Touring Tassie with a dog

Geoff · Member

Touring Tassie with a dog

roadtourer · Senior Member

Greff can't help as it's something we wonder about. We have 3 pets we travel with and havent gone to Tassie yet but I will keep my eye out if someone replies here I am curious to know re Ferry and pets too.

Clare46 · Senior Member

I donn't know anything about free camps but you can take pets on the ferry either pay for a crate or I believe you can leave them in caravan/motorhome but do not have any experience with that

Geoff · Member

Thanks for that - here's hoping we get some comments from someone who's been there, done that!

Geoff · Member

Good to know they can be left in the MH. Should be less stressful than being in a cage!

staggerg · Newbie

Hi Geoff, we've just travelled over and our dog spent the night in 1of the ships kennels, I know some others left their dogs or cats in the Van or M/home. I haven't come across any free places as yet but there are plenty of good parks where pets are welcome. hope this helps

pawsoz · Senior Member

Hi,
My boys and I spent 4 months touring Tassie in 2011-12 in our motorhome. The boys travelled over in the motorhome, after all it is their home, so why would I put them in the ship kennels that are often noisy with the other dogs barking etc?
Certainly I never had any issues with finding dog friendly places to stay all around Tassie, obviously not the NP's but there are freedom or at least very cheap basic camps all around as well as many pet friendly CP's.
Friends are going over in November to spend summer there again this year, her dog always stays in the motorhome....just ensure your dog has a good run, off lead, before you go to the ferry, there areome good big parks on the way to the ferry if you approach from the Port Melbourne/Williamstown side....
Enjoy
Annie

Geoff · Member

Thanks Gary and Annie - it all sounds very positive and I agree re dog staying in MH. Looking forward to next Feb. Has anyone towed a car and A frame on to the ferry? I'm expecting it to be a huge cost - I reckon we're about 17metres all up! Hopefully they won't ask us to reverse as part of the loading procedure!

Trevor law · Senior Member

We have just done the Tassie trip with a little dog and took the caravan we are about 17 .42 meters and was not cheap 1900 all up give or take terrible cost really. Dog went in ferry kennel but not doing that on the way back she can stay in her crate in the van.
Tassie roads are a bit narrow and very up and down and not to mention the windy roads. The parks are good for taking dogs we did not do a lot of free camping to cold at night so need the power for the Mrs,s heater. All up great place.

Geoff · Member

Trevor law wrote:
We have just done the Tassie trip with a little dog and took the caravan we are about 17 .42 meters and was not cheap 1900 all up give or take terrible cost really. Dog went in ferry kennel but not doing that on the way back she can stay in her crate in the van.
Tassie roads are a bit narrow and very up and down and not to mention the windy roads. The parks are good for taking dogs we did not do a lot of free camping to cold at night so need the power for the Mrs,s heater. All up great place.

Thanks Trevor. I think we're only 16m with the A frame hitched so it'll probably be similar cost-wise. Now looks like we may have to delay 'till the Feb 16 now - another Grandkid turning up in Dec! Will definitely be doing it though, so thanks for the input.

Carolyn O · Newbie

Swimcart Beach Campground. Bay of Fires Reserve, Tasmania. Beachfront camping. Maximum stay is four weeks and is absolutely free. GPS Coordinates : -41.23019,148.28470
Cheers,
Carolyn

Geoff · Member

Thanks Carolyn - we'll keep all of these tips and hope to head over next Oct for a few months.

Pedro_The_Swift · Veteran Member

We are going over in early December,, its a bit of a drama booking everything on line,, Guiness will be staying in a kennel,, 12 hours in a van is just too long, and they walk the dogs on the boat every two hours. Hopefully going overnight,,

exa41 · Guru

Hi Geoff , we went over 2 years ago , left mason in the camper as I didn't like the look of the cages and thought that the cage would bring back nasty memories of his previous owner , he just went to sleep ( overnight trip) and was still asleep when we went to leave the boat . Some dogs were howling and barking but mason was as quiet as a mouse . By the way we ordered a cage , waste of $44. Only went into 4 caravan parks and the rest free camping .

Geoff · Member

Thanks Dennis and Yvonne I'm leaning towards leaving Jess in the camper. She has recently started being anxious while we're driving, panting and shaking - just won't seem to relax. She was fine when we had a 5th wheeler, not so now we have a MH. Might have to talk to a vet and get some kind of sedative for the Tassie trip. Thanks again for the post.

Allara · Senior Member

Pedro_The_Swift wrote:
We are going over in early December,, its a bit of a drama booking everything on line,, Guiness will be staying in a kennel,, 12 hours in a van is just too long, and they walk the dogs on the boat every two hours. Hopefully going overnight,,

i am just back from 2 months travelling round Tassie with 4 Border Collies and one Golden Retriever. There are heaps of places to stay with dogs that are quiet and well behaved, and on a leash. You can take them on lots of beaches as well, just check the signs as the hours change with the 'season'.

As for the boat - they do not walk the dogs, once they are in the kennel, that's where they stay until you pick them up when you disembark. If you leave them in your motorhome/caravan you will be asked to sign an indemnity form as a dog has died on board before. I have specially designed dog crates on the back of my BT50 and had to get a vet to inspect them and write a letter to state that they were safe, secure and well ventilated so my dogs could travel in them without any drama. You will also need either a vet letter or proof and a statutory declaration that your dog/s have been treated for Hydatid worms not earlier than 2 weeks before sailing on the way over, you don't need it on the way back.

Make SURE when you register at the booth before boarding that you stress that you are travelling with pets and ask for a yellow 'pet tag' so you will be directed to a ventillated deck. Do this on the way back as well. You don't want to be put on the lower decks with all the exhaust gas etc. from the semi's.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Allara

intouch · Veteran Member

My wife and I traveled thru Tasmania two years ago, along with our mate, a Pomeranian named Sam.
When we visited Cradle Mountain Nation Park in our motor home, I approached a Ranger and informed him, we had a small dog in the vehicle and wished to visit the area for a few hours. He said, we were welcome to leave our pet in the vehicle to look around, he also said he would keep an eye on things
We enjoyed four hours walking around, visiting the centre and exhibits.
Our pet, did not leave our motor home, and the Ranger was an absolute gentleman.

PeterD · Guru

Have a look at the FAQs on this page. Pets are No 5.

If you put your pets in the kennels they are looked after regularly and water is supplied to them. If you sign the agreement to have your pets in your van then they will be on their own as you have no access to the vehicle decks after you leave your vehicle.

turbopete · Senior Member

I cant believe anyone would leave their animal locked in a caravan for that trip,

-- Edited by turbopete on Wednesday 31st of December 2014 10:11:31 AM

PeterD · Guru

Peter, they have more room to move there than in the "kennels." In addition, consider that many that keep show animals (dogs and cats) keep most of their show prize animals in cages the size of the ferry kennels for most of the day every day.

turbopete · Senior Member

"more room to move" During a rough trip the animal will be thrown about in the van,,, possibly injured and will be absolutely terrified, the beauty of a kennel is that the animal is confined and can be watched,,,,,,no way will cody ever be locked in a van and out of my sight

madaboutled · Guru

Some interesting tips here, but just curious, if you put your dog in the Ships Kennel, can you visit it anytime to check on it?

We're all so thinking of doing Tassie next year, at the moment the plan is for me to take the camper on the boat and Di will fly over with Ziggy, cause boats & Di don't mix, but I'm not sure about Ziggy flying.

Regards to all Steve.

Clare46 · Senior Member

madaboutled wrote:
Some interesting tips here, but just curious, if you put your dog in the Ships Kennel, can you visit it anytime to check on it?
We're all so thinking of doing Tassie next year, at the moment the plan is for me to take the camper on the boat and Di will fly over with Ziggy, cause boats & Di don't mix, but I'm not sure about Ziggy flying.
Regards to all Steve.

I'm almost certain that you can't visit during the crossing as you're not allowed back onto the cargo decks

merv61 · Member

Hi everyone, we did the tassie trip in Dec last yr,and as others have pointed out, you can put your dogs in the Kennels, but if I had a motorhome I would leave my pet in there, the Pets left in the Kennels don,t get walked, and your not allowed on deck once the ferry has sailed, plus I would make sure your pet has been given a flea treatment, there not the best, as for camping I cant vouch for the rest of tassie but down south, there's plenty of free camping, Franklin right on the river, Kermandie, and bruny island, just to name a few.

hokianga · Senior Member

I went to tassie in February 2013, left my little yorkie in my motorhome and my big furboy in one of the ferry kennels/cages- never again, he was covered in pee from the dog in the kennel/cage above him. next time he will be in the motorhome with my little fella.
i was very disappointed at the cages we were expected to leave our pets in.