A winter holiday for dogs

Penny's blog has been quiet the last week or so, because we've been away at a dog holiday resort, at Tarra Valley. We've been there before - Best Friend Holiday Retreat. One of the relaxing things about the Retreat is that there is no mobile phone or internet coverage at the cabins. It forces you to take a break from the human world and concentrate on enjoying the company of your dog. Dogs must be with their humans at all times.

Walking in the local area in winter is wonderful, because it is unlikely we would encounter any snakes, so we can head along narrow paths we would normally avoid in summer, and we don't have to worry if the dogs veer off the main path, as Penny is doing in this shot.

It was windy and cold, but that was invigorating, if we didn't mind slopping through water. The humans tried to stick to the edges of the paths, but the dogs loved wading through. It's strange that at home Penny won't even walk on damp grass if she needs to go outside to wee, but on walks she loves to get her feet wet.

The wintry beaches were usually deserted.

Seeing she lives in a one-dog household, it's good for Penny to be part of a canine pack and mill around with her friends back at the cabin.

at Tyntynder Lodge in Bright

Penny had a lovely holiday recently. We decided spontaneously to head off for Bright. I'd been there a couple of years ago and realised it would be a wonderful place for a doggy holiday, because there are no rules about having your dog on lead.

So we looked up accommodation on the Net and came across a place called Tyntynder Lodge that had been voted best dog accommodation in Australia. That sure sounded nice.To my surprise, when I got there I realised I had scouted it out when I was there last time without Penny. I had forgotten.

It was a great place to stay. There was a fenced garden out the back, which could be accessed  from a side gate near the quiet street...

or from the back porch.

Inside, the floors were polished...

dogs were permitted everywhere...

and there was a cozy log fire as well as reverse cycle heating/cooling.

We did find the polished floors a bit of a concern, seeing Penny has had an injury to her cruciate ligament. We would have preferred a carpeted area, but I can see that would be a problem for hygiene, with many different dogs staying there. 

The lovely little fenced yards were next to each other, which could lead to a bit of fence-running, if owners were not alert, but there was no-one staying in the unit next to ours, so we didn't have to look out for that. (Given that the temperature was very low, not much above freezing, neither Penny nor we were keen to be out in the yard.)

It was a fabulous place to stay, not just tolerant of dogs, but inviting and welcoming to canine visitors.