Travel guide for Accessible

Have your say in the ‘people’s choice’ voting on the best Accessible Holiday Accommodation in Australia The 2009 state winners have been chosen for the leading holiday rentals across Australia with guests rating their favouritehotels, motels, hostels, B&Bs and accommodation parks.    TakeABreak.com.au, Australia’s only independent boutique accommodation website, is presenting the “Best Places to Stay” awards for the tourism industry, which recognise outstanding service in specialist segment categories.    State winners were selected via an exhaustive process from over 13,000 properties in 1400 localities and 39 accommodation types. National winners will be announced in early Nove... Read more

We’ve made planning your accessible day trips easy. We have highlighted a variety of wonderful day trips with specific information about the many accessible options that can assist in making touring easier for people with disabilities. Whether it is marvelling at the landscape, visiting the vibrant cities, trying the local produce, or meeting the characters and experiencing the unique Australian way of life en route – these trips will leave you feeling inspired. And no matter whether you pack up a car, board a plane, jump on a train or float on a boat, the stories you’ll bring back will stay with you forever. The Hunter Valley The town of Cessnock is gateway to the wine-growing region of the Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest commercial wine-growing district, with ... Read more

We’ve made planning your accessible day trips easy. We have highlighted a variety of wonderful day trips with specific information about the many accessible options that can assist in making touring easier for people with disabilities. Whether it is marvelling at the landscape, visiting the vibrant cities, trying the local produce, or meeting the characters and experiencing the unique Australian way of life en route – these trips will leave you feeling inspired. And no matter whether you pack up a car, board a plane, jump on a train or float on a boat, the stories you’ll bring back will stay with you forever. Clare Valley Set amongst eucalypt hills, Clare Valley is another of South Australia’s beautiful wine regions and is famous for its Riesling. The region&rsquo... Read more

Those of us who live in Australia grow up understanding the joys, dangers and safety rules that make it such a great place.  However, many visitors to our country find Australia an alien, but starkly beautiful country, and they have little or no understanding of the best way to stay safe and enjoy their time here. A few very simple rules can help to make a visit to Australia a safe and pleasurable experience, and Tourism Australia has a brochure available for download that lists safety tips in a variety of languages. Driving tips One of the first things to remember is that speed limits are strictly enforced in Australia, more so than in many countries overseas.  Generally, when driving in urban and suburban areas, the speed limit is between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour. When ... Read more

If you want to see Tasmanian wilderness, but see it in comfort, then the West Coast is the place.  Strahan, tucked inside Macquarie Harbour, is in many ways the tourist capital of Tasmania, and with good reason.  Your first stop there should be the Tourist Information Centre on the harbour-front which has plenty of useful information and there is a theatrical play ‘The Ship That Never Was’, on there every day.  The Ship that Never Was tells the amazing story of the last convicts on Sarah Island who escaped on the ship they built, sailing it out “Hell’s Gates” and all the way to Chile.  If you’re disabled however, you might find the rustic planks surrounding the centre rather hard to negotiate.  The entrance isn’t that e... Read more

For many, it is a dream to travel to the Land Down Under.  The Great Barrier Reef is a natural phenomenon many long to see for themselves, as is the giant Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) sitting smack in the middle of the country. Seeing kangaroos in the wild, the chance to cuddle a koala, and just experience the laid-back attitude for which Australians are famous, may seem like an impossible dream. Happily, it takes only a day to travel to this great island continent, and with flights more reasonably priced than ever, and plenty of deals available throughout the year, you could soon be chatting with the locals while marveling at the mixed-up features of a platypus. Getting there Plenty of airlines travel to Australia, including their main carrier, Qantas. How much you pay to t... Read more

When you’re disabled it’s a lot easier - and cheaper - to stay at home. But after our family came home from a trip away, I realised the memories would be there with our boys for the rest of their lives.  It’s certainly not easy (when you’re disabled what is?) but it is worth it. My favourite Australian  destinations are: 1. Darling Harbour, Sydney I never visited Darling Harbour when growing up in Sydney.  But our family came up here and stayed 3 nights last year and had a wonderful time!  It was great being a tourist in what was once my own backyard.  After seeing a fair bit of overseas, I still think Sydney stacks up pretty well. The terrific thing about Darling Harbour is that it’s so much like Tasmania; a lot to do in such a sm... Read more

I first stayed in Canberra (ACT) when I was researching my History thesis in 1979.  Back then I wasn’t in a wheelchair - but I did rely on wheels for mobility; all I had to get around on was my pushbike. Canberra is ideal for accessible travel as the paths and their coverage are excellent.  As befits a national capital, access just about everywhere is taken for granted. There are just too many sightseeing spots to cover, so before you start, a good place to visit would be the Canberra Visitors Centre on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin; right in front of the Captain Cook Fountain at 330 Northbourne Avenue. Some of the major attractions you might want to see which have good access, disabled parking and toilets would include Parliament House  (take the lift up to the ro... Read more

  Weddings are wonderful, glorious, exciting, romantic, memorable … and fraught!  It doesn’t matter how well-organised you/your partner/your mother/your wedding planner is …no-one can deny that arranging a wedding is an exercise in endurance, as well as joy. So, the honeymoon should be the time to wind down, enjoy one another and do as much or as little as you please.  But that brings up another problem, because these days, honeymoons are nearly a competitive sport!  Where are you going, how long for, is there a spa, is it 5 star, is it eco-friendly, can your furry family come too, can your normal family come too???? Whew! - honeymoon options need to be as modern and flexible as weddings have become. And they can be! First, decide what you want &... Read more

 There’s no place in the world like Sydney for style There’s no place in the world... Read more