Now it’s easier to take your dog on that long road trip

If you’ve ever questioned whether Australia is a pet-loving country, consider the fact that the pet industry is worth more than $14 billion a year. Yet the pet-friendly travel sector still has a long way to go.

By various unofficial estimates, fewer than 10 per cent of stays allow pets of any kind and some hire-car companies ban hair-shedding passengers in their vehicles. With the RSPCA estimating that almost 70 per cent of Australian households own an animal, and dog ownership accounting for almost half of that, trying to plan a holiday with the four-legged family member can be frustrating.

Picture perfect … Jurien Bay.

There are hosts out there keen to change this, and Good Boy on Western Australia’s Coral Coast at Jurien Bay is the latest to offer a pet-welcoming option that – bonus – doesn’t compromise on style and sophistication.

Good Boy… pooches welcome.

Jurien Bay is a fishing village and holiday destination 220 kilometres north of Perth, on the Coral Coast Highway. Famous for crayfish, it fronts a marine park that offers the chance to swim with sea lions via several aquatic tour operators, as well as being a base from which to explore the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. Then there are seasonal wildflowers, unspoiled and uncrowded beaches: it all adds up to an attractive pit stop for any road trip north along Australia’s west coast.

Good Boy sleeps four.

Good Boy, named for the owners’ pooch, Henry, is an adults-only renovated beach shack sleeping four, with beautiful finishes, including a considered art collection and Fenton & Fenton furnishings.

Henry, the original “good boy”, sets an example for canine guests.

Peanut-butter dog biscuits are supplied and there’s an outdoor dog shower. Henry, a well-behaved yellow labradoodle, doesn’t get on the lounge, dig in the garden or go inside covered in sand; so his canine compadres are expected to do the same.

It’s a welcome addition to the area’s accommodation options, says Coral Coast chief executive David O’Malley, who says there’s an increase in traffic to the pet-friendly section on its website as local travellers seek to go on road trips with their dogs.

It may be dog-friendly, but Good Boy also ticks many other boxes.

“Located on the Indian Ocean Drive and Coral Coast Highway road trips, the coastal route north of Perth has long been on the must-do list for many Aussies, and offers something new to those who might typically visit other destinations.”

See goodboygoesnorth.com.au