Backyard Tourist: Saltwater Park a safe haven for dog lovers
Looking for somewhere to spend a sunny afternoon with your four-legged pal? Check out a hidden gem right here on the Gold Coast.
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NOT all dog parks were created equal.
Which is why I have a small list of areas I like to visit with my own pair: the Labrador foreshore close to the Ian Dipple Lagoon because it’s so close to home, Schuster Park and Eddie Kornhauser Recreational Reserve when I’m down south, and Helensvale’s Saltwater Park because it has its own little enclosed doggie beach.
Yep, you read that right.
Inside the safe enclosure of this hidden gem of a park, is a great little beach where your pups can go for a swim, cool off their tummies or play chasey through the shallows.
The magic of Saltwater Park is the fact it has that has a bit of everything I’m looking for.
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Not only is it an enclosed dog park, it also has a picnic table to sit at, agility equipment should my dogs ever feel the need to actually climb up an A-frame, decorative dog statues (this one’s for the humans), a few shady trees, enough parking and best of all, that dog beach.
Granted, it’s not the wide open space of The Spit, but it is big enough for your dog and their pals to run in and out without them zooming off into the horizon.
It even has a small grassy, swampy area with a few mangroves next to it that my own dogs love to sniff around in, before cleaning off their muddy paws in the water once more.
The park is relatively popular with the locals, but if you visit at just the right time you’ll find yourself alone, or with just one or two other pups.
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I like to visit at the ‘off-peak’ times because one of my dogs can be shy of meeting other dogs, so visiting a fenced park where she can be silly without the worry of a lot of random dogs is her idea of heaven.
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