Paw patrol: Furry guests check in at Reflections as dog shows take over town

Picturesque holiday park Reflections Bermagui has nine dog-friendly cabins for guests travelling with “fur babies” and for two weeks in February, park managers Chris and Di Donohue prepare to check-in even more dogs than usual for a very special fortnight.

Located five hours south of Sydney and normally known for its whale watching, spectacular ocean pool and coastline, Bermagui will host not one but two dog events in February: the Bega Valley Kennel and Training Club’s championship shows and training trials (February 8-10); and the Sapphire Coast Kennel and Obedience Club’s annual Dog Show (February 15-18).

For the Donohues, who own a 13-year-old Border Collie Kelpie, Mia, and six-year-old Shih Tzu Pomeranian, Lucy, the two weeks are a blur of fur and fun.

“Bermagui is a really dog-friendly town, restaurants and cafés allow them, and our park is typically completely booked out by dog owners,” Chris said.

“During the dog shows we allow dogs in all of our cabins (not just the dog-friendly ones). They are mostly kept in crates, and some of our guests stay in air-conditioned trailers. We make sure everyone is well behaved and respectful.”

Regular guests include Vicki and Nigel Andrew, who travelled for the first time from their then home in Richmond, Sydney, to Bermagui 14 years ago with their collection of whippets and have attended the dog show events every February since.

“It sounds kooky, but we moved permanently to Bermagui three months ago and we’ll be driving five minutes down the hill to stay at Reflections for the shows…we are arriving one week ahead of the shows and staying on a week afterwards,” laughs Vicki. “We stay with our best friends who also go to dog shows like us, and we have a ball.”

Vicki and Nigel stay with their whippets – Peaches, 11, and young guns Reggie and Angus. “Peaches competed for eight years and she’s now a retired lady. Reggie is too young to compete but Angus will be in the Obedience and Rally categories. Nigel is a steward who helps run the competition alongside all the other volunteers,” Vicki explains.

In 2024, Reflections Bermagui generated $3.5M in additional tourism revenue to the region.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said Reflections Holidays is a certified social enterprise that manages 41 holiday parks and cares for 47 community reserves on Crown land on behalf of the people of NSW, reinvesting profits back into the parks and reserves.

“As the largest holiday park organisation in NSW, Reflections makes important contributions to regional tourism and jobs, so it’s great to see it backing these South Coast events by supporting the accommodation of visiting dog owners,” Mr Kamper said.