There are two things in life Aussie adventurer Alex Brown is particularly passionate about — the great outdoors and his border collie Mick.
So when Alex, 35, and his partner Madeline Velk, 30, began planning their year-long caravan lap around Australia, the Sydney couple thought long and hard about whether it was practical to include Mick on the big adventure.
Having met the 11-year-old border collie, I can assure you this is one incredibly chilled-out Aussie dog, who is as laid-back as his owner. But Alex says there is a reason for the dog’s relaxed nature. When Mick was about four, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
“He’s always had it his whole life, I think it is a little bit reflected in his personality, he knows he can’t run around and that sort of stuff,” Alex told Yahoo News, having recently returned from their lap around the country.
It was the dog’s health issues and age which had Alex and Madeline a little uncertain whether Mick was up to a trip around Australia.
“We were 50-50 whether we would do it with him or not,” Alex admitted. “The only reason we were considering not was because of his age and bad hips, not so much whether we wanted him there or not.”
Alex and Madeline said that taking Mick on their journey was ‘easier’ than expected. Source: Instagram/mickswildtraks
An epic outback journey with dog and caravan in tow
But they couldn’t bear to leave their beloved Mick behind and the trio set off south from Sydney last January with their 4WD, including the tinny on the roof, and their caravan in tow. Mick’s hip medication was packed in with the essentials, but the ageing collie thrived during the 11-month epic adventure, and Alex and Madeline have no regrets about taking him along.
“Having now done it with him, I wouldn’t even hesitate again,” Alex said.
Of course, there were obstacles when wanting to visit national parks but they found solutions, and the memories they created with their furry travelling companion were priceless.
Madeline said sacrifices had to be made at a couple of spots where the dog couldn’t go. “But there are so many other places to see, you are never short of options,” she said.
The travelling couple say they ‘wouldn’t hesitate’ to take their dog with them on adventures in the future. Source: Instagram/mickswildtraks
The great Aussie dog swap helping travellers see more sites
But what was especially helpful was befriending other travellers with dogs and helping each other out. “Ninety per cent of where you go there are other people with dogs, and you just become friends and do a dog swap,” Alex said. “We’d take their dog for the day and they would go and do the national parks, and then we would swap the following day”.
They even found people who didn’t have dogs were quite happy to look after him at a lot of the caravan parks.
“And having Mick there was a great ice-breaker for conversation,” Madeline added.
The dog provided great entertainment when the trio pulled the boat up at a remote sandbar off the South Australian Eyre Peninsula near Cowell. “Mick found a giant blue swimmer crab and he herded it around for an hour,” Alex fondly recalled. “Stalking it like a typical working dog,” Madeline added, “And he loved spotting the dolphins, and even swam with them at Glenelg Beach,” Alex said.
Mick managed the active days with the help of specialist medication Alex sought out from vets before they left, and the swimming he was doing as advised by the vet proved beneficial for his hips.
The most dog-friendly parts of Australia for caravanners
The couple found Western Australia and South Australia to have the most dog-friendly camping, and the beach camping in places like the Exmouth region in WA, where they spent five weeks, was ideal with all three of them getting up for early morning swims together.
Mick became such a loved member of the travelling trio that a dilemma arose when they considered going to K’gari (Fraser Island) as they made their way down the Queensland coast in October.
There was a plan to hand Mick over to Alex’s mum so they could go to Fraser Island and then complete the last two months of the trip without him. But they decided instead they would visit K’gari some other time.
“We said, no, he’s done the whole trip, we are not parting with him now, we’ll take him the whole way” Madeline explained.
Travelling around Australia with pets ‘easier than you’d think’
Alex and Madeline loved their year on the road, and while they are heading back to their regular jobs for a while, Alex as a project manager and Madeline a teacher, they are planning another trip. They want to go back to the places they loved the best and those that they missed, and they recommend to others thinking of taking their dogs not to hesitate.
“It’s actually a lot easier than you’d think,” Alex said.
And while their first trip went smoothly enough, they would love to see Australia become even more pet friendly to make it easier for travellers bringing their dogs along.
Alex says national parks are so restrictive, and he understands why but he thinks there could be some leeway to allow people with dogs to approach them.
“Our dog is so well behaved we could leave him in the car in the shade for an hour, but they won’t even let you park in the national park, and go and look at something for an hour, and leave your dog in the car. They’ll still fine you for doing that.”
Madeline thinks some holiday parks need to show more discretion in accepting dogs, rather than having a blanket rule banning larger dogs, sharing her experience with one NSW park they were turned away from.
“I said if you just meet this dog – he’s 11 years old with bad hips and doesn’t run around, but they wouldn’t budge.”
Alex recalls five to ten years ago dogs were not allowed anywhere, and it‘s changed to dogs being accepted everywhere. “The ones that don’t accept dogs, stand out now, and a bit more of the transition needs to happen, as long as your dog is under control they should be allowed.
“I find a screaming four-year-old more annoying than a dog quietly sitting under the table, but maybe as a dog owner I am biased.”
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