Keryn StevensSource:News Corp Australia
Adelaide’s Roy Bascombe, 80, is similarly attached to his bearded dragons, Sleepy and Liz, who even sport diamante collars and leads.
“The dragons are great company and I always get to meet new people as everyone wants to meet them at the caravan park,” Mr Bascombe said.
“I think it’s great I can come into a caravan park with them because I can let them out on the grass so they can catch insects.”
The pet obsession is inspiring more tourism operators to open their properties to animals with positive results.
Horse Dog Holidays, at Flaxton, includes a huge fenced paddock. Picture: Russell ShakespeareSource:News Corp Australia
Audrey Kirchner, who owns Horse Dog Holidays at Flaxton on the Sunshine Coast, said people seemed to relish the chance to getaway with their dog — or horse — in tow.
“We’ve got the donkey association staying there soon,” said Ms Kirchner.
“These days you really need to be flexible to succeed and so far it’s working out well for us.”
Mr Livingstone said few people objected to staying at a park where animals were allowed, and there was rarely any bad behaviour by the four-legged guests.
“The people who travel with their pets, seem to have the best pets,” he said.
“They’re not dogs that bark all the time, they’re part of the family.”
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