Upfront I’ll own up and say that while I have had many dogs over my life I’m mainly a cat person. I can however appreciate the need for this book and in fact as part of doing this review, I spent some time trawling the web and discovered that guidebooks around dogs was a bit light on. Dog owners who travel with their dogs very quickly learn that national parks, Australia-wide, are off limits to our four legged friends (with the exception of assistance dogs) and they struggle to find locations to walk with their dogs.
This book is the second from authors Andrew Grune and Evi O who also produced Day Trip Sydney: 52 Nature Adventures which contains 52 walks for hikers all within 120 km from the centre of Sydney. In the case of this book the parameters are the same containing 52 walks, within 120 km of Sydney but these walks are dog friendly. If you are a hiker without a dog then the straight walking version may be a better option but if you like to take your dog with you on some of your adventures, then their second book is a great option.
This book isn’t the smallest or lightest guidebook you’ll come across but given that these walks are all under 10 km with many much shorter, it’s not going to weigh your pack down if you choose to carry it with you. The layout of this book is simple and easy to follow being set out in ‘zones’:
So depending on where you live or were you want to travel you don’t have to trawl through the book to find walks in your chosen zone. In fact the trip list section towards the front of the book allows you to narrow your choice down prior to looking at the more detailed trail descriptions. One thing that really stands out with the trip list is that apart from distances, and other key information this section also identifies if the walk is ‘on leash’ or ‘off leash’ which is often hard to identify when you’re out with your dog.
The detailed sections for each walk are simple and easy to read with some lovely little icons that make it easy to work out the key features for each walk. The layout of the book, the language used and the overall presentation are all designed to encourage the average person to get out and visit these walks with their dogs and in that respect they have hit the mark. The walks range from urban, to beach, to bush, to waterfalls, so there’s something for everyone both two and four legged.
This guidebook is very well done and importantly it encourages you to get out and explore which is what a guidebook should do.
Contents
You can purchase Dog Trip Sydney: 52 Dog Friendly Nature Adventures Guidebook from the Amazon Australia
Disclosure: We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through this link and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!
AUD $26.95 RRP
Dog Trip Sydney cover image
Dog Trip Sydney: 52 Dog Friendly Nature Adventures Guidebook – page spread the first page tends to include a photo, a map and basic information
Page Spread detailed- Dog Trip Sydney. the second page include more photos and some details text on the hike
Walk information example close up
Part of the trip list
Map Legend
This review was done with product provided by the publisher, Thames & Hudson
14 December 2024