It is just after seven on a weekday morning at New Brighton. The tide is running out, the sand is still cool, and a kelpie is doing laps of the waterline while its owner walks slowly behind with a coffee. Twenty minutes later the beach has filled with a handful of other dogs, all off-lead, all perfectly legal.
Scenes like that are why so many people bring their dog to this stretch of the NSW North Coast. Between Pottsville and Brunswick Heads there are five council off-leash beaches, all within roughly half an hour of each other. The catch is that the coast sits across two councils, Tweed Shire and Byron Shire, and their rules are not the same. An off-lead run that is perfectly legal on one stretch of sand can earn a fine a few hundred metres further along, once you have walked past the wrong sign.
This guide covers where dogs can run, where they cannot go at all, and what to look for in a holiday home so the trip works for everyone on four legs and two. It draws on the same local knowledge our team uses when matching guests to homes in the HolidayCo. pet friendly collection.
Where can dogs go off-leash on the North Coast?
Dogs can run off-leash on designated sections of five beaches between Brunswick Heads and Pottsville: Brunswick Heads Main Beach, New Brighton, South Golden Beach, South Cabarita Beach and South Pottsville Beach. Everywhere outside those zones, dogs must be on a lead unless the area is marked as dog prohibited.
Byron Shire: Brunswick Heads, New Brighton and South Golden Beach
Byron Shire's beach off-leash areas share one rule that catches out a lot of visitors: dogs must stay in the intertidal zone, the wet sand between the high and low water marks. Dunes and dune rehabilitation areas are off-limits, even inside an off-leash section.
- Brunswick Heads Main Beach: a 400 metre stretch starting just south of the Brunswick Surf Life Saving Club and running south to the boundary of Tyagarah Nature Reserve. Access is from South Beach Road.
- New Brighton Beach: the longest of the Byron Shire stretches at about 1.6 kilometres, running from just north of the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve boundary up to a line level with Ocean Avenue. Main access is near the corner of Strand Avenue and The Esplanade.
- South Golden Beach: about 730 metres, from a point level with Gloria Street north to Billinudgel Nature Reserve. Access is near the corner of Gloria Street and Pacific Esplanade.
Byron Shire does not run time-share arrangements on these beaches, so they are off-leash at any hour. That also makes them busy on summer mornings, which is worth knowing if your dog is still learning its manners around other dogs.
Tweed Shire: South Pottsville and South Cabarita
Tweed Shire's off-leash beaches are signed as off-leash at all times. The council also asks owners to carry a lead even inside the zone, and your dog must reliably come back when called. Dogs declared dangerous, menacing or restricted cannot use any off-leash area.
- South Pottsville Beach: about 1.3 kilometres, from 200 metres south of the main Pottsville bathing area down to 200 metres north of Black Rocks. There is a car park off Tweed Coast Road near the southern end.
- South Cabarita Beach (Bogangar): about 1.4 kilometres, from 200 metres south of Norries Headland to a point one kilometre north of Cudgera Creek.
Further north, South Kingscliff Beach and the stretch between Kingscliff and Fingal Head are also off-leash, handy if you are spending a day around Kingscliff.
💡 Worth Knowing
New Brighton has very little dry beach at high tide, and Byron Shire's rules keep dogs on the wet sand anyway. Check the tide chart before you go and aim for the two or three hours either side of low tide, when the beach is wide, firm and much easier on a dog's legs.
Where dogs are not allowed: the spots that catch visitors out
The rules visitors most often get wrong are not about the off-leash beaches. They are about the places that look like they should be fine for a dog and are not.
- Brunswick Heads town foreshore: dogs are prohibited on the beach north of the surf club access, along the breakwalls, at the boat ramp, and in Banner Park, Torakina Park and Terrace Park. These are the grassy parks most visitors walk through on their way to cafés and the river.
- Nature reserves: Brunswick Heads, Tyagarah, Billinudgel and Marshalls Creek nature reserves are all dog prohibited. The off-leash beaches stop at their boundaries, so watch for the signs as you walk.
- Mooball Creek, Pottsville: Ambrose Brown Park and the adjacent creek foreshore are a declared dog prohibited area. This is the calm creek where most families with children spend their Pottsville afternoons.
- Cudgera Creek mouth, Hastings Point: dog prohibited, to protect beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds. Hastings Point is one of the most important beaches on the Tweed Coast for these birds, and a beach stone-curlew chick was successfully raised there in 2018. Between Hastings Point and Pottsville, and north of Peninsula Street towards Cabarita, dogs are allowed on a lead only.
- Sports fields and Byron Bay Main Beach: all sports fields in Byron Shire are dog prohibited, and so is Main Beach in Byron Bay.
💡 Worth Knowing
New Brighton has very little dry beach at high tide, and Byron Shire's rules keep dogs on the wet sand anyway. Check the tide chart before you go and aim for the two or three hours either side of low tide, when the beach is wide, firm and much easier on a dog's legs.
Rules and boundaries are reviewed from time to time. Before you travel, it is worth a quick look at Tweed Shire Council's dog walking page and Byron Shire Council's dog exercise areas map for anything that has changed.
How to choose a pet friendly holiday home that actually suits your dog
"Pet friendly" covers a lot of ground. Some homes welcome dogs inside, some are outdoor only, and some have size or number limits. A common mistake is booking on the photos, then arriving to find the dog has to sleep outside on the first cool night of autumn.
Before you book, check these four things in the listing or ask us directly:
- The yard. A fully fenced yard means you can let the dog out at 6am without putting on shoes and a lead. If your dog is a jumper or a digger, ask about fence height and gaps under gates.
- Inside or outside. Find out whether dogs are allowed inside, and if so, where. Homes with hard floors in the living areas are far more forgiving after a day of wet sand.
- Somewhere to rinse off. An outdoor shower or hose near the back door saves a lot of sand from reaching the couch.
- Walking distance. The best dog holidays are the ones where the off-leash beach is a walk, not a drive. Check the distance from the house to the nearest beach access before you look at anything else.
The HolidayCo. pet friendly collection includes homes in Pottsville, Bogangar, Brunswick Heads, New Brighton, Ocean Shores and South Golden Beach, with options featuring fenced yards and outdoor areas. Our local team (formerly Brunswick Heads Holidays) knows these homes and the streets around them, so we can tell you which ones are a short walk from an off-leash stretch and which suit a big dog better than a small one.
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Glorious
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Beach Bruns
Which North Coast town suits you and your dog?
Brunswick Heads
Brunswick Heads suits people who want to walk everywhere: to the beach, the river, the bakery and dinner. The off-leash section is at the southern end of Main Beach, a short walk from town, but remember the foreshore parks and breakwalls are off-limits. It is the best choice if your dog is happy to sit under an outdoor table while you have breakfast. More on the town in our Brunswick Heads destination guide.
New Brighton, South Golden Beach and Ocean Shores
These three neighbouring villages in North Byron Shire are quieter than Brunswick Heads and have two off-leash beaches close together, New Brighton and South Golden Beach. That gives you a choice of stretches depending on the tide and how busy each one is. Ocean Shores sits back from the coast and is more residential, which often means more yard space, with New Brighton's off-leash beach a short drive away.
Pottsville and Bogangar (Cabarita Beach)
On the Tweed Coast, Pottsville and Bogangar each have an off-leash beach on their southern side. Pottsville works well for families, with the creek for the kids and South Pottsville for the dog. Bogangar puts you close to the South Cabarita off-leash stretch. Hastings Point sits between them and is on-lead only, with the creek mouth off-limits altogether.
Ticks, heat and other things locals keep an eye on
Paralysis ticks
Paralysis ticks are found along the east coast of Australia and are common in the Northern Rivers. Spring is the peak, but local vets see cases at other times of year too, especially after wet weather. Ticks live in long grass and coastal scrub, so a walk through the dunes or bushland is a bigger risk than the beach itself.
Make sure your dog's tick prevention is current before you leave home, and run your hands over its head, neck, chest and front legs every evening. Signs of tick paralysis include a change in bark, gurgling or coughing, vomiting and wobbly back legs. If you see any of these, or find a tick, go to a vet straight away. The toxin can keep affecting a dog for up to 24 hours after the tick is removed.
💡 Worth Knowing
Spring is a popular time for a first warm-weather trip north, and it is also when paralysis ticks are at their worst. If you are coming up between September and November, treat the nightly tick check as non-negotiable, even if your dog has never had a problem at home.
Heat and sand
On a summer afternoon the dry sand above the waterline gets hot enough to hurt paws. Early mornings and late afternoons are cooler, quieter and, on the Byron Shire beaches, usually better for the tide as well.
Bags, bins and registration
Not every beach access has a bin, so carry more bags than you think you need. Under NSW law, your dog must be microchipped, registered and wearing a collar with a name tag in public. Rangers patrol the off-leash areas on both councils, and on-the-spot fines apply.
Can you take your dog to cafés on the North Coast?
NSW law allows dogs in the outdoor dining areas of cafés and restaurants, but it is up to each venue whether they welcome them. Policies change more often than you would expect, so ask before you sit down rather than relying on an old review. Our guide to the best cafés and restaurants in Brunswick Heads, Byron Bay and the Tweed Coast is a good starting point for places with outdoor seating.
Planning a North Coast holiday with your dog
A good dog holiday on the North Coast comes down to three things: knowing which beaches are off-leash, knowing which places are off-limits, and staying somewhere that makes the in-between hours easy. HolidayCo. North Coast is a local team, and matching guests with a home a short walk from the right stretch of sand is exactly the kind of help we are here for. Browse the pet friendly collection, or check availability for your dates and bring the whole family.
Questions about Central Coast Farm gates.
Yes, on a 400 metre off-leash section of Main Beach starting just south of the Brunswick Surf Life Saving Club and running south to Tyagarah Nature Reserve. Dogs must stay on the wet sand in the intertidal zone. They are prohibited on the beach north of the surf club access, on the breakwalls, and in Banner, Torakina and Terrace parks.
Yes. South Pottsville Beach is off-leash at all times for about 1.3 kilometres, from 200 metres south of the main bathing area to 200 metres north of Black Rocks. There is a car park off Tweed Coast Road near the southern end.
No. Ambrose Brown Park and the adjacent foreshore on Mooball Creek are a declared dog prohibited area. The South Pottsville off-leash beach is a short walk away.
Partly. Dogs are prohibited at the mouth of Cudgera Creek to protect nesting shorebirds. Between Hastings Point and Pottsville, and north of Peninsula Street towards Cabarita, dogs are allowed on a lead. The nearest off-leash beach is South Cabarita, starting one kilometre north of Cudgera Creek.
Yes. About 1.6 kilometres of New Brighton Beach is an off-leash area, from just north of the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve boundary to a line level with Ocean Avenue. Dogs must stay in the intertidal zone, and there is very little beach at high tide, so go closer to low tide.
Yes, to designated sections of Belongil Beach and Tallow Beach, which are off-leash. Dogs are prohibited on Main Beach in Byron Bay and must be on a lead everywhere outside the off-leash and prohibited areas.
No. Brunswick Heads, Tyagarah, Billinudgel and Marshalls Creek nature reserves are all dog prohibited, and dogs are generally not permitted in NSW national parks. Several off-leash beaches finish at a reserve boundary, so watch for the signs.
Spring is the peak, but vets in the Northern Rivers see cases at other times of year, particularly after wet weather. Keep your dog's prevention current and check it every evening, especially after walks through long grass or coastal scrub.
Often, at outdoor tables. NSW law allows dogs in outdoor dining areas, but each café decides for itself, so ask staff before you sit down.
Check for a fully fenced yard, whether dogs are allowed inside, somewhere to rinse sand off, and how far the home is from the nearest off-leash beach. HolidayCo.'s local team can tell you which homes in its pet friendly collection suit your dog's size and habits.
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Just after dark on a January night in Brunswick Heads, the lights of McGregor’s carnival come on across Banner Park. Kids queue for the dodgem cars with sand still on their legs, parents lean on the railing with a paper cup of chips, and the Brunswick River slides past behind it all. Families have been…
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Late afternoon on Mooball Creek in Pottsville, the tide is coming in clear and slow over the sand. A toddler is sitting in water up to her middle, an older brother is trying to stand up on a paddleboard for the fifth time, and their parents are close enough to the edge to hold a…
