Meet Ailie, The Golden Retriever Who Loves Van Life!

Have you ever dreamt about travelling with your dog? Well, Gold Coast couple, Julz and Corey did just that...Read on to learn more about their experience bringing their four-legged best friend on a 10-day campervan road trip in 'Vanderer".

Have you travelled with your dog before?

We have taken our dog (Ailie) travelling in our car to reach some Airbnb’s along the coastline before, but we had never travelled with her in a van before, and not over such a long period of time either! We were a little bit worried at first because we didn’t know how she would adapt, but she absolutely thrived in there. She rode with us up in the front of the van, which the vehicle owner was really cool about. It was interesting to see her confidently protecting the van and the patch of grass surrounding it wherever we parked, and she absolutely loved playtime when we were at a dog-friendly site or pulling up to a beach. I think Ailie just really enjoyed being with us 24/7, without any distractions.

Why did you decide to use Camplify?

My husband and I have always wanted to purchase and do up our own bus or van one day. When I saw a friend of mine posted online about how she had rented a van off Camplify, I had a total lightbulb moment that we could try out the lifestyle before we committed to anything. We wanted to see how we would all go living in the van, what type of storage we would need and how comfortable it was. Booking on Camplify was really easy for us, the van had everything we needed, and the owner was easy to talk with via the website. We would definitely book with Camplify again in the future.

What do you enjoy about sharing the vanlife experience with your dog?

The best part of vanlife for us was how often you’re out and about experiencing nature. I’ve always been a person who loves the outdoors, and our holiday in the van really opened my eyes to how much time everyone spends inside of their houses tucked away from the elements. So, my number one favourite thing about travelling with Ailie was getting more time outside together. We ate breakfast by the beach, went for walks after dinner, experienced new things together. I also loved how happy she made other people feel whether in public or parked at campsites, I suppose just seeing a happy go lucky golden retriever live the vanlife dream makes everyone smile!

Any advice for others planning to holiday with their dogs, and would you do it again?

I would definitely do it again. I don’t think we would ever go on holiday in Australia without her! As long as your dog is well trained, has good recall, and will happily travel with you in a car, I don’t think you should encounter any issues taking them with you in the van. My best advice is to download the app WikiCamps and use the ‘dog-friendly’ filter on it, that way if you’re stuck for somewhere to sleep for the night, you can easily find the spots with a variety of amenities, whether for free or paid. If your dog is anything like ours, they will adapt super quickly and be the best travel buddy.

I don’t think we would ever go on holiday in Australia without her!

Any recommendations for dog-friendly campsites, and reasons why they're perfect for pups?

We stayed at some great campsites on our 10 days of travel, but we did have two all-time favourites, both for the atmosphere and how dog friendly they were. Our first favourite was called “Cooroy No Worries RV Stop” in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The owners were amazing, amenities were squeaky clean, and if you request a spot close to the office at the front of the property then you’ll have a large grass area for your dog to relax in. The other site we stayed at that we loved was called “Captain Cook Holiday Village” up in Seventeen Seventy. Once again, they ticked all of the boxes. Great amenities, private track down to the beach, friendly owners, and very dog friendly. What we noticed is that some people were travelling through who would stay at these campsites that didn’t have any dogs of their own, but who were there purely because they loved dogs. Our pup got so many pats from people that she was on cloud nine. It was a real joy to watch her so happy.

Keen to take your furry best friend on a road trip? Check out pet-friendly campervan hire in Australia today!