The world’s first Dog Holiday Park includes - Dog friendly self-contained cabins that are securely fenced and allow dogs inside. Fenced camping & caravan sites, securely fenced off-leash dog exercise areas, hydrobath hut for dogs, luxury day-use dog kennels and a dog friendly playground (mini agility)
- victoria's 101 must do's
Last year we rated the 101 best tourism experiences in Victoria as voted by you the public.
-
travel specials
RACV offers great value getaways and travel savings to members. Check out our offers and save!
Facebook
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Each time we have been to Best Friends it has been a unique experience every time. Our beloved dog Chester just loves the off lead areas and loves to play with any other dogs that are around. We have always found the accommodation exceptional and the staff the best we have had. We have been 3 times and would keep going back again and again. It is lovely just to get out of the city and travel for a reasonably short distance to another world. Thank you Best Friends.
What a fantastic place to Relax with your four legged friends. The improvement to the property over the years is a credit to Ralph & Coralie who welcome you as one of the family
All I have to say is if you love going on holiday with your dog ,this is the best place you could ever take them. Once you have been there nothing else can compare. They even get to sleep inside with you. A wonderful holiday for you and your best friend.
A fabulous spot to stay with your doggy best friends . It’s nice to be made feel welcome when travelling with your dogs. And it also set in a lovely spot of Victoria
Was my first time to go on holiday with my dog, was awesome place to stay enjoyed myself. The owners are very friendly also. Cant wait till next year to go back there.
A fantastic place – never mind that it’s great for the family, it is just PARADISE for the dogs. Wonderful off-lead parkland enclosures, great amenities and all in a wonderful bushland setting. As for the family, the cabins are terrific with top amenities. Second to none in our view for a doggie wonderland holiday!
We have been to Best Friends Retreat 4 times now, and we’re not finished going yet. It has everything. Tranquil setting in the middle of a national park yet only 10 minutes from town & the beach where the dogs are free to run. The hosts make us feel so welcome everytime we go there. The aspect that makes Best Friends Retreat unique is the dogs aren’t just allowed – they are welcome and made to feel welcome. The huge off leash areas, the day stay pens, the fenced cabins – it has everything. The cabins are beautiful and clean and have everything you need to a relaxing weekend. Each cabin has a BBQ & patio for those relaxing summer nights.
Having the fenced cabins is a huge bonus, that we don’t have to worry about the dogs getting out. This is also a bonus for people with kids as they don’t have to worry about them getting lost also.
My wish is that Best Friends expands to more places, we’ll be there as this is a concept that is long overdue and needed.
Keep up the good work guys!!!
We have stayed at Best Friend several times and totally enjoy the cabins, off leash area and all the facilities that are available. Ralph and Coralie are very welcoming and enjoy a chat. The Tarra Valley is a beautiful, tranquil and relaxing place to be, with Yarram, the beach and the national park a short drive away. Being able to keep our 2 dogs inside the cabin is great, and having a private fenced off outdoor area on the cabins is great for BBQs and sending the dogs outside to do thier thing without them wondering off is great.
There are too many great things to say about Best Friend Holiday Retreat that the space available would not be sufficient. I certainly recommend staying there at least once, and I have no doubt thast you will return.
Bella & Darcy stayed at best friends earlier this year with us. They told us it was wonderfull & we agreed.
We have stayed at Best Friends numerous times, in both the cabins and the fenced camping sites. We think it is fantastic and always look forward to going back. The cabins are immaculately presented and the dogs are almost provided for better than the humans!! Such a tranquil and relaxing place for all. So great to finally have a place that love our dogs as much as we do!! Thanks Coralie & Ralph.
Loved staying here with great facilities and sharing that holiday time with my dog. Thanks!
We have enjoyed a couple of holidays with our 2 dogs WHO JUST LOVED IT!!! Unfortunately our next trip for which we are currently working on dates, will be with only one. The BEST place to go with dogs and we DO have with what to compare!! Pretty great for the 2-legged variety too!!!
Great place to get away for the weekend with the dogs, people always friendly and the dogs enjoy the social life too with plenty of room to run around off leash with other dogs.
We make an annual trip to Best Friends. Its the place to be – for the doggies and humans too.
Welcoming hosts, beautful surrounds, and everything you need for peae of mind to keep the doggies safe!
best friends hoilday park was our first hoilday with our dog it is a great place to just relax and be with our best friend.
we hope to be back soon with two dogs next time.
Tranquil and beautiful valley to stay in, lots of activities within driving distance. Welcoming atmosphere particularly for four footed friends makes it a great place to stay and relax. Fun for all with excellent amenities.
Lovely setting, wonderful people with all the info about great places to visit. Our cabin was better than a home away from home. The big enclosed off-lead area and agility paddock was heaven for my daughter and her doggy best friend. Will definitely visit again.
We love anyone who loves to share company with dogs… good on you
Our dog Bella had the best time, heaps of places to run, her own yard, she didnt have to be chained up or inside all the time as for us it was so peacefull and quiet and the staff are wonderfull and couldnt be more helpfull
Unique. Outstanding. Every thing you could wish for to make your holiday happy and content for all members of the family has been thought of.
My best friends and I spent a very enjoyable holiday and particularily liked the freedom of the fenced tent sites and the large play areas,plus a beautiful and quiet area to stay. Kate
A fantastic location, friendly owners and great accomodation! We’ll be back
We love the peace and quiet, and it’s even better that we can all enjoy it together (with the dogs) as a family
A fantastic place for both dogs and humans! Our 2 jack russells had a fantastic time and so did we! Looking forward to staying there again in the near future.
Gorgeous location, very friendly owners and the best holiday we’ve ever had with our dogs. They just love it there.
Well, what could one say – we have three dogs – a poodle with a ball fixation; and old papillion Pom X and a westie. We have stayed a number of times at Best Friends Retreat and it really is a doggie retreat that also accommodates humans as well. Our dogs love the off lead areas; the sniffs and messages left by other canine creatures. As non canine – we love the synsets, scenery birdlife and the fact that when we needed to go out for the day – our dogs made use of the kennesl and stayed warm, dry watching TV in the day kennels. we are regulars – and the cabins esp Scooby Doo leaves you set for a weekend of refinement.
We spent a wonderful week at Best Friend’s with our Beagle Rex. Rex had the time of his life running around in the generous runs; playing with other dogs and lots of toys. At the time we were living in a town house with only a small yard, so Rex thought it was doggy heaven and so did we. We also travelled around the beautiful countryside and just enjoyed being in the tranquil surrounds, A great place for a holiday.
We enjoyed a fantastic get away with our closest friends, and of course our Babys, we have a Red Heeler, full of energy, totally crazy really, fav pass time is to run!…best friend holiday retreat suited us perfectly, huge open spaces for play, exercise and socialisation, all hugely important, it was great to be in an environment with like minded people, holidays are great…but fantastic if you can take your Dog! The camp sites are a great size, plenty of room for the tent,chairs and tables, fire and friends, and even better because they are fully enclosed, gives an amazing amount of piece of mind, knowing that our dog was fully catered for!Heaps of shade provided by the trees for the open sites, and then theres the undercover sites, what an amazing idea!!! The free Hydro bath is a god send, after the endless hours of running, playing and exploring. Nothing is too much trouble for Ralph and Coralie, even hunting down a spare tent for our silly friends whole left their poles at home! We cant wait to get back there, and are looking forward to many many years of fun with our best friends, and family!
We stayed with our Rottie, and Marama cross twice now. Once in a tent (an interesting experience with dogs!) and the other in the cabin.
The facilities are amazing, and the off leash areas and agility course are very different from anywhere else we’ve stayed.
The owners were super friendly and helpful, and we will definately be back.
We had a lovely stay at Best Friends Holiday Retreat.in June this year.It was lovely to have a run around the safe, fenced off leash areas before we went off to explore the surrounding area each day.Living so far from the sea Alfie and I loved the Woodside beach we just had so much fun. I have been to Best Friends Holiday Retreat before but it was Alfie’s first visit and we both want to go again soon .
At night the cabin was lovely as we were sooo tired and to be inside with our two legged friends whilst on holiday made it feel like we are at home.We recommend any doggies out there to take their two legged friends to experience Best Friends Holiday Retreat.
A very relaxing place on the doorstep of the tarra bulga national park with the doggie daycare available to walk thruogh the national park. this is the only true dog friendly caravan park we know of.
A great place to stay and relax to excape from busy Melbourne> Plenty of things to do and comfortable accomodation.
It was fantastic, we could take the dogs, have them stay with us. A b.b.q, beach nearby what more could you ask for!! Loved it
As a holiday retreat for the entire family, (including the pooch) this destination really works!
If you feel like socialising, you have found the right place.
If you are after peace and quiet, you have found the right place.
If you are after things top see and do, you have found the right place.
If you are after accomodation from a tent to a luxury cabin, you have found the right place.
If you are after hosts that do everything to make your holiday memorable, you have definately found the right place!!!!
We were welcomed so warmly – not just the 2-legs but the 4-legs as well. Great facilities and a stunning t-shirt! Definately recommended for folk wanting dog-friendly accommodation (and in a beautiful spot to boot!)
We spent an amazing week with our beloved dogs and children best friends and best times. Apart from the fun we all had swimming and playing in the water seeing platypus in natural environment and having us all together a most memorable holiday we will be back.
We have a Golden Retriever and we’ve been to Best Friend Holiday Retreat on three occasions. Riley is my baby and means the world to me. Ralph & Coralie has been great hosts every time we’ve been there and Riley loves it, particularly as I can relax when he is running free in the off leach areas. The whole location is fanatstic and we enjoy staying in the cabins. Last time my wife, myself and Riley was here, I had to leave around midnight our first day and go home, not being well. A couple of days later, we received a full refund from Ralph & Coralie. I could not think of a better place for people and their dogs to stay. The hosts are great people along with the guests. We hope to be back before the end of the year. These people care about their business, their guests and particulalry your pets/dogs. Down to earth lovely people.
We’ve stayed at the Best Friend Holiday Retreat twice now, once with our first dog Oscar who adored the agility course and the second time with our dogs Flicka and Maggie. Ralph and Coralie remembered us when we arrived on our second visit, they are just the nicest people. It is a beautiful spot, we’ve both camped and stayed in the Huckleberry Hound cabin and have just loved it. The second visit, we took my grandmother and a year on, she is still talking about it! There are plenty of holiday spots that are supposedly dog friendly, but this one genuinely is and we can’t wait to go again, with our canine babies and our new baby daughter. If you have a dog, please take the trip. You will not regret it.
This place has the best on-site facilities for dogs I have encountered. It was our beagle, Mac’s, first holiday with us and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He especially loved his first attempts to track rabbits and the walk along the road.
The extra touches in the cabins, including the themed decorations were wonderful.
A lovely relaxing place for all the family. Coralie and Ralph are very friendly hosts.
Best Friends is the only place that has lots of off leash dog friendly areas, as well as allowing the dog(s) to stay inside cabins. The camping grounds are outstanding as they are fenced in.
The surrounding hills and creek are really lovely and peaceful. We all slept in until 11am one morning dog included. That’s how peaceful it is!
My dog Oscar had a ball whilst on his weekend away and keeps bugging me to go back again some time soon. Great relaxing place to stay.
Kerrie Ford
This really is a great place for all the family – 2 legged and 4 legged!! We stayed over the new year period and the party put on by Ralph and Coralie was fantastic, we really felt like we were amongst friends we had known for years! We will definitely go back and have recommended Best Friend Holiday Retreat to many people!
A restful happy place for us all- people and people with four legs!
My wife and i first visited Best Friends after seeing it advertised on great outdoors TV show, we have been numerous times and enjoy it every time we go, we relax and let our dogs do what dogs do with out the worry of offending anyone. all the facilates are fantastic, Ralph and Coralie treat you and your dogs as part of the family.
A fantastic place for dogs and owners
What a wonderful find. I am not a current dog owner, however I have a dear friend who has two dogs. It enabled us to enjoy a holiday together along with her beloved doggies. We were all happy. My friend because she knew her doggies were having a perfect time, Micky and Alice the doggies who knew they were absolutely welcome, and myself who stayed in a pristine cabin that amazingly did not smell of all the dogs who had stayed before
A great place to stay for a tranquil and relaxig holiday for humans as well as
dogs. Cabins are well equipped with everything one could need,clean and tidy.
and everything for the dogs imaginable. Great places to visit as well within a short drive 90 mile beach, Port Arthur to name a few. Definately look forward to our
yearly visit, and Coralie and Ralph are great hosts.
Our Staffy, Fang had a great time at Best Friends we stayed there for his First Birthday, we will definately go back there. It’s a fantastic place for Dogs and Owners.
Friendly service and wonderful place to stay with your best (doggie) friend…very well thought out.
We stayed at the best friend holiday retreat with our two dogs and our twin daughters. We all had a fantastic time. It was great for the kids as well as for the dogs and when we wanted to go out without the dogs they have a dog care facility which was really handy. Absolutely beautiful part of Victoria and fantastic place to stay. Would highly recommend this place to anyone.
What a fantastic place! I have traveled the world and have never come across such a unique Idea. We all had a really great holiday, and I’m sure that every time I take my best friend for a walk now, he heads in the direction of the Best Friends holiday retreat. Thanks so much to Ralph and Coralie
I have 3 to 4 dogs and all my friends have dogs. There are not very many places that will allow you to bring more than 2 dogs to stay. Fortunately, we found best friends holiday retreat. The large open run areas are great and the owners have thought of everything from poo bags to chuckits and secure fencing.
The setting is just fantastic. You can enjoy a trip to the rock pool, relax on the porch enjoying a beautiful sunset.
The owners are fantastic and you can tell that they really have created a place that is great for the four legged friends and the humans to enjoy a relaxing time away.
I am longing for another trip as I write this now.
Great job and hope to get back soon.
I only wish that there were more holiday places like Best Friend Holiday Retreat where the close relationship between us humans and our pets was recognized and respected. It was so lovely to be able to take our two little toy poodles (we call them the kids) away on our holidays with us and be able to relax and enjoy our stay. The facilities provided for both of us two and four legged creatures, the lovely location and friendly welcoming hospitality was memorable. Thankyou.
Great place to relax have been going regularly since they opened have not come across anywhere quite like it.
Best Friend Holiday Retreat is the most wonderful haven for a fantastic holiday with your dogs. Clean, fully equipped cabins with wonderful valley views from the decks, several large play areas for the dogs, a short drive to long walks on the beach, dog minding if you want to get away for a while, what more could you ask for? It’s the best!
Great accomodation for puppys and people, fantastic service, excellent surroundings, comfortable lodgings and a beautiful waterfall only 10 min trek from base, loved it! What more could you want?
A great retreat with beautiful walking areas, fantastic accommodation and excellent facilities. And I’m made to feel almost as welcome as my dog!
Anyone who has a dog will love this place. The owners are passionate about the place and make it a fantasic experience for dogs and their owners.
A restful beautiful place where you feel at one with nature and the enviroment.
The warm hospitality of Ralph & Coralie and the spectacular walks and swimming make it the best holiday I have had with my Best friend…
Coralie & Ralph certainly know how to make each and every guest (& their four-legged friend) feel totally welcome. Our two beagles had an absolute ball running around, smelling all those good smells and trying to find that elusive rabbit – all safe and sound within secure, leash-free fenced areas!! The walks along the road next to the river with its little waterfalls were gorgeous too. Best Friend Holiday Retreat knows how to provide just the right atmosphere and environment to ensure that ALL members of the family can enjoy their holiday together. Best of all – dogs are allowed inside the cabins and can stay at the day boarding kennels (also part of the property) if owners want to visit the National Park or other local attractions not allowing dogs. BFHR has thought of everything!
Divine surrounds, comfortable and clean cabins, dog lovers deluxe place: everything in the cabin was doggy-collectable! The owners are super friendly and the whole place is designed to be a place where dogs can really enjoy a holiday. I went with my two canine best friends and it was the best holiday I have ever had.
We took our dog Trev to Best Friend Holiday Retreat for Christmas. It was the best Christmas we have ever had. Ralph and Coralie put on a HUGE Christmas Day lunch for everyone at the Retreat. It was absolutely mind blowing the amount of food produced that day for all their guests. The camp kitchen had Christmas decorations galore and everyone was made very welcome, including our “best friends”. For Ralph and Coralie to spend their Christmas day with strangers, was a credit to them. All our “best friends” got presents from “Doggy Santa”. Needless to say, the exercise yards weren’t just for the dogs after that big lunch! Best Friend Holiday Retreat is a very warm and welcoming place for you and your friend to stay and enjoy. If you have a dog or dogs, and are apprehensive about taking them on holiday, this is the place to start the journey.
If your dog is a part of your family, a holiday is not a true family holiday unless you can bring your 4 legged friend along. Best Friend Holiday Retreat is therefore a gem..
We took our dog Sasha to best freinds and she had a great time and so did we it is set in such a peacful and scenic location and Ralph and Coralie went out of their way to make Sasha feel like she was at her own home.I think the time she spent there added another 6 months to her life.
Even though she is no longer with us we are considering going back for a weekend by ourselves.
It was so lovely not feel like an inconvenience because we wanted to enjoy a holiday with the WHOLE family! We all loved it!
Excellent caravan with fence and my dog love it,Fantastic place to relax.I will go there again.
Excellent place to stay with dog and very clean and tidy area.we have stayed at caravan with fence and my dog love it.FANTASTIC,FANTASTIC,FANTASTIC.we will go there again.
great place for us and dog.
We had a lovely stay with our two little dogs – really enjoyed being able to exercise off leash, and with the agility equipment – lovely area, beautiful countryside and beaches. The hosts were magnificent, sooooooooooooo friendly and helpful and we had an all round good time. Will bring some more friends with us next time and hope to make it a regular event.
I think my partner and I were the first visitors to stay here with our German Shepherd. She had a great time on the equipment and at the beach. The Tarra Valley is a lovely spot. Sadly our dog has passed on now, but we won’t hesitate to stay there again when we get our next “best friend”.
Going back to Coralie and Ralph’s, Best Friends Holiday Retreat is something I always look forward to and as much as Peppa loves her fredom and space where she comes and runs,runs and keep running around in a Safe and Secure Enviorment , I love the break also instead of being confided to an apartment in Melbourne.
The accommodation is very comfortable and very well priced.
Colin Brown.
Had a great relaxing holiday with our dog – finally a secure place to stay! Great exercise yards. Close to dog friendly beaches. Able to explore areas with out the 4-legged companion knowing she was well looked after. Would definately return for another holiday!
This has to be the best place we have stayed at. With or with out our dog. The holiday retreat was set out so well and there was so much to do. Especially relax with people who loved their dogs too.
This wonderful place was the first [and only] animal friiendly retreat we have attended, and we can’t speak highly enough of this place. The accommodation was amazing……every attention to make our little dog welcome and comfortable [and spoilt] was laid out for us, including treats for our little pooch….the grounds were fantastic……seperate huge runs for dogs to run off lead, dogs enjoyed so much meeting other dogs…..and yet not a sound at night nor a bark. Why? Because every dog was with their family inside and pampered. There were wonderful warm kennels with fantastic beds, radio etc….if you wanted to leave them for a few hours whilst you drove into the National Park. The owners couldnt spoil us enough. As my dog is the most important thing in my life, this was the most wonderful place to stay and for Princess to feel so welcome was extra special.
Absolutely fantastic place for dogs on holidays, we learnt from Ralph that our two cocker spaniels did not need to pee every 4 hours during the night, that they could go 10 – 12 hours without peeing!!!!! This made travelling with the Boyz so much easier. This is the only place we have been to where the whole family is locked into an enclosure and the dogs can run free – except at night Highly recommended!!!!
The most fantastic play to stay with your beloved canine friends. Our McGregor had the most marvelleous holiday. Lots of friends he made and we discovered many too. The playgrounds are so large with dogsitting facilities available. The owners of the retreat are friendly and passionate about their establishment. Could rave on forever about this place. A absolute must visit for dog lovers! Woof! Woof! from McGregor our Sheltie.
this is the best place ever to take your best friends on four legs and two!! great location,greataccomodation options and fabulous hosts all make for the best holiday ever and oh so relaxing as they have thought of everything to make your stay the best!! get the picture- best friends!!- best place!! (oh and i am not related nor am i being paid!!- it just is a place the is so fantastic)
Great place to stay. Living on the Gold Coast I shouldn’t need a holiday but Max really enjoys the bushland setting, and he’s sampled Snoopy’s, Pluto’s and Huck’s and even the tent sites, and loves them all. I do too and will always return when down in Victoria. Corallie and Ralph are the perfect hosts for a lay back stay with good company.
Fantastic facilities for dogs. Great running areas & plenty of space for the puppies to wear off their energy. Also a great location to an off leash beach.
Excellent facillities for us as people and for our dog. The facillities for our dog included toys, cleanup materials such as disposal bags, water bowls, toys and an exercise yard with were all great. The facillities for humans were fabulous.
This was such a lovely holiday park whether customers had dogs or not. The serenity and layout of the park was lovely and the owners so friendly. We took our dog with us and they treated him like he was one of our children! They even have their own play area and doggy day care with television! Such a wonderful place to go and spend some time relaxing with your best mate. Highly recommended.
great, dog friendly park – very friendly with beautiful grounds and plenty of space
Provides friendly, attractive cabins in a splendid natural setting, plus provides facilities for dogs. It is close to the Tarra Bulga National Park and has close access to the wonders of Gippsland.
What a fantastic place to stay with my best friends, my dogs. A very relaxing atmosphere where you know that everyone is happy because they’ve also got their dogs there.
I have now been 3 times together friends who are also puppy carers for Seeing Eye Dogs. A wonderful efficient, friendly place to wind down in magnificent surroundings. The dogs have a great time and run free in safe, enclosed large areas with a rock pool to swim in, Humans feel pampered as well as the dogs.
SO relaxing to stay with your pets and not be worrying about leaving them in kennels or with a house sitter. Here everyone can have a holiday and some fun. The location is serene but if you want to go off the the day without your dogs then they are in good care of the friendly managers. Everything is thought of.
We have stayed with Ralph & Coralie on three occassions and each time it is like visiting old friends upon arrival. The Best Friend Holiday Retreat has excellent facilities both for the ‘humans’ and their dogs. The entire property is spotlessly maintained both inside and out and continues to improve. Both of us and our dog love the total relaxation, walks and beauty of the Tarra Valley. we could not recommend ‘Best Friend’ highly enough.
We found Best Friends on the internet and hoped it was as good as promised for our Christmas break… only to find it was actaully better!
The park is a perfect size, big enough to roam and have a peacefu. time, but not too big that it’s over croweded.
The facitlites are fantasic and Ralph and Coralie couldn’t do enough for us and Jake our Labrador. He even got a Chirstmas present!
Christmas lunch was something to behold and we had the most relaxing break in a long time!
Now we have another lab, Best Friends is definatley on our list for a summer visit.
We had a lovely and peaceful stay, the surrounds are just beautiful; a comfortable and restful few days. We are impressed with your hospitality & friendly approach. Our pets just had the best time.. “Wonderful, wonderful holiday. Thanks for looking after us. The little touches go such a long way…â€
Going on holiday is always hard when you have pets and our two dogs Delanie and Maggie are missed dearly when they can’t come with us, so it is great to find a place where all the family can be together. We and the dogs had a ball camping with friends in our fenced in sites and enjoying campfires, good friends and great facilities. The river with the natural rock water slide was especially a highlight for the kids, adults and the dogs. The location is great with forest and beaches on the doorstep and the hosts more than happy to please. We’ll be planning our next Best Friend Holiday soon.
It’s fantastic to find a resort that not just tolerates dogs, but actively caters for them. Each leash-free area has a bin with balls and ball-throwers, tug toys and other doggie fun stuff you might like to use. The agility area is well set up as well.
Our cabin had a fenced area that included the covered deck and small grass area for toileting needs – so nice to just open the door to let the dogs ‘go’ (iukwim) rather than having to rug up, put on outdoor shoes and put dogs on-lead.
The hosts are wonderfully warm and welcoming without ever being intrusive. They also have the most wonderfully ecclectic collection of videos one can borrow for a small overnight fee.
This is a top spot for dog owners to holiday. Each cabin, caravan site and tent site is individually fenced. It is such a relaxing place to take your dog. Dog rules are very fair (on-leash outside fenced areas, exclusive use of the many leash free areas unless you want to share) – it all makes for a happy and safe dog holiday.
I cannot recommend Best Friend enough – beautiful location, fantastic and warm hosts and a safe environment for our ‘best friends’.
What a fantastic place to stay with your dogs, would definetly go back and stay at another time.
We live in Gippsland, and are used to the wonderful country and views which surround us. Still, the grounds at Best Friend’s are something else! The setting is wonderfully kept; there’s notihing like sitting in one of the fenced enclosures, under a spreading oak tree, eating lunch in the dappled sunshine. At the same time, your ‘best friends’ (four legged of course), run and play safely, spending quality time with you without your having to check on their whereabout every 2 minutes!
The great thing is, although Ralph & Coralie cater to dogs, you don;t have to have a dog to stay there and enjoy the surrounds. All canine’s are supervised at all times, and all sleep inside, so there’s no noisy barking at night to keep you awake.
Whether you have a four-legged best friend or not, Best Friends Holiday Resort is a relaxing and welcoming place to spend your holiday.
This is a great place to bring my four-legged-family-member! The added extras, like the hydrobath, dog treats and the fenced enclosures make it perfect for a holiday retreat. The location is excellent – walking distance to a creek and close to a beach, where dogs can run free and bark wildly at the waves without disturbing a soul! The staff at Best Friends are quick to follow up on email enquiries and always make you feel at home and very welcome.
I could not recommend Best Friend Holiday Retreat more highly. Have stayed on a number of occasions and have always been impressed with the cabins, the facilities, the stunning location and the cleanliness of the facilities. Coralie and Ralph have cause to be extremely proud of such an incredibly well organized holiday venue for ALL of the family.
I’m not sure who enjoyed our stay at Best Friend Holiday Retreat more…the four humans, or the two dogs. Most of our enjoyment came from watching the dogs run around enjoying the great outdoors, and then having two very tired dogs just lying around the cabin whilst we had some human time with a good bottle of wine and the quiet of the bush. Well deserved R&R for everyone!
We had a fantastic time, thanks so much. We wanted to go on holiday with our 10month old red and white border collie, but felt that some of the other holiday spots were not as secure as we would like for a young excitable dog. Best friend holiday retreat was perfect as it gave Scarlett lots of area to run and play, she loved the elephant balls and even enjoyed learning new skills in the agility yard. We all had a lovely time.
This is the most dog friendly place we have ever been. Our mum and dad love it too because we can run around and wear ourselves out so they can kick back and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The cabins are really cosy and are themed in different doggie ideas. So cute and pretty, plus lovely and clean with some special treats to top it off. A short drive away and such an idyllic little town awaits exploring. We want to come back again and again.
they have thought of everything to make the holiday for both 2 and 4 legged friends the best time ever. could never recommend this place enough- it really is the best!!
this was one of the best dog friendly places we have ever stayed, the facilities were second to none and there was so much clever thought put into the needs of the dogs and their owners that nothing was left wanted…from the hydro bath for the dogs to the bbq area with fenced play area near by to put fur kids while having your bbq, great fenced camping sites, huge play areas with buckets of toys.. agility areas…brilliant, we wish the proprietors continued success with this venture it is a credit to them and an assett to all us doggie owners out there that can go somewhere and relax with our ‘kids’
Good luck
We live in Adelaide and drove all that way to come and stay at Best Friend Holiday Retreat. We haven’t stopped raving about it to our friends. Ralph and Coralie greeted us with such a warm welcome & paid particular attention to our labs Summer & Bear. The setting is peaceful & just gorgeous, the facilities fantastic. Acres and acres of fenced-in areas with a bin full of balls, frizbees etc at each entrance & doggie poop bags & bins scattered throughout the property. We camped with our camper trailer in one of the securely fenced sites which enabled us to keep the dogs off their leads. We took advantage of the daycare kennels so we could walk in the nearby National Park while Summer & Bear enjoyed watching 101 Dalmations! Even the bathrooms have cute doggie shower curtains and soap dispenser!! Summer & Bear were in dog heaven when running along nearby 90 Mile beach. Thanks for the memories. We look forward to taking them back for a family holiday to Best Friend Holiday Retreat to spoil them in the near future.
This is a fantastic place where all dog lovers can go and have a holiday with their dogs without having to feel guilty because your dog is tyed up all the time. The activates/ facilates are terrific there is something their to suit every dog.
Finally found a place where my husband and I can actually go on holiday without having to worry about leaving our “boys” behind. Ralph and Coralie have always made us ALL feel very welcome whenever we’ve had the pleasure of staying there. Our boys live inside the house with us at home and are used to be with us all the time, so it is really nice that we can duplicate that whenever we go up there for a “getaway”. We all come away feeling very refreshed instead of having to go back to town and pick up 2 very distressed boys. The cabins/grounds are kept really well and are fenced off accordingly, enabling you to keep your pets off lead where appropriate. The location is great as the beaches, sunday markets etc aren’t too far away either. All in all, a great location!
Had a great time the dog enclosure is a good idea .Very relaxing weekend the senery in this area.
We head to best friends every year for our annul flyball comp. You would be hard pressed to find a place anywhere that is more welcoming to around 75-100 high drive, high energy flyball dogs in one weekend. They make the dogs totally welcome and do a great job for the humans too.
All I can say is truely Brilliant !
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here as dogs are not just tolerated – they are welcomed with open arms and all their needs are catered for. We met so many other friendly dog owners who were happy to share all their knowledge of the area. The owners made usand the dogs feel very welcome and we left them in “doggy day care” confident that they would be as well looked after as if they were with us at home.
i had a really great time and i would definetly go again!
my family and i really enjoyed staying and im sure our dog did too! the dogs are treated really well at the kennel!!!
Our favourite place to stay. My last birthday was spent here, with great friends, my family and our course our wonderful dogs. There is nothing that the owners won’t do for you and they are forever making improvements.
A must for all dog owners and we continue to return to this wonderful place.
Woof woof woof bow-wow thanks! My owner also really enjoyed being off the leash.
Alice and Mickey Shekleton loved this place. They took their owner Kay along for a break: Kay and her four-legged friends had an amazing adventure, and came home looking relaxed! My dogs, Zoe and LC, are chomping at the bit to get there to enjoy the magical freedom to run in a safe environment where they are welcome.
I’ve stayed twice and I don’t have a pet. It is an outstanding park. Well laid out, well run and in a great location. Of course the facilities for pets are second to none. Ralph & Coralie are wonderful hosts and I would recommend this park to anyone (with or without pets) that want to use it as a base to explore this wonderful part of Victoria.
very good facilities for the dogs. clean large run areas. water buckets and poo bags every where. great walks to go on and access to river, to swim or just play in. accommodation was very clean and again thought of everything that we made need. Even had chocolates , drink and biscuits complimentary. They went as far as even an umbrella was there for rainy days. very nice and helpful owners. would recommend to anyone.
Elsa, our Great Dane felt thoroughly at ease as we did, in thebeautiful surroundings of the site. It was so good not to worry that we had a dog with us on holiday as Elsa was welcome too. The cabin accommodation was first class, well laid out and very clean, being fenced is such a bonus. The fact that with the ‘day care’ facility it means we can go into the National Park and know that we did not worry about leaving Elsa in the car, or not going ourselves.
We now have a caravan so that means we will be back again to enjoy the facilities and friendliness of our hosts. Would thoroughly recommend anyone who has a dog to visit, the facilities are great and the bonus of a welcome for our canine friends makes holidaying so much more enjoyable.
What a fantastic place to be able to take your dogs on holiday with you. The ameneties for both us and the dogs were just great. Lovely countryside and lots of sightseeing.
Great to be able to stay in such lovely surroundings, and as a bonus, to be able to have your pet catered for as well. To us, being dog owners, this is very important.
We had a wonderful holiday with our two dogs, one elderly and one energetic. It was the first time that we had been away with them and so we were nervous but Coralie and Ralph made things very easy and relaxed and helped us in every way. There were plenty of leash~free areas around about to keep the dogs entertained and the fenced off caravan sites were a bonus, the scenery was stunning. We haven`t been back yet because our elderly dog is just that and can`t cope with the travelling but in the future we will certainly be returning. We highly recommend “Best Friends Holiday Retreat”.
Wonderful place to go on holiday with our 4 legged friends. Pets are not just an add on. Wonderful, individually fenced sites. Great central location.
Many places claim to be dog friendly but merely put up with our pets. This is the exception. Our dog is well catered for, from the fenced camp sites to the fenced play areas and the “dog sitting service” while we visited the National Park. By far the best camping area we have ever been to and we are repeat visitors to this park.
We have stayed at this lovely place on a few occasions now and have enjoyed every minute with our two little Bichon’s,(they thought it was great that they could run and play all day if they wanted to without ANY LEADS (how good is this saysToby to Buttons!! )and we have passed the name on to quite a lot of our doggy friends(who have also been delighted with the receiption that they and their dogs have got)
Ralph & Coralie are to be congratulated on their effords to make this a BIG NO 1 place to stay
Our two want to know when they can go back ,soon they say .
And all you dog lovers kinow that your dogs always get what their way
Good luck with the ratings.
Joe & Helen Toby & Buttons
Truly a delightful and welcoming place and better still we can take our dog and he loved it as much as we did. Walking swimming running and I even managed a bit of cycling
Ralph & Coralie,
Thanks for everything, we always have a great time when we come to stay at best friends. Great place, geat people. See you all soon!
We stayed in (or rather on) one of the fenced camping sites with our 2 dogs. They could run around so were very happy and we didn’t have to keep an eye on where they were or what they were doing (or keep them tied up) which kept us very happy. The camping facilities are fantastic, from the clean showers to the fenced agility park and other fenced areas where we could throw down our rug and relax with a book (and beer) and still the dogs could roam around the huge area. It was wonderful to visit the beach, walk to the waterfall to explore, and to wake up to the sound of the koala’s over head (once we’d worked out what the very loud, very strange noise was!!). We take our dogs away a lot and we will definitely go back to The Best Friend Holiday Retreat because we know we will receive a warm welcome and enjoy our stay (with our dogs who are part of our family).
It’s a place where we felt privileged to accompany the main guests – our pets Khush and Luv. We were overjoyed seeing them enjoy their holidays in a great environment.
We first started going to Best Friend Holiday Retreat a few years ago when Ralph and Coralie had just taken over the park. We staid in a cabin first and came back the year after with our caravan. Both times we and our two dogs had a ball. The facilities are amazing and we have never seen anywhere where the dogs are considered so greatly. They can run around in the fenced off areas without us being concerned they might run off and get lost. We highly recommend this park to anyone who enjoys taking their dog(s) on holidays with them like we do.
Our Mum and Dad took us to Best Friends for a holiday in the middle of the year, we had a blast!! It was so great to go camping with them and not have to spend most of the time tied up….we made great friends with the Huskies next door, and Mum and Dad even challenged their Mum and Dad to a game of scrabble and a few drinks, so we ALL got to play together!!
They’ve promised to take us back really soon, we cant wait!
Mia and Diego ………and their mum and dad, Robyn and Rob Reid
both Anne and myself love this beautiful place were we can relax and not worry about are babies,Dixie , Leo,and Flip.and they all love the 90 miles of beach not to far away, espeically Dixie our little surfy chick.
We had a great time last year when we stayed a few days. Certainly reccomend it to anyone that takes there dog or dogs on holidays with them. They are treated the same as us & are allowed to go & have the best fun in the enclosed areas. There should be more of these sort of parks in all states so that we can experience more of Australia with our best friends. My 2 little dogs just had the best time.
Woof woof grrrrrr woof woof pant pant pant.
I give Best Friend Holiday Retreat 5 wags. There were lots of interesting smells and I met many other friendly dogs. My humans seemed to enjoy it as well. Woof
the spacious and well presented grounds offer absolute peace and quiet. Walk, bring your dogs,or have a peaceful and well deserved break go bird watching throw the frisby, play cricket, football you are only restricted by your own imagination. Ralph and Coralie are the perfect host with the understanding you are there for a break and they help you to acheive this with there charm and hospitality.
My husband, 2 friends and our dogs stayed a couple of years back and we loved the accommodation and surrounds. We even left our dogs in your care when we played golf one day and they loved their extra accommodation. Ralph and Corallie were lovely people and we will certainly be back again , although my husband has recently passed away but I would love to come again with a friend and my dog Gemma who is still with me.
We have enjoyed several wonderful trips to the Best Friends Holiday Retreat. The location is beautiful with native wildlife seen in the campgrounds and in the mountains surrounding it. We were able to enjoy our stay while bring our children Jessica, Oz and Eric with us. Our children are adopted greyhounds and they love the fully enclosed dog runs as they are not allowed to run off our house block due. Ralph and Coralie are wonderful host and the place is always in clean and welcoming condition. The gift shop caters to all breeds of dog items. It has always be a pleasure to stay with them. I have recomended them highly to several people who have also enjoyed their stay there.
Me and my family stayed at best freinds as one of our first holidays with our new dog. Staying here was so great for introducing smudge (our new dog) to what camiping was. the idea of best friends is just fantastic and I hope that there will be many more family trips to best friends.
Families are more than just the humans! Our two little dogs belong with us, and they enjoy holidays too! Why should they be always excluded? This place is an ideal way of having a safe place for dogs, and they are allowed inside! This trend should continue, as more people with dogs want to spend time with complete families! Yarram is a lovely little place too, a hidden gem.
Best Friends was a fantastic place to stay. We have 2 very large dogs and it very hard to find parks that allow them. The fenced areas are fastastic and it was so nice to give the dogs a hydro before coming home (and it was free). And so close to Melb in a beautful setting of Tarra Bulga.
Excellent will come back again
We have stayed at Best Friends Holiday Park on quite a few occasions both in our own caravan and cabin. What a relaxing fun holiday. We always take our dog, Buddy, the poodle with us on our holidays and this park is wonderful. We can sit back and know our dog is safely enclosed around our caravan, and when we want to take a walk he can have fun too! Being able to run and play in safety is wonderful. Thanks Ralph & Coralie.
I cannot say enough about Best Friends and Ralph & Coralie, I’ve stayed at Best Friends twice, when I arrived there with my 3 reasonable sized dogs Ralph & Coralie were so welcoming I felt I had known them for years. The first time I stayed in one of the cabins Huckleberrys Hideaway which had everything and more than I needed and all securely fenced so I had no concerns about the dogs at all. The second time I stayed in my camper in a fenced site and the dogs loved it. The offleash areas are fantastic and they ran themselves ragged each time we went in to a different one. I will certainly be back again, hopefully in the next few months.
A great friendly place to stay. To be able to take your dogs with you and stay in the comfort of the Cabins is a real treat. Having the dog run areas makes it easy to give the dogs some excersize and fun without getting any complaints from people. And also having the dog sitting available if you wish to go out for the day or for dinner.
Loved the idea of taking our best mate with us. What a place, all about your dog.
We even got to dosome human stuff like swim in the creek!!1
10 out of 10 for us. We will go back again soon.
B&B
I describe Best Friends to people as “A holiday park for dogs where humans are also allowed stay”.
It is wonderful to find a place where dogs are truly welcome instead of just “tolerated”.
We have stayed at Best Friends quiet a few times.Some of our happiest Xmas have been there. It is so great to go some where for the dogs to be able to run free and enjoy themselves in safety. The owners are the best people I have encounted as owners of a park. We need to support parks like this and also have more available in other areas of our great country. Keep up the good work guys.
What more could you ask for, fantastic location, best camp ground we have ever stayed at. Having each camp ground fenced off so that Smudge could move around freely was just the best.Smudge really enjoys the rather large off leash areas, they are just huge. We have stayed at many caravan park and Best Friends is by far the best. It is really sad that other caravan parks are stopping mans best friend from enjoying a real aussie holiday, because after all dogs are not just animals or pets they are another family member.
Our boy Jake decided this would be a perfect place for his humans to take him for a holiday. He was safe and sound in the fully fenced camp site and when the humans needed to explore the National Park he got to hang out in his own cabin complete with couch, TV and DVD player. The nearby beaches were fantastic – doggy friendly and plenty of space to run around. All the humans were friendly and Jake made a few new friends during the stay. Ralph and Coralie clearly knew the area, were friendly and incredibly helpful
Very organised, well run park much needed by dog owners wanting to travel with dogs.This place deserves commendation as it serves an ever increasing need for dog friendly accommodation.
Many more places of this standard are required in Victoria and all other states.
Too often dog friendly accomm is substandard and Best Friend Retreat has thankfully raised the bar for all dog owners.
Great for families and great for dogs. We were one of the early visitors when Ralph and Coralie began managing the park and their vision and insight into making this park a fabulous experience for families and their dogs was amazing. Lots of hard work and sincere friendly management has made this park one of the best we have stayed in. Congratulations Ralph and Coralie
my parents visited the holiday retreat and their feedback was 5 star.. I work for lions hearing dogs and we advertised best friend holiday retreat in our newsletter. i am trying to work out when al our family all doggy people could take a holiday with our “kids” i wish there were more of these around.
good on you for making holidaying with your dog possible
My family stayed here last year with our little maltese girl. She wasalloiwed inside to a very clean cabin. The cabins were fenced which was greatfor her and my piece of mind. The walk areas and play areas were also fenced. A perfect spot to take your 4 legged friend. Very well set up for the dogs. Just perfect. A great holiday was held by all even Ruby had a good time …
A fantastic and friendly place to stay. Never have people been so accomodating and friendly. To Ralph and Coralie it is about happiness and enjoyment, they do not see their guests as a way of making money – which so many other places do now.
Beautiful Surrounds and relaxing for all.
Best friend holiday retreat was the highlight of our month long touring holiday. Onslo our dog (named from’ keeping up appearances ‘ british comedy) was truly keeping up appearances with his hydrobath , toys , safe runs, and agility practice. Coralie and Ralph made all of his family safe and welcome. HE COULD EVEN WEAR HIS SINGLET.
We had a wonderful holiday with our 4 Rottweilers. The cabin was spacious and extremely well equipped, we had a little fenced garden and there were huge runs for the dogs and agility equipment for them to play around with. We would certainly recommend Best Friend Holiday Retreat for anyone who has dogs and likes to holiday with them.
Oh my Gosh, I have just come back from Best Friend Holiday Retreat! How happy am I! A place for my (normally only on lead) two whippets to have a great run. No guilt at having them with me. A clean, friendly, joyful place to be. So beautiful an environment, peaceful and easy to be in. I must confess that we are serial offenders! Thank heavens this place exists!
This is a great plce to stay for all family members including dogs. The space and activities provided for the dogs is exceptional and the hospitality, accomodation & relaxed atmosphere and surroundings is refreshing. The proximity to other interesting Gippsland attractions (marine parks, mountains & beaches) adds to the attraction of Best Friend Holiday retreat
Could not have asked for a better place to spend our holiday.
Our 2 dogs were treated to a fully fenced area with us and the caravan. And with over 5 massive run arears for the dogs, all which included toys for them also, and one was just with tunnels, walking beems etc. Everywhere you go there is doggy poo bags and bins. And even a spa for them.
Dinner in the main area also provide your own fenced area.
And wow the daycare was amazing, we had planned to go look around the town and the dogs where booked into the daycare. They had a heater, couch and Benji was put on the DVD for them. ohh so cute.
The staff were wonderful, we just LOVED it so much we are booked to go back end of Oct and are bring another family as well.
This place is heaven on earth both for us and our dog. We came3 away thoroughly rested and our dog slept all the way back to Geelong.
Ralph and Coralie were excelent hosts who were just as concerned for our dogs welfare as they were for us, Yhank you folks. When the finances permit we shall return
Regards
Bob, Merle & Berri Bell
Our stay was short, would of loved it to be longer, but even so my husband and I felt totally relaxed, we knew Archie was safe and could not wander off. He played with a couple of ‘new friends’ that were there on holiday too and enjoyed watching all the birds and rabbits through the fence. The setting was beautiful. Ralph and Coralie were fantastic hosts, very friendly and helpful.
We visited Best Friend Holiday Retreat when our dogs were 12 weeks old- it was our first trip away with them and as you may know puppies (especially Labradors) can be quite a handful!! We stayed in an undercover campsite which was completely fenced off so our dogs couldn’t get up to mischief running away! There was so much for us to do there obstacle course that our pups loved once again completely fenced off and it was great because if there was someone with their dog/s in a fenced off area you allowed them to use the area so it felt safe. There was a hydro bath we could use to wash our dogs and plenty of beautiful scenery to take in whilst walking our dogs even waterfalls along the nearby creek (which our dogs couldn’t help but drag us into!!) The Hosts Ralph and Coralie were just so welcoming too. Coralie gave us a doggy showbag with supercoat treats for our pups! I will surely be going back to stay at this park as there are not many truly dog friendly places to stay and this one welcomes our dogs as equal to humans! We truly were astounded at the extremes these hosts have gone to make this one of the best pet friendly resorts in Australia- congratulations to Ralph and Coralie on such wonderful accommodation!
We visited & stayed last year with our 2 small dogs & had an excellent time & will more than likely go back another time when in that part of Vic. I would recommend it to any one with spoilt pets like we have. I volunteer on Million Paws Walk day & told many people what a good time we had. Our girls thought it was great to not have to be constantly on the lead when on holidays.
I thought it was a relaxing and peaceful place to stay.
My dog absolutely LOVED it!! She was running around in the vast enclosed area and was totally safe. And was able to come inside with me…Very dog friendly!
A very pretty place. Fantastic facilities for a great holiday with the family dog. Would highly recomend it.
A truely beautiful place. Great facilities. Fantastic owners. A great place to take your dog for a great relaxing holiday
One of the great things about staying at Best Friend Holiday Retreat is being with other dog lovers. Not having to explain why your dog is with you on holiday, not having to apologise if your dog barks at his neighbour, not feeling like everyone thinks you are crazy because you bring out photos of your dogs, THIS is a holiday.
So many places say they are pet friendly when they really mean they are pet TOLERANT….Best Friend really is pet friendly…making pets feel welcome and making their owners comfortable.
Best Friends Holiday Retreat are exactly that. What a fantastic place to holiday with your best friend. My dogs truely enjoyed playing in the off lead areas, and such a beautiful setting, and the hosts Coralie and Ralph really make you feel part of the family.
Best Friend Holiday Retreat is in such a beautiful and quiet location, it is so relaxing just being there. Being able to to take our fur kids with us, just completed the holiday. It was wonderful for the dogs to have their own little yard and the doggy play areas are fantastic and well stocked with toys. Ralph and Coralie made us feel very welcome. Highly recommended.
We have stayed at Best friend holiday retreat and it was one of the best holidays I have ever had. The surrounds for a start are gorgeous and peaceful. The facilities for dogs were first class. They were able to run around in the fenced off areas freely and without other naughty dogs annoying them. The memories from our trip to Best friends are extra special as not long after our visit our dogs ‘Best Friend’ passed away. The photo’s we have of the two of them running around and playing on the obstacle course etc are priceless. Would love more places to be as accomodating to dogs as this one.
Absolutely beautiful place to stay. The owners are very friendly and hospitable. My husband and I love to go on holidays with our golden retriever ‘Hawk’. We love it and so does our dog. The surroundings are breath taking and the cabins are cute and cosy.
Our standard poodle takes us to Best Friends Holiday Retreat at least once a year! He loves the agility course and can’t wait to stick his snout into the bins of toys available in each of the huge off-leash exercise areas. The accommodation is of a high standard, only surpassed by the friendliness and efficiency of Ralph and Coralie. Cannot recommend it highly enough to our friends lucky enough to be owned by a dog. Add this to its close proximity to the beautiful Tarra Bulga National Park, Port Albert and spectacular beaches – what more could you want?
Excellent holiday retreat for your dog! Beautiful place to stay with the beach a short drive away and plenty of room for your dog to run and play. Great service!!
It is the best place to stay even without the dogs but with the dogs it is supburb. The fact that I could park my caravan in a yard that my dogs had freedom to run in is unique. Most caravan parks, holiday places do not provide this. Also the yards for those with tents and dogs are terrific. It makes traveling with dogs so much more pleasant. The exercise yards are huge and I am sure the dogs enjoy themselves to the limit. The countryside is beautiful and relaxing for us humans. Ralph and Coralie are great hosts and provide expertaly for us travelers. There needs to be more places like this in Australia.
While I was visiting from Canada my Melbourne friend brought me and her dogs to Best Friend’s. The beautiful location, friendly people and seeing the dogs having such fun made it the highlight of my trip. A magical place!
A fantastic place for humans and dogs to relax. The dogs loved being off the lead and there was plenty of toys to play with for both man and his dog. We especially loved the peacefulness and relaxed atmosphere about the place. You would never believe there was over 100 dogs on the camp site.
This would be best place to go with a 4 legged friend, for a good holiday, where everything is taken care for your friend.
We’ve stayed at best friends twice, when we arrived there Ralph & Colralie welcomed us and I felt I had known them for years. The first time we stayed in our camper and it was great to be able to let the dogs walk around the fenced sites while we were there, our “fur kid’s” were well catered for, with great the dog runs, an obstical course, and don’t forget the little bag of treats for them when we arrived. Second time we decided to try a cabin “what a cracker” we picked Huckleberrys Hideaway, we spent the nights watching the old Huckleberry hound videos provided, and reading books of the same, the walls were adorned with cartoon cells & pictures of old “Huck” and his sidekicks, as well as figurines games etc. We also found a beautiful restaurant about 15 – 20 minutes up the road for a special dinner.
What a wonderful retreat! We have only stayed there one and a half times – we booked and travelled on Saturday, 7 February and had to turn around and come home after just an hour but Coralie contacted us a couple of days later and asked whether we would like to come back. Would we? Oh yes! We went the following weekend and what a treat it was. There was a bottle of wine in the fridge together with a block of yummy chocolate. The cabin was impeccably clean and incredibly comfortable and Rosie, our furry child, was in seventh heaven playing with the enormous inflated ball in one of the fields. The scenery from all aspects is glorious and Best Friend Holiday Retreat is going to be one of our firm favourite places to stay in future. I can highly recommend It and so can Rosie! PS well done Ralph and Coralie for getting in the top 10!! You both deserve it.
How wonderful to have a great resort where ALL the family can enjoy being together on holidays. Well done Best Friends Retreat !!!
A great place to stay in comfort. A lovely rural setting with lots of nearby plces well worth a visit.
My wife and I and our little staffie dog stayed at Best Friend Holiday Retreat earlier this year in January and thoroughly enjoyed our short holiday. We stayed in one of the luxury cabins (Pluto’s Palace, I think). It was clean and tidy and very comfortable, and had everything we needed. Ralph and Coralie are the best host ever because they made us feel very welcome the moment we got there, not to mention the fact that they said they like staffies (I would think they love all dogs). We would highly recomend that anyone who does not like to leave their dogs in kennels or have friends to look after them while they go away should go to the Best Friend Holiday Retreat and take their BEST FRIENDS (dogs) with them. We will go back there, for sure.
Steve, Betty & Bucks (the four legged son)
I ♥ this place. i taught my dog how to do most of the agility obstiacles and we had so much fun there. The hosts were lovely, and we made some friends when we were there too. I loved the way they set everything up, like the streets, Labrodor Lane! haha thats were my family and i camped
Our Border Collie’s always love going to this place, they just play Frisbee all day long.
Lovely surroundings, perfectly safe for dogs and humans alike. Great for bike riding. Terrific to be able to take the four legged member of our family with us on holiday and not have to worry about fencing, barking or being able to get away from it all. Doggy can be left in a safe environment if the other members of the family wish to explore further.
Top place with or without your pooch. The hosts are fantastic. Our number 1 holiday with Amber our Lab. Kids loved every moment and so did Amber.
Great place to stay for the whole family including our four legged member. Wonderful friendly staff with loads of places for entertainment.
My husband and I have been to Best Friend Retreat for 2 years with our 2 dogs. It is a nice and relaxed place with lots of things to do. Our 2 dogs love going there with the freedom that they can run about and meet other dogs.
Bestfriends CP is the best place to take your dog and have a break, it was part of our dog Togo’s initial socialisation and he is a nicer dog for it. We will be back soon.
We visited My Best friend holiday retreat earlier this year and I would say by far was the best holiday with the dogs ever. We have two gorgeous Staffies who love being off the lead and sleeping in side at night as they feel the cold.
Just being able to take our two children Murray and Abbie away on a holiday with us and knowing they can be warm and cozy at night and have a yard that is secure was the best feeling.
We are now planning our second trip to My Best Friends Holiday Retreat Tarra Valley later this year.
We had a wonderful time at the resort and when we look back at our stay there are so many things that made our stay wonderful. Like the open space, the location, the fact that it was geared towards dogs but also made sure that the owners (of the dogs) were taken care of as well, the owners of the resort were great and friendly. I remember the dogs were tired by the end of their day and slept well at night. Unfortuantely we don’t have the our dogs anymore, they were attacked by two other dogs (and died as a consequence) but the memory of staying at the resort will always remain with us as one of those holidays we spent with our cherished doggies. Best friend holiday park deserve to win because they truly do look after their guests, big and small!
When my husband and i arrived i couldnt belive that we could let off our dog, in area where we felt save to see him run ,jump, was wonderful as i have never let my dogs off a lead anywhere . the cabins are great, the walks in the area are just beautiful, we walk down to the other of the road with charlie(on a lead) and had scones and cream, in the little shop outside the weather was great, I fully recommand it to anyone with dogs Hilary and Russell Murray
I stayed at Best Friends for the first time with my mother, sister, niece and our two dogs this week. We had the Snoopy cabin which was delightful! The cabin was comfortable, well supplied with complimentary goodies adding a special touch. The safe, enclosed yard takes away any worries while the big off leash areas are great with the dog toys provided. The beautiful koala in the tree at our door was an added bonus.
I have stayed here twice now and it is just fabulous to be able to take our dogs with us when away. The staff were very accomodating and friendly and the facilities are wonderful. I would recommend staying here to anyone that loves to take their dogs away with them. The unleashed areas are fabulous and its an enjoyable stay for both dogs and owner alike!!! Great value!
We have stayed a Best Friends several times now and have had the best time. Our dogs go every where we go and have to come on holidays with us if we ever go away and Best Friends is our choice for dog friendly accomodation. The beautiful self contained cabins are really good, and we are hoping to go back next xmas holidays. Our dogs have fun too. The enclosed dog runs a great and big enough for the dogs to run around, and they feel like they are going walkies several times a day! Ralph & Coralie are perfect hosts. You can chill out at your cabin or go for a drive and the walks are great too. I can’t speak highly enough of Best Friends. Cheers
I found this to be a lovely peacrful retreat with plenty of wildlife. The park was spotless and Ralph and Coralie were very helpful and friendly. Our dog had a lovely time in the off leash area. this park is one of the very few allowing dogs inside. Big plus. Jan
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Best Friend Holiday Park. Our small dog ‘Ming’ was able to enjoy the comfortable cabin with us which was surrounded by a secure fence. The areas set aside for dog training and play were also very safe. The shop was amazing – full of interesting merchandise. We were greeted by Ralph and Coralie who made us feel very welcome. All this in the beautiful Tara Valley. We look forward to our next visit.
We had an absolute ball when we stayed there. very nice bungalow with awesome view and a short walk or drive to some very picturesque walking tracks and view points. would recommend it to anyone with a dog.
My dog slept for a week after visiting he was so worn out, very cool facilities. All good.
what better place to be able to take you companions and best friends of the human and animal persuation, we all deserve a nice place to stay and have those that are near to us close by.
Simply Outstanding holiday retreat, we have been holiday with our group of friends for the past five years at BF Holiday Retreat. The attention to detail that Coralie and Ralph have gone to regarding the cabins is truly amazing. Our doggies are always happiest when we are there, being able to run and chase the ball in the fenced of areas is awesome. The facilities are spot on from the shower blocks and toilets to the BBQ area. Although we stay on long weekends, our best time is Christmas/ New Year, the atmostphere is Electric. Our doggies are our lives, and it just wonderful to be able to spend every minute during our breaks with them, at a top location. I dont believe the words I’m writing truly express what a great place this is, and I would highly recommend this to any one.
My wife and I with our 3 shelties had a very relaxed time and it was great to be able to leave them in the kennels when visiting places they where not aloud.
Ron & Pam
we are so impressed with the idea of having fenced areas so the dogs are able to have some freedom. It would be wonderful to have more places like this to make it better and more comfortable for our best friends to come on holidays with us. Best place ever.
What a great find. Our first trip with a new van and had never left our dog behind before, so to be able to take him with us to such a wonderful dog friendly park in the beautiful area of Tara Valley was a pleasure. We had travelled before but never come across another dog friendly park like this. Congratulations to the owners for designing a park that welcomes 4 legged friends and gives all of us the freedom to enjoy our holiday.
We have to small dogs that are our children. It is wonderful to have a place where we can take our boys on holidays with us where they don’t have to be on a leash all the time.
Having the fenced camp sites is the greatest thing ever. We wish there were many more places like this so we could take our boys with us all the time instead of leaving them behind.
it was great to be able to take our dog on holiday with us . We all felt really relaxed because not only were we able to have our little dog inside with us there were plenty of areas for her to run around off leash with other dogs.
Want somewhere tranquil to relax with your pooch? Coralie and Ralph are delightful hosts who make you feel very welcome! The off-leash areas are great for a free run with your best friend, i have trouble trusting my dog off leash, but here i had not to worry at all. An over all great place to stay!
MY PARTNER AND I AND OUR 2 X FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS STAYED THERE .
THE WEATHER WAS NOT GOOD BUT THE PEOPLE WERE FRIENDLY AND HELP FULL
AND OUR 4 LEGGED FRIENDS WERE HAPPY WITH PLENTY OF PLAY AREA .
WE ARE GOING BACK SOON . (THANKS FOR GETTING US INTO THE WITH OUT A BOOKING EVEN THOUGH THE PARK WAS FULL ) THANKS AGAIN ,
REGARDS
ARCHIE AND HESTER
Great place to stay. It was great for the dogs to have their own area to run in and not have to be tied to the caravan. They really enjoyed the exercise areas and running freely off the leads. They met many new doggie friends.The walks in the area were great for all the family.
Best Friends is a great place to go away for a holiday, not only for you and your family or friends but also for your dogs. Everything you and your 4-legged family members could need and want is there. The scenery is beautiful and relaxing and I would definately reccommend this place to anyone,especially those who don’t want to leave their dogs behind while on holiday.
It is very refreshing to find somewhere to stay where your pet is not just welcome, but treated as part of your family (as they are at home), and their needs are fully catered for, in very restful surroundings.
It was a few years ago but it was perfect for dogs – our girl had a ball with the huge free run area and a mini agility course to play on. The cabins were comfortable for humans too with every necessary creature comfort. We also stayed in winter and were perfectly cosy and warm. I believe that further improvements have been made since we were there; in the area of dog day kennels (they were partially ready when we were there) so that people can take advantage of nearby National Parks etc. whilst their dogs are safely cared for. We travel with our dogs most of the time so appreciate the importance of dog friendly accommodation where people can also stay in comfort.
Had a wonderfully relaxing weekend away with our dogs.
We stayed in the “Snoopy” cabin which was had all the comforts of home and very clean!
Great views,dog runs, hydrobath day kennels if needed!! Fantastic set-up for campers, vans and cabins and a neat little agility area for the dogs at the back.
Great enclosed area for dogs around the cabin with a covered decking with bbq and outdoor setting!!
Ralph and Coralie “Best Friend Holiday Retreat” is a credit to you!!
I would highly recommend this dog friendly accommodation to friends and family or anyone looking for holiday with their dogs!!
It’s a wonderful place for a holiday with dogs – we’ve enjoyed our times there immensely.
Great facilities and super-friendly hosts in Coralie and Ralph. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
A truly fantastic place to holiday. A special place for your four legged fury friends and for you to tag along. Everything has been thought of here. We just love spending our holidays here and the owners Ralph and Coralie are just wonderful hosts. Would recommend highly to everyone, especially those with four-legged friends that you dont like to leave behind on holidays. Not enough places around like this. This is truly a DOG FRIENDLY holiday retreat – us humans just go along for the ride : )
my wife,dog,and i enjoyed our stay with best friend holiday retreat which truely lived up to its name.many thanks. roland briggs.
It was the first time we had travelled with our dog (1 year old) we had a fenced in site and our dog could wander in and out of our van without being tied up and we knew he was safe and could get out. It put my mind at rest knowing he had the freedom, the same as home. We also love the runs they had for him to run around with other dogs. Also that you could let your dog stay in the cabins and not be locked out at night. We recently wanted to go away for a 2 night stay and found it very hard to find a place that the dogs could stay inside at night. Thanks for a great time.
Wanting to take a holiday with your pooch, whether in your own caravan or in one of the cabins available – at prices to suit most pockets – situated in acres of land surrounded by natural beauty in an area that offers a variety of activities. All have their own fully fenced area to confine even the smallest of breeds and if you choose to have time out without your 4 legged friend day kennels are provided. There are also fully enclosed free run areas where you can take your pet to play with the many different toys provided, either with other dogs or alone the decision is yours.
I laughed, when booking for the first time, being told that the main stipulation was that all dogs had to be indoors at night what a delightful change.
What a wonderful find!!! The BEST DOG-FRIENDLY accommodation in the WHOLE of Australia, (and we’ve been all the way around, across and up and down). Beautiful location. Could have stayed forever. The dog, ditto.
Very friendly caring management. We would recommend Best Friend Holiday Retreat 110% to everyone. We could certainly have more of this type of accommodation available around Australia. We look forward to another stay in the Tarra Valley in the future. Best wishes for continued success with your venture.
A very relaxing place to spend time as a complete family
Cassie and myself were rev head widows, last year Bathurst weekend we spent in a cabin here and it was so good, we felt really safe, Cassie had runs in the exercise paddocks and we went for great walks. A really dog friendly experience, Inside the cabins had doggy treats and extras that made it special and Ralph and Coralie were so very friendly. Good luck with the top 101. Eve & Cass
We had been looking for the perfect holiday location to take our whole family and when we found Best Friend Holiday retreat we could not fault it . Surrounded by the beautiful Tara Valley and not too far a drive from the 90 mile beach (where you CAN take your dogs) It was tranquil, relaxing yet we also always had something to do- our kids and our dogs had an absolute ball. We will return.
Quite simply put “PERFECTION” I love this place, my hubby loves it and my little baby Oscar loves it too.
We (hubby, wife, german shepherd) use Best friends a few times a year for all aspects cabin stays, Camping stays, even dog stays for the day why we go off for a drive. The retreat is exactly that a home away from home fantastic break for both dog and owners by far the best accomodation I have used to date. Ralph and Coralie really do think of everything from firwood pre chopped/supplied to hydro bath for the dogs, the run out areas for dogs are huge so dogs are exhausted when they come home from there. I am a travel agent and it’s the first place I recommend in Vic when clients ask for a break with dog friendly facilities there is no way I would put my reputation on the line unless I was 100% sure of the backup.
Keep up the great work Ralph and Coralie.
This resort is situated in the beautiful Tarra Valley. The owners, Ralph & Coralie are wnderful hosts, it is very cosy & comfortable, very relaxing, very clean, lots of space for you & your pet to play in, & very beautiful too! It is the best place to take your pets on holiday with you. I give it a thousand marks!.
Best Friendly was a beautiful place to visit, we were in the Snoopy Cabin and couldn’t stop laughing at some of the gizmos, they were great. Beautifully clean and comfortable equipped with everything needed, hosts were great, a fantastic time for all of us and one to remember, because our best friends went to heaven not long after and we miss them, so we get the photos of that trip.
Great Park, the Tarra Valley is just a fantastic part of of Australia.
Thanks Coralie and Ralph
Best friend holiday retreat is a family friendly ( including pets ) park where strangers are friends you haven’t met before.
This is a fantastic holiday destination in a beautiful part of Victoria. It is so nice to go on holiday with our dog and enjoy being with her in a safe and relaxed environment instead of having to put her into kennels while we holiday. The staff are friendly and the facilities are excellent. Well done. Would love to have more options for taking dogs on holidays, but this one was great.
Our dogs had the best time .Myself and wife thouroughly enjoyed the atmosphere
Ralph &Coralie are excellent hosts nothing is too much trouble Always ready to assist The cabins bbq areas were kept beautifully clean .It was an absolute pleasure to visit
The best friend holiday retreat is a absolutely fantastic place to stay with your dog. Our german shepherd Charlie, loves going there and does his family. It is nestled in the tarra valley with wonderful surrounds. The park itself offers you and your dog everything you need and want.
Best holiday destination for dogs and their masters. You can exercise as much as you want in the designated areas or just relax as much as you want in your own private area whether it be the self contained units, caravan or tent sites. Three or four times a years is not enough for us.
The best place to take you best friends for a holiday like at home you cam have your pets with you always. The off lead area my dog love so much they have to have a weeks rest when they come home they love it.
The greatest thing about Best Friends Holiday Retreat is that so much thought has been put into all the facilities. The play areas are huge, and they all have heaps of toys for dogs of all temperaments and sizes. There is a lovely waterfall and pool. The bushland, rainforest and river surrounds create incredible vistas. The hydro-bath is really handy. All the different types of accommodation from deluxe family cottages to fenced in camping sites have safe, secure places for the the dog to move freely. The dog-shop has all sorts of interesting gifts and knick knacks with a dog theme. Ralph is always out and about and will stop for a friendly chat. We went down to for a weekend, and return because the service is great, we love the relaxing surrounds, and we have every possible convenience on hand to enjoy our holidays with our dog. Thanks heaps, we’re planning to come back again this summer.
Best Friend has everything a dog could wish for, and also is a great place for humans to have a good, comfortable break. It has another great asset in being located in a beautiful part of Victoria, with many features within a short drive.
Fantastic set up with dog runs, heaps of space, great owners and a wonderful location that is peaceful and serene. You just have to go and your dogs will love you even more.
Great time away to relax, and we’re able to take our whole family, dogs included!
A wonderfully friendly and relaxing place for owners and their best friends. Pooches’ and parents’ paradise!
Great place for humans and canines, safe and cheerful and lovely surrounds. Great to be able to find places that accomodate our four legged friends and make holidays complete
Great relaxing Place to stay & best of all Dog Friendly
leaving tommorrow to come back for our 2nd stay . this park is every thing a responsible dog lover could ask for .,neat ,clean ,well set out ,owned and run by dog owners, an all round great place to take a break, after a hectic racing season
jon mollie & huey
thoroughly enjoyed our stay will definately be visiting again
It is getting so exciting – only 14 weeks before my mum takes me back to this doggy heaven (and I have to say mum considers it heaven for her also). I know I will catch up with some friends I met last Christmas and also know I will meet some new friends. I love Coralie and Ralph – they treat all doggies equally and make sure we have a great time. Do you know if my mum wants to go walking in the National Park I can stay in my very own day kennel, complete with all the comforts of home.
If any fellow dog wants a five star holiday, convince your parents to look up the Best Friend Holiday Retreat website – you can even see the availability of all cabins, tent sites, etc. Come and spend Christmas/New Year with me.
Our dogs adore staying at Best Friends, but I think Debbi and I get as much if not more out of our holiday from relaxing in such wonderful surroundings. Ralph and Coralie are friendly and attentive hosts without being intrusive. A shout out too for Ralph’s video collection which is remarkable in itself, with copies of long forgotten shows that I am love to re-live after so many years.
Fantastic holiday cabins for the family and dogs. Dogs welcome everywhere! Plus no TV, radio, etc – a true break from the world.
A fantastic Caravan park set in the hills of the Tarra Bolga Nation park that has been set up by dog people for dog people to go with their dogs to enjoy peace country surroundigs away from people that are not dog minded people and enjoy the surrounds where the dogs stay on site with their owners, whether they are staying in a Caravan, tent or one of the fantastic cabins. There are numerous areas that are securely fenced so the dogs are able to run free and a doggy day care centre is available if the owners need to go somewhere that the dogs are restricted to go such as the national park. All the facilities are provided including BBQ’s and a hugh camp kitchen all laundry facilities and amenities and they even have a dog wash available. Truly a peaceful place to go and enjoy the company of like minded animal lovers in a very peaceful and tranquil setting with youre best friend. A highly recommended place to stay.
The only truly dog friendly camping and especially cabin dog friendly accomodation place that i have ever been to.
As a greyhound owner, it’s fantastic to be able to go to a place where she can run free. Ralph and Coralie are the best people and they love the dogs visiting. Such peaceful surroundings. We love going there 2-3 times per year. Best place on earth.
If I were a dog, I’d live there permanently!
Its the only dog-friendly place within a 2-3 hour drive from Melbourne. It wouldn’t be a holiday if I couldn’t take my dog
my husband nathan, our dog oxy and i visit the best friend holiday retreat twice a year. we enjoy it so much and it’s such a relaxing, beautiful place. Coralie and Ralph, the Hosts, are the most beautiful people and make you feel very welcome and nothing is any trouble to them. we highly recommend you visit them with your four legged family member as you all will enjoy your stay and be sure to return!
Coralie and Ralph and the most generous, friendly, welcoming hosts one could ask for. Nothing is too much trouble, and the four legged companions certainly enjoy their time as much as the two legged variety!!!
Looking forward to being back there in December (our 4th stay!)
Juls
It was just a great friendly clean place to go to. Will go back again
It’s great to see people with dogs are finally being catered for in such an understanding way. This was the only way we can still get away with our elderly friend. On top of that Best Friends is in a lovely environment, the owners where very friendly and the Snoopy cabin kept on turning up little surprises that made us laugh.
I think this would also be a great spot for families with young children as each site is individually fenced. The area has great scenery which we will have to go back to explore further another time. It was also a joy to see lush green grass as we once had in Melbourne before the drought started 14 years ago.
Best place I have stayed they really cater for or dogs all individual yards for each unit
Every time we want to get away for a break the sticking point is our darling dog.This place sounds perfect. Our ‘Baby’ is our 13 year old Labrador, Molly. It is really hard to get away without being able to take her as she gets separation anxiety if left for too long. she is a house dweller most of the time and is too old and too spoilt to put in a kennel. She loves to travel with us to different places and comes to life like a puppy again!
Cheers
Annie, Stu and Molly
The hosts go out of their way to assist you, to be able to spend time away with my best friends Poppy and Ash, instead of without my best friends just makes you feel right at home and comfortable.
Thoughtfully organised so that the whole family (four-footed ones too) can enjoy a relaxing holiday in a stunning environment. One-of -a -kind.
Doggy and owner heaven. Wish it was closer so we could go more often
I have stayed at Best Friend Holiday Retreat quite a few times now and I have always had the most wonderful time as has my German Shepherd. Coralie & Ralph are wonderful hosts.
The accommodation is first class and the dogs can be inside where mine thinks he should be. Having a fenced yard for the dogs means you can relax and not worry about your dog. There are also very large off leash runs for dogs where they can run and play.
It is in the most beautiful county (Tarra Valley) and very close to 90 mile beach (where dogs can run) and to the lovely little village Port Albert which has great coffee, a great restaurant and also magnificent walks around coastal park.
If you want to go off some place where dogs are not allowed (national parks) Coralie & Ralph will take the dog into kennels while you are away.
I will certainly be going back many more times – it is a great and relaxing place to holiday with your dog in some of the most beautiful country in Victoria.
It’s great to have somewhere so nice to have a dog friendly holiday.
This is absolutely the best holiday destination for people who care about their animals and wish to take them away with them. I have had numerous holidays at Best Friends and have always been delighted with the friendliness of the hosts, Coralie and Ralph, not to mention the fact everything has been organized for dogs. I have stayed with 4 dogs and to be able to have them inside as well as having an outside area for each unit is wonderful. The play areas are huge. Congratulations to Best Friends for making it a home away from home.
Shirley Sawyer & Daisy & Rosie
It is simply the most relaxing place to stay with dogs I have ever been to. Have been going there for a number of years, always heaps to do and the dogs absolutely love it.
It it great!! Finally a place that is really for the WHOLE family.
Rob and I had a long weekend at the Best Friends Retreat just a few weeks ago with our two dobermanns, Kirra and Max. We all had a fantastic time, us because we didn’t have to worry about the dogs as the cabin and surrounding area was securely fenced, and the dogs because it was a home away from home! They were allowed inside (not that a dobe could even imagine anything different), they tried agility for the first time in the doggy playground and they had heaps of exercise in the 6 huge off-leash areas, trying a different one every time we went for a walk. Well done to Coralie and Ralph – we’ll be back!
This is THE BEST place to holiday with your canine family. Excellent accommodation – home from home and more! Coralie and Ralph are dedicated to making your time at BFHR as pleasurable as possible and the facilities available for giving your dog a fun time are innumberable. The resort is exceptionally well maintained and being situated close to the Tarra Bulga National Park is a bonus. Availablity of day kennels to allow human visitors to access the park is great and the kennels have all the comforts of home. Cannot recommend this place highly enough. We stay there as often as time allows. Keep up the good work Coralie and Ralph and see you soon.
its annoying how you can only vote once!!!
A great idea. Excellent accomadation option for the Tarra Valley
i love this place, i am going there again in 1 week and both myself and my 2 doggies are excited. We love that a place has been dedicated to our best friends.
It’s terrific to find such a great dog-friendly place to holiday.
Just loved it.
It’s refreshing to find some people who supply what this marketplace wants.
– Well Done.
I have had the pleasure of staying here twice with my 2 dogs.The best features of Best friends is the wide open areas for my dogs to run and play like dogs should.The owners Ralph and Corralie make you feel welcome and the four legged family members also.Highly recommend here for the ones of us who have the little and big family members.
a fantastic place to relax and have your best friend(k9) with you. pleanty of secure off lead areas and like minded people help to make a great trip away. doggy friendly accomodation with optional day care kennels for when you vist any of the national parks in the area.
I have stayed at Ralph and Coralie,s fantastic Park which is a beautiful retreat for Dogs AND Humans! My third visit was in mid winter and even though the weather was colder, the scenery was spectacular.
Best Friend caters for all types of dogs and has big play areas which allows the dogs off leash. Also they spoil our dogs with a bath area and separate accom. if you decide to take off for awhile.
Of course the surrounding countryside lends itself to a restful holiday and you have all the confidence of being looked after if you stay in the new Cabins, or take your own tent/caravan. The Park really does care about YOU and even have bags for their business along the fencelines! Looking forward to a return trip.
Would not take our dogs Rommel and Wolfgang anywhere else.The retreat is absolutely beautiful and run very well by the hosts Coralie and Ralph.
This place is the Best thing since sliced bread.
We bring our 2 boxers here whenever we can.. and always come away relaxed and with 2 pooped puppies.
Do yourself a favour.. stay here with your Best Friends.
Dfa my 3yr old Staffy LOVES going to see Coralie and Ralph. We have been camping at BFHR for the last 3 years, and planning to stay again next year. It is a wonderful place to stay. Coralie and Ralph make you feel so welcome, and they always fuss over Dfa when she visits! Being a Staffy, Dfa loves socialising! She loves meeting other dogs, and usually makes friends with at least one dog on our trips! The off lead areas are great, with plenty of room for running and playing with new found friends! This is definately the best place for dog lovers to holiday with their dogs!!!
Awesome place to stay, run by awesome people who truly understand what responsible dog owners need and want!
Its the best dog friendly holiday I have had, everything is set up for a holiday for you and your beloved pets. My two loved it the spacious yards to run in, novelty course to try and when needed the fiv star day care.
We love taking our 2 dogs Scooby and Charlie to stay at Best Friends because they have the run of the cabins as they have the run of our house. The cabins are always clean and comfortable. We can relax with our pets and have a great time.
Best Friends is a wonderful place to stay. Its so relaxing and peaceful and a great place to just get away from the stress with my dog. How can you possibly beat a place where you can take your best friend with you.
Your park looks wonderful and is advertised as Pet Friendly. When I enquired about staying, you advised that pets were not allowed inside. With a very loved old dog, staying outside is not a consideration. Sadly we will not be able to stay with you due to this, but I must admit that your park looks very LOVELY and INVITING. PLEASE change your “not inside” policy. Thank you.
Mal and Daisy
Fantastic set up and faccilities that makes a trip away with dogs as enjoyable as it should be – not a hassle in the slightest. Can’t wait to visit again!
Fantastic place to stay. Our dog loved it! We will visit again.
A beautiful, restful place to stay for both dogs and their owners. Comfortable cabins with every need catered for. Surroundings tranquil and safe. Coralie and Ralph are welcoming hosts and work very hard to make your stay the best. Fantastic day doggy sitting services are also available if needed where your pet receives pampered attention.
Wonderful location, and great facilities for dogs – and very ‘doggy’ hosts
best frends is totally dedicated to making your stay comfortable and enjoyable for both you and your dogs. I have 3 golden retrievers and there is nowhere else that i can go and stay that allows me to have my dogs withe me without having them tied up. they have big off leash areas and large fenced camp sites. Ralp and Corrilee keep park extremley clean and are always friendly and helpful.
Accommodation that caters for both you and your dog is hard to find, and Best Friend Holiday Retreat also gives your dog freedom and comfort without having to be tied up constantly while you on holidays!
Simply the best place for a holiday – the dogs love it – and so do we.
Well done guys!!!
This is a lovely, clean place to stay, and what better place could anyone find if they want to take their dog with them? They have every facility you could image so both the people and the dogs are well taken care of, a top choice for me.
I highly recommend this place to stay, We took our 5month old puppies (Henry and Lucy)on there first holiday so we decied on Best friend holiday park as they had fenced yard around our accommodation and also fenced of areas for the pups to run around and we felt relaxed that the pups were very safe from other dogs and they weren’ t annoying other dogs or guest either. The cabins were just great and having the pups being able to sleep in doors was excellent, the whole place was clean which suits me. The managers always made us feel relaxed and only to happy to help if we needed it. so our first holiday with Henry and Lucy will always be remembered .
What a pleasure to have someplace that understands the needs of travellers with their much loved 4-legged companions. Should be more accommodation available like this one. Thank you !
Very warm welcome, open fire, very cosy and clean. My whippet had a ball, I was very comfortable she was in a safe place, she kept popping her head in to the cabin to make sure I was ok too! I will certainly stay there again without any hesitation, Audrey aggrees-my whippet.
Great location, close to forest and beach.
Best Friend Holiday Retreat is the best place to holiday with your dog, warmly welcomed, beautiful area and views and an awesome set-up for the dogs to enjoy.
Raph and Coralie make the Best Friends Holiday Retreat a home away from home, they warmly welcome every guest and their pets and provide absolutely brilliant facilities. The surrounding of the beautiful Tarra Valley make it absolutely ideal. But the real “secret” is what happens on Christmas Day and on New Year’s eve!
Best Friend Holiday Retreat is the best. We booked a tent site and it rained so we asked if we could be upgraded. We ended up staying in a wonderful cabin -WITH OUR POODLE. Our little doggie also loved the running areas just for her and she especially liked the jumps in the pet playground. When possible, we will ALWAYS stay at BEST FRIEND. Nothing was too big a problem for the managers – they were so accommodating. We give you 110%.
All of us love Best Friend retreat ,our dogs are our children.they are so happy when we visit . Wild life are the best.
A truly enjoyable stay for dogs and their owners, catering for campers and cabin dwellers. Dog facilities are great, surrounding areas offer contrasting beach vista or forest walks. Proprietors are friendly and accommodating. Nearby township of Yarram has all you need iin the way of supermarkets and places to eat. We’ve been there twice, as campers, and thoroughly reccommend the Best Friends Holiday Retreat. A++++
so many great comments what more can I say,,,,,,,,,,,, please try , you wont be sorry
Caters completely for 4-legged friends. Peaceful, tranquil with heaps of fenced areas for dogs to run. Each cabin individually fenced, so dog cannot escape. Perfect get away from the rush and tumble of daily life!!!! Friendly hosts happy to assist with any queries or problems. Still an unspoilt area (Tarra Valley), it thankfully hasn’t changed much since my last visit over 25 years ago, a little pocket of serenity. Even saw a Lyrebird wandering around!
The best place to stay with your dogs. Each caravan site is fully fenced and the dogs are treated like royalty. Fully fenced play areas for the dogs and treats on their arrival.
This is definitely the most dogfriendly place I’ve ever been to. With several walkies a day in the very roomy excercise areas, her favourite toys at the gates of these areas and a beach not too far away, this has been the best holiday my dog Lottie has ever had. And it’s wonderful for dogowners too. The peace and quiet of the area means I had the opportunity to totally unwind and relax.
Ralph and Coralie certainly know how to make dogs and owners feel welcome.
Thank you for the fun my dog Lottie and I had and we will certainly come back.
Beautiful tranquil setting – a great place for you and your dogs.
Our holiday at Best Friends Holiday Retreat was really relaxing and we were made to feel extremely welcome by the hosts Coralie and Ralph. The dogs are totally spoilt and love the vast off lease areas in which they can run.
The hospitality of Ralph and Coralie was breathtakingly refreshing. They are THE BEST ambassadors for Victoria’s hospitality industry.
Georgeous location,something for the whole family.
I agree with all previous comments – normally it takes me a week of holiday to unwind, but when I arrived prior to Christmas last year I immediately unwound. Whitney my Labrador loved being able to socialise with so many new friends, and there are so many places around the park where Whitney can accompany me. Waking up each morning with parrots awaiting a feed at the front door of my cabin is fantastic, as is Mr Koala sleeping in the tree outside my bedroom. Christmas is fantastic and Whitney and I are anxiously awaiting Christmas Eve when we can again travel away from the city and into the most relaxing place I have ever known. Thank you Coralie and Ralph for providing such a wonderful place for the whole family to holiday.
GREAT place to stay, everyone was so friendly and helpful, dog had a great time love the play parks for the dogs, even a great place to take the kids i look forward to our next get away.
My husband, myself and our two small dogs stayed a week in a cabin one recent Winter at Best Friend and really enjoyed ourselves. The dogs loved the many exercise yards and watched a 101 Dalmations video in the day boarding area. The beautiful winter days in the valley are a sight to behold and our hosts were always very helpful. We have travelled extensively with our dogs and this is the BEST.
Great retreat for family and pets in the mountains. Lots of runs for your pet at the same time very invigorating with fresh air, the calls of the bush as you witness your dog spring into action.
We all felt welcomed and had a good laugh with the proprietors, I had never seen so much doggie stuff, all manner of things from walking sticks to number plates.
Great place to experience, all the best Clyde.
We have stayed at Best Friend hoilday retreat fours times and it keeps getting better! We love it and we will always keep going back and cant wait to visit again soon!
just agreat place to toget away from the madness with great hosts
I have to say that my mum has not taken me to Best Friends yet!, but have heard from many of my friends, who I meet in the park, that this is the only place we dogs would consider a 5 star resort for us!
My mum promises me that we WILL be making a trip there REALLY soon!
Thanks for such a great place where we dogs come FIRST!
Bailey – a very happy dog!
Best Friends is the ultimate doggy desitination. Our girls have a blast & love being able to run free and we love being able to give them the freedom to run with no concerns about their safety. Coralie & Ralph are fantastic people who love dogs and will do everything they can to make your stay an enjoyable one. The property is immaculate and the cabins are great, as too are the fenced camp/caravan sites. The best destination for anyone wanting to travel with their dogs
This is the spot. A lovely place, with lovely caring owners! It’s the best doggy definatley doo to stay in Australia (if not the world). And is, by far, the premier holiday destination to go to. It’s amazing to see so many like-minded dog lovers there, but you can get your peace and quiet too. With special occasions a real treat! It seriously has everything you could ever need. It’s a dog’s life!!! It’s well worth my vote. R.A. C Cooper
We have stayed in many “dog friendly” accommodations in Victoria, but Best Friend Holiday Retreat stands out to us as the best dog friendly accommodation! The park itself is kept in pristine condition, the cabins (all standards) are of good quality and being able to have your pet stay inside with you is just like being at home and our dogs love it! The enclosed dog runs mean you can let your dogs off lead and they can sniff about to their hearts content and play without a worry. The park supplies toys for your pet, enclosed kennels so you know you can go out and know your pet will be safe, is close to the river where your pet can play about in the water and has tremeandous walks inside and ouside the park. The hosts are very friendly and welcoming and are always helpful with local information. A great, family friendly & pet friendly place to stay that we continue to go back to and would highly recommend to anyone!
This is one of the truly dog friendly places to stay! The hosts are fantastic and it is great to know that your four legged friends can run around and be completely safe-in a beautiful setting. We have an ‘escape artist’ and it is wonderful to be able to let him off lead and know we can easily get him back! The hydrobath is a bonus. We have stayed in cabins (dogs allowed inside!) and fenced camping sites at Best Friends Retreat-both are top quality. I can highly recommend a visit here-you will want to return!
A perfect holiday for us and our dogs. The only truly dog friendly accommodation available that caters for our dogs’ needs and ours. Great relaxing surroundings for a complete rest for all of us!!! We have visited many times and will continue to do so when we can.
It’s a ultra dog-friendly holiday destination, located in beautiful Tarra Valley (Latrobe Valley). It’s easily the most tranquil place I’ve been to in Victoria and highly recommended for dog lovers and those who love the wildlife …. you might even get up close and personal with a koala!
We first visited the park in 1992 when we purchased our own on-site cabin, and this has become our home-away-from-home for as often as we can manage. A long weekend there and one can feel the stress fall off in just a few hours. This is a small park in comparison to many and, even in the holiday season, is still peaceful and never seems overrun with visitors. This is a part of Victoria where there are so many interesting places to visit, and the Tarra Valley is a must-to-visit with its magnificent trees and ferns, and its wonderful energy.
Since Ralph and Coralie took over the park a few years ago, they have made many improvements, and of course many of these are aimed at those with four-legged companions. Facilities for the dog lover are superb and well thought out. We ourselves first came to the park in pre “Best Friend” days and, strangely enough, still don’t have a dog, but have never felt out of place, and have never felt the presence of dogs in any way disturbing to our peace. Our hosts always give us a wonderful welcome, and are just special friends, and no one could wish for better hosts.
A special place, and not to be missed!
Many places say DOG FRIENDLY but have no fences, no off lead areas, dogs are not allowed inside, extra charge for each pet and the list goes on.
Best Friend in Tarra Valley is truly dog friendly, all units are fully fenced, many off lead areas, just a great place for humans to share with their best mates
The owners Coralie and Ralph make you more than welcome and that your stay is memorable to both you and your pooches.
I have checked many out and this is the best.
This is the reason why we keep going back
Judy & Bluey Small
“Anzac & Chance”
Just 3 words – Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic
The Best place for your Best Friend and yourself to holiday! Loved it!!!
We love going to the Best Friend Holiday Retreat. Everyone is very welcoming and we feel very comfortable taking our two dogs there! We think the off the lead areas are great for our dogs to run around in care free! Good luck Best Friend Holiday Retreat…we hope you end up #1!!!!!
A friend initially recommend this wonderful dog-friendly park to us and we have since spent our last two summer holidays there and will definitely be going back again. The Park is actually in the rainforest and it is oh so glorious and peaceful. There are beautiful swimming places nearby, where your dogs can roam and swim. On a hot day, an additonal benefit, it that the Park is so much cooler due to all the surrounding trees. The Park is very well organised and so safe for the dogs. The people we have met there have been wonderful and the hosts, Coralie and Ralph are so welcoming and generous. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are not to be missed!
Tranquil, serene and stimulating environment for dogs and owners alike.
We have now been to Best Friends for a few years and keep coming back. We have stayed in both the cabins and in the park with our campervan. These holidays have been on our list as one of the best we have had.
Casper especially enjoys the freedom of running around, going over to the swimming hole and going to the beach. He is not so happy about the bath he gets in the hydra bath after his beach swim but then if he wants to sleep with us he needs to get the sand out of his coat.
Even though the fenced in sites are close together Ralph and Coralie have park rules everyone seems to adhere to and everyone gets along just fine. You get to know all your neighbours through their dogs.
We even stop over on our way through to Melbourne or Tassie just for the extra days experience this brings us. It always feels like we are dropping in on friends as Ralph and Coralie always make you feel just like that.
And then of course there is the doggy shop. They have so many unusual doggy items I spend way too much money there. You can even get sympathy cards for dogs passing.
This is an experience everyone must do at least once. So booked your next holiday at Best Friends.
We have been to Best friends a number of times now and usually take others with us. It is the greatest place to take your dogs with you as having the sites and cabins fenced of your dogs still get some freedom where as most places they have to be on a leash the whole time.
Kathy Croft
This is by far the best holiday park available when you want a holiday with your best friends (dogs) even if you don’t have dogs you will be made very welcome. We have returned several times now, the highlight for us last Christmas was the fantastic Christmas dinner provided for all of the guests (even a small gift for us and our dogs) We had a fabulous day and then New Years Eve was a great night as well.
Dogs are fully catered for and must be kept inside at night, the fully fenced yards around the cabins are fantastic, there are also five huge free roam areas spread around the park (Coralie & Ralph may correct me on that but I think it is five) and the thing we like about these areas, if you are in an area with your dog no one can just walk in with their dog unless there is a meet and greet first. There is even a dog wash available free of charge so you can keep your pooch nice and clean.
After saying all of this the thing that keeps us coming back is the friendly welcome we receive from hosts Ralph & Coralie, they go out of their way to make us feel like part of the family every time we go back we are welcomed with big smiles and open arms and it just feels great to be there and of course they love dogs and it shows in everything they do. Go and meet them you you won’t be disapointed.
after travelling around australia, it was very welcoming to arrive at best friends, just great for our beloved dog, she loved it, fabulous and good luck to coralee and ralhp great hosts.
we had a great time at the resort.it was great that our dogs could be free to come in and out of the caravan at their will.the pet holdings were great they could interact with the other dogs they had a good time also.we felt so relaxed in the surroundings it was beautiful.
Beautiful location on the road to Tarra Bulga National Park. We use cabins and they are very comfortable with verandah and child and dog proof fence with yard. Dog allowed inside. We enjoy the safely fenced doggy playgrounds and the welcome from the owners.
great place for dogs and people!
Great for all, close to beach and forest.
Wonderful safe and peaceful place to stay for dogs and people. Friendly hosts who think of everything to make your stay perfect. Wonderful forest nearby and plenty to do both on site and in the surrounding area. Highly recommended!!!!
It was an excellent place to holiday with my dog. She was treated like a human, being able to sleep inside and have her own yard to play in as well as other yards provided by the park. It was in a beautiful location and I cannot wait to visit again! And I loved the Themed Scooby Doo Shack!
We have discovered this lovely holiday resort some years ago and give it the number one listing – accommodation, play- and training grounds for dogs. The most wonderful and tranquil place for humans and dogs alike. Short trips to the beach (all year round) is very exciting. The cottages are of first class standard – we were there with 3 big dogs and they enjoyed themselves very, very much.
Ralph and Coralie are very welcoming and warm hosts. They made our holiday cheerful and lively.
We have been going to Best Friend’s Retreat for about 2 years.
Words can’t really describe this place. If you love holidaying with your dogs and meeting new people this is definately the place to go.
It’s a truly magical place for humans and dogs.
The owners are really caring and helpful.
This has become our annual holiday destination.
I highly recommend it.
Absolutely Awesome.
We decided to take out furryson on a well deserved holiday for all of us.
I was blown away by the fact that this place was so awesome! There was everything that Gus man could’ve imagined. The runs were awesome. The Cabins were nice and warm and the play time with other dogs was great for Gussy!!
We had an awesome, nothing was too much trouble for Ralph and Coralie and even though we were their guests thay still amde us feel welcome, even after we arrived quite late. The doggy day care was awesome and gave us a break from the furryson.
WE can’t wait to go back and look forward to having a catch up with all of our new human and furry friends!!
Jo Mel and Gus!
This is the best dog friendly holiday retreat that we have stayed at with our dogs.
So much for us and the dogs to do. Beautiful and peaceful area.
Ralph & Coralie are fantastic hosts and make us all feel so welcome every time we stay there
My dogs love Best Friends Holiday Retreat as much as I do. They start getting excited the minute we enter Yarram and head up the road. By the time we get there, they are ready to go and play whether it is in the yard or in one of the great off lead areas. Ralph and Coralie are fabulous as hosts, very welcoming and very helpful – can’t do enough for you or your pets. A most relaxing place to stay.
This is the best place to stay with our much-loved greyhounds! They can run free in the meticulously maintained off-leash areas; the kids can run around, feed the horses, enjoy the walks, all in a beautiful setting. The little extras are very much appreciated, the owners are never too busy to help out.
Really nice owners, all the facilities you could ever want for camping, and most imporantly a great place to take our dogs. Lots of exercise areas, toys, and hydrobatch really make it a proper holiday for the dogs as well as us. Local area is beautiful, with great dog friendly beaches close by as well place. We’ve been 4 times now, already booked up for new year, and planning on many more stays in the future.
Best friends Holiday Retreat is located in the picturesque Tarra Valley in Gippsland Victoria and is owned and run by Ralph and Coralie; 2 of the best hosts we have ever come across in many travels around the globe.
Located approx 3 hours from Melbourne and in easy reach of many beautiful local sites such as the Tarra Bulga national park, the gateway to 90mile beach located within another short drive and the wonderful township of Yarram even the drive to BFR is a relaxing and scenic one.
Best friends is unique in many ways and actually offers dog lover/owners a range of services unheard of in any other dog accommodation in the country; This retreat actually caters for all walks of the dog world and all different budgets.
All Breeds and sizes are welcome, vaccination certificates are presented upon booking and at no stage have I ever seen any form of breed discrimination or prejudice from any party, infact it’s amazing to go somewhere and be surrounded by so many other “like minded†people as you will find at BFR.
BFR Offers camping allotments, budget cabins, standard cabins right through to Luxury cabins. Each site has separate dog proof fencing and private yards; dogs are required to sleep inside with their human which is almost unheard of anywhere else in the country!
Each cabin is fitted with every luxury you could need whilst sitting in paradise! Fully fitted kitchens, lounge rooms and dinning areas, bathroom also fitted with iron, ironing board, broom, hair dryer etc
The cabins are decorated by a unique theme i.e. Snoopy, Huckleberry hound and are adorned with collectibles that have been sourced throughout the world. Games for wet weather days are on the shelves along with books and magazines and a selection of Videos/DVD’s can be borrowed from the front office at anytime needed.
Each cabin comes with its own BBQ, outdoor furniture and every need thought of has been catered for; the only things you need to bring with you are your own food and sheets (you can also hire them if you wish).
The property is amazing, kangaroos, wombats, koala, abundant birdlife and grazing live stock; the river at the base of the property and state rainforest within an easy hike. The actual property its self is set out with escape proof exercise yards (approx ¼ acre) full fenced areas (again filled with balls, tug toys etc), with access to Poo bags and fresh water at all times. To be able to see the hounds running off lead and know that they can’t escape is AN AMAZING FEELING!
There are 5 fully fenced off lead areas and a separate agility area (complete with all agility equipment) for the dogs and humans to play and exercise in. Communal bathrooms, laundry and hydro bath are accessible for all to use. In addition to everything else Ralph and Coralie have also included day kennels with fully escape proof fencing so the humans can go and explore the local sights i.e. national parks etc I can tell you for a fact that Coralie has actually sat in with my beagles and chatted away with them while we have gone on day trips! Each kennel is equipped with armchairs, a TV/video which plays doggie movies, fresh water and heater.
I don’t like to think that while im away on holidays and enjoying myself that my beagles are cooped up in a kennel, to be able to take them with me and see them running free is the best kind of holiday I can imagine! Nothing is too much trouble for either host; they know all their guests and canine guests by name and make each one feel as though they have genuinely known them for a lifetime.
In our opinion there really is only one place in this country that provides not just the amenities, the level of care and comfort but unique personal service and that’s Best Friends Holiday Retreat in Tarra Valley.
The best place to go with Dogs. Pets are absolutely spoiled with the facilities on offer. Enough room that you are not aware of the amount of dogs around.
BFHR is the only complete beagle-proof holiday place that I’ve come across. Brian, Amy and Imogene (beagles) have the time of the lives when they visit – which is fabulous for me – a tired beagle is a happy beagle!!! And the cabins make my stay there, relaxed and easy – there’s nothing to pack (except food and the beagles) cos it’s all there! BFHR is a worthy Top 10 participant.
Best Friend’s Retreat is the best place you and your dog could dream of staying. Every aspect of it it tailored to meet you and your dogs needs. I have been camping there and stayed in their cabins and everytime i have been Coralie and Ralph have made sure we have a great stay. ‘Snickers’ just loves the dog obstacle course and going for a swim in the river. The area is beautiful and there are lots of great walks to go on and activities to do or you can just relax and enjoy the scenary. I would give this retreat 5 stars without a doubt and i know my dogs would to!
We have renamed this place ‘dog heaven’ and a week does not go by without my son and Jack the Jack Russell asking when it will be Easter again so we can visit.
A truly friendly place for the whole family!
The camping places are large and the camp kitchen/dining room is a great spot for sharing with other campers.
Charmi, Phoebe and i will be back.
BFHR is the most awesome dog friendly place I have ever been to. It rained the whole time we were there but we still had the most amazing time and the dogs all 4 of them had a ball!! So good to be able to have them inside the cabon with us and the use of the hydro bath was fantastic for 4 wet dirty dogs at the end of the day!! We hope to go back again very soon.
Great atmosphere, friendly people, lots to see in the surrounding area. It’s a brilliant holiday idea that works really well because of Coralie and Ralph’s dedication to provide an environment that encompasses a safe, fun place in which the whole family can take a break. Congratulations to you both.
I have been visiting Best Friend Holiday Retreat with my husband and dobermann Chase at least once a year for the past 6 years and we have enjoyed our time there so much. Chase went on his first holiday there when he was only 12 weeks old and he knows the place so well that he acts like it is his second home. Of course he loves to say ‘hello’ to Coralie and Ralph too.
We have taken our camper trailer, now updated to a Jayco van and also stayed in the cabin accomodation and everytime away we have had the most relaxing time and of course Chase has had the best time any pooch could have.
The facilities are incredible and the off leash runs are awesome, it is so nice not having to worry about where you are free running your dog and that they are safe.
Now that we have a new addition to our family, baby dobermann – Miley, I’m sure we will be making another visit to Best Friend’s really soon, so that she can enjoy the time there like Chase does.
I have camped there twice so far with my sister & brother-in-law and Casper their dog. They have been the best camping holidays I have ever had. So relaxing and comfortable in such a beautiful bush setting. It is great to be able to have Casper with us and he especially loves Best Friend Holiday Retreat. He gets so excited in the car when he knows we are nearly there.
The Park is kept clean and tidy – the facilities are great and clean and the park rules ensure that everyone has a great camping and holiday experience. It is fun meeting all the other doggies. The owners Ralph and Coralie add to the pleasurable stay with their friendiness and helpfulness.
The resident wild Koala’s add to the enjoyment of staying at Best Friends as does the other wildlife. Best Friends is close to a lot of towns and villages which offer good shopping and entertainment facilities and it is also relatively close to the Beach which is always great for a fun day out with Capser. There is also the National Park close by which unfortunately Casper is not allowed to enter but there are a lot of great swimming holes around the area which he is allowed to enjoy.
Highly recommended by me and Casper.
Fantastic place to holiday with dogs. Away from it all in a picturesque, quiet mountain range and not far from Yarram which is a great country town. Our dog Harry went last year and said he wanted to go again this year to practice his skills in the dog exercise areas. He loves it.
Beautiful and friendly place for my family (all of us, dogs too) to destress. Owners went out of their way to help make our stay welcoming. It is very hard to find affordable accommodation just for families, let alone our two dogs.There is also faclities to look after our dogs, why we go exploring the National Parks. We need more places like it!
How could any person or canine not have a fabulous time at this great resort. Hosts are great and the facilities could not be better. Outside our private unit fence there were even bunnies to tease our 2 golden retrievers .The play areas were wonderful and also enough hills to keep the humans fit. Recommend this resort very highly.
A great place for dogs and humans. Coralie and Ralph are good hosts and the facilities for the dogs are excellent.
A relaxing atmosphere and a great area of Victoria.
Hope to get the opportunity to stay again.
We have been going to Best Friends Retreat for about 4 years the dogs and people all have a wonderful time the place is very pretty and plenty of things to do .
This holiday retreat is AMAZING! It boasts a friendly, relaxing and loving atmosphere. We cant wait to visit again next year. Coralie and Ralph have thought of everything to accomodate dogs, also to make our stay most enjoyable. Boris loves his stay here. It is fully fenced with everything you can imagine to accomodate our pooch. It is peace of mind to know that dogs can run around safely making it feel just like home. The surroundings are magic and it is very peaceful. We highly recommend.
Best Friend Retreat is a wonderfull place for your whole family
Everyone there is friendly
The amenities for the four legged members of the family are the best
The Ninety Mile Beach is not far away for people that like long walks along a deserted beach and Tarra Bulga National Park is just up the road
A wonderful place to have a break
Bonnie, Max and Murphy love Best Friend Holiday Resort, they are the centre of attention there. Everything is geared towards the best ever doggy holiday, from the huge fenced runs and toys galore, to the lovely hot hydrospa. Mum and Dad love it too, we have stayed in their great cabins and also have taken our caravan and camped in the fenced site. Everything is so well looked after, lawns immaculate no rubbish anywhere. It’s a fantastic place for us dog lover’s to really pamper our pooches and have a good relaxing holiday ourselves. Also, the Ninety Mile beach is not far away and our doggies love running along there.
In the middle of forests : close to the beach : friendly staff : range of accomodation from camping to suites : good bakery in town : plenty of day trips : lots of wild life : plenty of exercise areas : Facilities such as BBQ’s, dog baths etc. What more could you ask ?
It is great to be able to take our best friend with us and be able to relax on holiday. There are not enough lovely places like this one about.
I love it at Best Friends Park because of all the attension is on the pets and the caravan and tent sites are fully inclosed so there is no need to have your on leads and they are free to run around your own campsite without worrying any other campers. Also its great to have cabin that you can take your pets into .
Best Friends is a place that everyone is happy. For us dog people it is a great holiday because we know that our dog is safe and having fun! The whole park is clean and well maintained. It is a place where you meet people just like you-a dog lover.Ralph and Coralie are friendly, the perfect hosts. CHARLIE our dog can’t wait to get back there at xmas time.
Best freinds holiday retreat was a pefect setting and we and our dogs loved every minute
Best friend holiday retreat truly lived up to it’s name for both us and the dogs. Our ridgies had the biggest smiles on the faces. We’ll be back!
Our dogs love being able to run around the fenced enclosures chasing balls and we love the enclosed caravan sites so our dogs can move around freely within their area. Ralph and Coralie (the owners) are also very hospitable and friendly.
Best Friends is a great holiday destination for both humans and canines. The accomodation options are set up for those on a budget to those who want a little something more special. Set within the beautiful Tara Bulga national park, it a peaceful and pretty place to stay. Lots to do with the fully fenced exercise areas for the dogs, a dog friendly beach close by, plenty of fishing options and lots of walking tracks. The hosts are very friendly and accomodating and have set up day kennels for those time that you may want the option to go out without your dogs.
I am a regular now and give a big 10 out of 10.
Best Friends is a great place to stay. Very dog friendly, with dogs welcome in the cabins, fenced off-lead areas, fences around the cabins and tent sites, and extras like the day kennels and dog hydrobath. The scenery is wonderful, and Tarra Vally is a beautiful place. The surf beach is not far away for fishing and the dogs love a run on the beach. There’s also good fishing at nearby Manns Beach and McLoughlans. Ralph and Coralie are great hosts and always friendly and helpful.
My husband and I, two grandchildren and our dog Winnie had a lovely holiday at Best Friend Holiday Retreat. Every care was made by Coralie and Ralph to make sure we had a relaxing and happy stay. Being older, the fact that the two grandchildren and dog could play and run in securely fenced areas was indeed a blessing. We have stayed at a number of so-called ‘dog friendly’ places – Best Friend Holiday Retreat truly is.
It was fantastic to be able to camp in a fully enclosed/fenced site. Holly, our lab, was able to roam around the site and do her thing and not be teathered and tangled. We also enjoyed the camp kitchen which was fully equipped, the bathrooms were immaculately clean and the running yards with fresh water, toys and doggie bags/bins were a fantastic addition. The park is so cleverly thought out and it was nice to be able to relax amongst the beautiful surroundings and not worry about a thing.
The surrounding areas had plenty to offer in the way of great dog friendly beaches, shops, restaurants, take away food shops and so much more. We also loved the idea of being able to go out to dinner if we wanted to and know that Holly would be pampered in her own Kennel and running yard. Not that you can call them Kennels because they are more like mini lounge rooms with heaters, arm chairs, pictures hung on the walls and everything a fur baby would need.
You definately wouldn’t feel guilty leaving your dog behind while you ducked out for a while.
We will definately visit again in the future (many times we hope) and have told all of our dog loving friends about this great place to visit.
We have stayed often at Best Friend Holiday Retreat.
We keep going back because Ralph & Coralie make everyone very welcome, even the dogs are welcome and well provided for, welcoming treats, great areas for running and even toys in a dustbin in each of the 4 huge play areas. A dog hyrobath is just a great touch.
Ralph & Coralie think of everything, even a nice indoor outdoor dog house so you can go out for the day without the dogs, the dogs are well cared for, they have a settee and a choice of DVD’s (just in case they have seen 1001 Dalmations before).
The park is very well maintained and never a dog poo to be seen.
The cabins are just beautiful but we like to take are caravan and park in one of their fenced off areas.
For us there is the beautiful scenery and good walks, its is a very nice relaxing place to stay.
We stayed at Best Friend for a week in one of their cabins and it was a wonderful experience. We had a kelpie who had a great time and slept early every night because she had so much to do on the Retreat and in the area. The cabins are very comfortable, the bathrooms are great and the location is spectacular. The cabins are very secure and nicely set up for dogs, and the managers Ralph and Coralie are lovely.
Magnificent area and a great place to take your pet and enjoy a holiday
Travelled from Ballarat looking for a place to take our dog on holidays with us had a great time, Sheba loved seeing the wild animals and we loved our resident koala. Great location not far from off the lead beach. We will be back for our next holiday soon.
As a dog walking and pet minding business, this is the perfect place for us to holiday with our own puppy. Home away from home with everything we need but in beautiful and breathtaking Yarram. Fresh, clean air and invigorating atmosphere with gorgeous views, not even the mascot for Bayside Pampered Pets gets left out. Atticus had a ball with us and enjoyed hislittle holiday too. We have been to Best Friends pre-owning the business, and we will continue to visit and stay. Friendly staff and loving and warm reception to all dogs and human guests.
Spent Easter there best place we have ever stayed that was pet friendly,excellent facilities ( stayed in a cabin) and great people to stay with nothing was too much trouble.The dog and kids were able to play safely in the fenced areas and ran themselves ragged.A very relaxed atmosphere, just a lovely place to stay at and we will visit again in the future.
Friendly and helpful — When my initial booking dates are not available, they discuss with me other alternative dates. After the booking, I was sent detail information about their site and rules.
This place is in a picture perfect setting, and is the ideal place to get away for the whole family. If you are looking for a healthy break then this is the place, breathing the super fresh air whilst you take gorgeous walks in the magnificent Tara Bulga National Park or just sitting back relaxing all the while with your best friend by your side. Where else can you do that?
Hi my name is Amber, I am a Golder Retriever that lives in Sydney. Whenever I go to Victoria to visit my families people I insist we all stay at “Best friends Resort” Ralph and Coralie are wonderful hosts and they let me bring my human family to stay with me together. I think thats the best thing about this place, that they welcom everyone the same, even though they are only humans, we all have fun together. They have exercise paddocks for me to “Walk” my humans off the leash, is’nt that great!!!!, I think they enjoy their stay there too. Amber, Woof.
I stay there at least once a year and keep looking forward to the next trip. What better place to take the dogs!!?? Even better to have such wonderful friendly hosts in Ralph and Coralie.
This would have to be the best place ever not only for the peace and quiet for the humans but the agility, exercise, and happiness for our dogs, they absolutely love it, they come home in the car exhausted and sleep for week to recover. 10 out 10 hands down and thumbs up!
We always felt guilty leaving our treasured dog behind when we went on holidays. When we took her to the Best Friends Holday Retreat with our van she loved it and so did we.We went in the middle of winter and even then the peace and beauty (and quiet) of this beautiful place was a tonic for us all.
we have stayed at best friends holiday retreat for the last 2 years and love it there and recomend it to anyone that holidays with there dogs.ralph & coralie are great host .
brian & faye
Tiny loves the place. Everyone there is especially friendly – must be all the dogs around – makes everyone more relaxed. The Tarra Bulga National Park is beautiful, and the beach (open to dogs) is only close by, about half an hour’s drive. And best ever fish and chips in Port Albert.
Picturesque, spacious, friendly, great cabins, quiet, green hills, lush temperate rainforest, the ninety-mile dog beach only 35 minutes drive, walks galore in the surrounding area, great hosts, and a place you can just sit in peace. I and my most faithful companions and partner have been going to Best Friend Holiday Retreat for years. It is such a joy to see our dogs so free in nature and to share holidays together. The old days of coming home early from holidays because we miss our dogs are gone. The huge grounds are beautiful, huge off-leash dog areas enable our dogs to run free and play with supplied toys. The river swimming hole is our dogs’ favourite and at night they warm up around a toasty fire. A daily visit to the off-leash beach areas and back to the cabin covered in sand isn’t a problem with the free and warm doggie hydrobath. The dogs come home and sleep for days, we feel refreshed adn can’t wait to get back there.
The perfect getaway for a few days. The cabins are comfortable and the environment is beautiful. Lyrebirds, Kookaburras, cows and wombats. We were well looked after by our hosts. We will definitely be going back.
An ideal retreat for humans and canines alike. Our canine companions, Ella and Basil, have been going to Best Friend for four years and have even persuaded their humans to buy a cabin there! Great olace in a wonderful region of Victoria. Owners Ralph and Coralie have made 1000s of dog owners (and dogs) very happy. Woof woof woof! Truly dog friendly – others make the claim, Best Friend really is.
Rox loved this place – literal doggy heaven. Fantastic facilities in a beautiful setting. Great hosts. The cabins have lots of charm and are very comforatble. We recommend this place to all our friends, who, like us, don’t see why the dogs shouldn’t have a holiday too.
There is my self, the two kids and the two dogs. We all just love going to Best Friends. The dogs are so well catered for with the facilities that Ralph & Coralie provide. It is great being able to go away and have the dogs stay with you in a safe secure environment. The dogs have so much fun and get so much exercise during our stays there. The kids are for ever wanting to take the dogs into the fenced off lead free areas whether it be to have a play withother doggie friends who are also staying there or to play with the ball throwers or other toys provided for the use of guests.
On our last visit we even had two friends come and stay overnight in the cabin next to ours. They came alone, i.e. NO DOGS, one of them isn’t even a doggie person. The both commented before they left what a beautiful place it was and how quiet a stay it was despite it being a holiday retreast for people with their dogs.
The retreat is located in a very picturesque area and the grounds are kept very clean and tidy. Ralp and Coralie are fantastic hosts and can’t do enough to ensure that you have an enjoyable stay with them. It is lovely practice that when you arrive there that there are some ‘human treats’ in the fridge. This goes down very well with the kids.
We have stayed there three times now and will make it at a mininimum a yearly holiday destination.
Oops, nearly forgot the Dog Shop. Take plenty of money as there is so much to buy. They have some really nice dog merchandise for sale.
I love this place almost as much as I love my dogs. Brilliant facilities and warm staff. Wish there were more retreats for people with pets that are catered for in such an acommodating way. The added bonus is that it is set in a beautiful place, the Tarra Valley.
We love camping there – love the camp kitchen, so well set up and the fireplaces. We enjoy takingthe boys for a swim in the river, although not sure they enjoy it as much. Finnegan loves the small front run with the great trees and Smurphy just loves thinking he is free (while we love he is safely enclosed in the off lead area). Well done Ralph and Coralie.
Lovely place, both for us and Roger the Dog. Well set up, good amenities, beautiful surroundings in middle of forest. Stream (with swimming hole) across the road. We were there approx 2 years ago, it was lush and green while the rest of Victoria was burnt brown. Looking forward to staying there again.
As a big dog lover the idea of having my best friends come on holiday with me and be a part of my holidays is soo good and it can only be had at this wonderful place. It is very well set up for dogs and it is the best holday place ever.
We had a great stay at Best friends.
We actually felt like we were best friend to the owners! Ralph and Corralie are great hosts and made us and Chardy very welcome. The park is situated in a beautiful bush setting with green rolling hills. There is every facility for your loved pets. we are looking forward to christmas. Woof woof Chardy and Family.
Great place, great people, beautiful surrounds & a little cafe only 2ks up the road. We all had a marvellous time, the dogs thoroughly enjoyed their freedom for the duration that we were there. We are going back for our 2nd visit in september & we & the furkids cannot wait!!!!!!!
Well done to Ralph & Coralie
To all holiday retreats, caravan & camping grounds this park has sent the bench mark for quality and comfort and is run by hosts who love dogs as much as we do.
With secure fencing and large dog runs were your pets can run & romp with their new found four legged friends – it’s a great holiday for them as well as their owners. Only wish their something like it in NSW.
Congratulations Ralph & Coralie, It was a pleasure to meet you both. Good luck.
great place to stay for a relaxing holiday with all the family,
very friendly owners.we will be returning soon
Have stayed at Bestfriends many times…Coralie & Ralph are excellent hosts, cabins very comfortable and welcoming and our doggie just loves the freedom of the fenced off areas as well as being able to live inside with us!!!!
Best place for a holiday with your dog. Great facilities for Camping to Cabins. Dog fcilities really great, we’ll certainly be back again.
great place to stay…they are always there to assist any problems….and just want everyone to have a great time…and they do…
There is nothing that Ralph and Coralie haven’t thought of to make Best Friend Holiday Retreat the best place to holiday with your dogs. Fenced cabins, and tent/caravan sites large, fenced dog runs (complete with water buckets and toys), dog agility, hydro-baths, doggy-daycare and even a creek for our water-obsessed dog to play in. Dogs are allowed inside cabins and the cabins are lovely, clean and well-stocked with appliances and entertainment. We loved this place and are going back again next month!
The best thing was the service, plus the fact my best mates were with me!Can’t Zak can not wait to come back and bring his new little friend. Hope you win Coralie and Ralph you deserve it. Wots a wuv from Fiona and Zak { and in memory of Jaydee}
My two furrkids Sabrina and Piper and I have been to Best Friend’s twice now and we all just love going. The secure yards for offlead play, right through to the warm, welcoming reception from Coralie and Ralph make our stay so enjoyable and a real bonding experience with our dogs.
Every year we spend holidays with our Labrador Kaya. Last holidays we spent a week camping at the Best Frend Dog Holiday Park. We met many friendly people and dogs. Kaya had great time at the hudge parks just for dogs. My kids enjoyed swimming in the river next to the park. We all had a good time.
Loved our stay at Best Friend Holiday Retreat! Relaxed, secluded, quiet and private, also lots of places to visit close by.
What more can you say about this place, it is an exceptional place to bring your dogs too. There should be more places such as Best Friend Holiday Retreat.
very nice place to stay and they made all of us welcome.
Ralph & Coralie were very helpful and run a great place for your dogs to enjoy a holiday.
cabins were neat and tidy and very well set up, little extras here and there.
the dogs really enjoyed the play parks and they were well fenced with toys and water, we knew the dogs were safe and happy.
at the end of the weekend the dogs slept for days they were so tired
i couldn’t recommend Best Friend HOliday Retreat enough and will definately be using them for all our holidays away.
great surroundings also, bush and wildlife, very peaceful.
What a great place to stay where your pets are welcome.
Beautiful scenery, vert relaxing
Best Friends is at a lovely & relaxing setting for humans and dogs. Exercise areas aplenty for the dogs. Wish it was closer to Ballarat – there are no fenced exercise areas for our Italian Greyhounds in our local area.
exceptional holiday retreat!
cabins are well maintained, clean and tidy, very comfortable, little extras thrown in to make your stay enjoyable.
The dog parks are amazing! fully fenced, poo bags, bins of toys, fresh water, it’s great to know there’s somewhere for dogs to run offleash and be safe.
we had 2 very happy and very tired puppies after our weekend.
Couldn’t have asked for nicer owners, Ralph and Coralie go out of their way to make sure your stay is great and we will definately be returning.
couldn’t recommend them highly enough!!!!!
Have stayed at Best Friends numerous times over the years, and has been fantastic every time. Beautiful place to be, and the dogs are as much a part of the family as they are at home, lots of room for them to run, and play, and lovely and relaxing for the humans.
Great family friendly place to stay for ALL the family, not just the two legged kind! Beautiful and serene surrounds!