We were off! The road trip up through the North Island of New Zealand was underway. Final destination. . . my doggy family for a long overdue visit. With the drive well over eight hours I was going to need a stretch and a break from the squished back seat. Fortunately for me, my humans felt the same way. By the time we rolled into Taupo it was late and my grumbling tummy told me it was well passed my dinner time. If only I could figure out how to get into that big bag of dog food that my humans put within a paw reach of me.

Finally! Our destination for the night was here, Ashbrook Motel. It had everything I needed and everything my humans wanted.

My wants

A place to sleep inside. Check.
A quiet place to keep my anxiety at bay. Check

My humans' wants

A place for me to sleep inside. Check. . . glad my parents and I think the same
They are able to leave me by myself. Check. . .They didn't this trip, but the bathroom was large enough I could comfortably stay there for a couple of hours without an issue
A quiet unit, away from others. Check. . . the motel owner put us in a corner unit where there wouldn't be as much noise to excite me.
No charge for me to stay. Check . . . this wasn't critical for my humans, but it was a nice treat.

This place was a winner for humans and dogs travelling together. All the boxes were ticked.

The owner made the place dog-friendly because he didn't have a good reason not to. He's been fortunate enough to have only good experiences when humans bring their furry four-legged companions. Well, I didn't want to taint his image, so I made sure to be on my best behaviour. I was going to have to keep my protective barks to a minimum and no accidents inside. The no indoor accidents was going to be easy, especially since I now take this gross tasting medicine for my incontinence. The barking did concern me because there were these new smells and noises.

I sniffed every inch of our temporary home my nose could get to. I couldn't wait to explore the outside too. Outside was full of a whole new set of smells, it was almost overwhelming. I loved every grassy sniffing minute of it.

My parents took a liking to this place because it was clean and it was just the right distance from the town centre. We could walk to the lake in about ten minuets. It came with the usual human amenities of coffee, tea, milk and I even smelled some sweet biscuits. My humans even let me sleep in their room. . . not on the bed. Gosh, if this was the life of a travelling dog, then I want to go on holiday with my parents more often. Sleeping in their room, extra walks, swimming in fresh water lakes. Who could ask for anything more?

At the end of the day the motel was your typical motel. The only difference was that I got to stay there. There weren't extra things like doggy bedding provided, chew toys, treats or dog-walking people. My humans and I didn't need that for this trip. Maybe if we were staying more than one night, then those would be nice to haves. When I get mum and dad to take me on another road trip we're definitely coming back here and anyone with a dog. . . big or small should definitely try them out too. Thanks Ashbrook Motel!