What else is the best way to kickstart the new year other than planning holiday trips with family and friends.
Travelling has proven to help people with disability to generally improve their social skills, communications skills, overall wellbeing, and to learn new things and gain new experiences.
One key important element to consider in travelling is to check how accessible these destinations and venues are. The concept of accessible travel ensures that tourist destinations are inclusive and accessible to all people, regardless of age, physical limitations or disability.
If you are planning to do more travel in 2023, here’s our roundup of accessible destinations and venues across Australia.
A 360-degree view of Sydney from the tower’s indoor Observation Deck. It also features Sydney’s highest outdoor adventure with their SKYWALK Tours.
Accessibility Guide:
- Visitors with Reduced Mobility: Wheelchair accessible throughout the attraction.
- Visitors with Visual Impairments: Assistance animals are welcome and ‘Xtra Eyes Kits’ (a customised kit to help people with low vision) are also available upon request.
- Visitors with Sensory Sensitivity: Varying levels of lighting, flashing, music and loud noises are played in the 4D cinema. They also provide ‘Escape The Noise Kits’ for those who are struggling with varying noise at the venue.
- Carers and Companions: Free entry to carers or essential companions of those with disability. National companion cards are accepted.
Website: sydneytowereye.com.au.
Get to experience the underwater world and see 4,000 over sea creatures such as penguins, sharks, turtles, and rays.
Accessibility Guide:
- Visitors with reduced mobility: Wheelchair accessible throughout the attraction.
- Visitors with Visual Impairments: Assistance animals are welcome.
- Carers and Companions: Free entry to carers or essential companions of those with disability. National companion cards are accepted.
Website: visitsealife.com/sydney
This park in Gippsland is highly significant to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners due to its remarkable Aboriginal cultural heritage. It features limestone formations carved by an underground river from millions of years ago.
Accessibility Guide:
- Availability of social script resources (a document with text and photographs explaining what they may see and experience at the park) for children on the autism spectrum.
- Assistance dogs are welcome.
Website: parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/buchan-caves-reserve
A natural and cultural history museum located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne.
Accessibility Guide:
- Wheelchairs are available free of charge. All galleries and public spaces have lifts and ramp access.
- Deaf access: The National Relay Service (NRS) can assist people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
- Assistive listening: Hearing loops are available in a number of spaces.
- Service animals are welcome.
- Autism friendly museum with maps of high and low sensory spaces, quiet times and social scripts.
Website: museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum.
An easy 1.5 km walk that takes you to one of Tasmania’s favourite waterfall.
Accessibility Guide:
- Whilst the walk is generally wheelchair friendly, the return loop track is not suitable for most wheelchair users. Wheelchair users are advised to return by the same path instead.
Website: parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/mount-field-national-park/russell-falls
TAS: Cascades Female Factory Historic Site
The Cascades Female Factory is a World Heritage-listed site. It presents the story of displacement, mistreatment and forced migration of convict women and girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to present.
Accesibility Guide:
- The History and Interpretation Centre is fully accessible, including the welcome space, exhibition, multi-purpose space (for education activities) and gift shop.
- The Convict Women’s Tour and the Proud and the Punished performance are both accessible with some assistance.
- The entryways into the Cascades Female Factory are tall dark and narrow passages that include a sound installation, which may cause some discomfort for visitors with sensory and in particular, auditory sensitivities. Please contact the Cascades Female Factory if you would like to arrange an alternate entry point.
- The Convict Women’s Tour and the Proud and the Punished dramatic performance require some walking and standing for periods of up to 10 minutes at a time. Limited bench seating is available throughout the yards and in the tour assembly area. Ground surfaces are primarily gravel (compacted in some areas, loose in others), steel plates, sandstone blocks and paved areas.
Website: femalefactory.org.au
QLD: Undara Volcanic National Park
Explore natural geological wonders and experience the local outback in this historical land.
Accessibility Guide:
- Customised tours are available to suit most mobility levels.
- Wheelchair access to the accommodations, restaurant, pool area, Saloon Car Bar, reception and shop.
Website: undara.com.au
QLD: Dream World and WhiteWater World
This popular theme park in Gold Coast promises fun and excitement for all ages. It features over 40 rides, slides and attractions.
Accessibility Guide:
- Guests with pre-existing medical conditions, injuries or disabilities are recommended to visit the Park Health Facility, located at Dreamworld (near Sky Voyager) or WhiteWater World (next to Beyond the Beach).
- A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available for hire.
- Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs are welcome.
- All shopping and dining facilities are wheelchair accessible via ramps. Also, many of the shows and main street entertainment have areas reserved for guests with disability.
Website: dreamworld.com.au
Located in Bunbury, WA, the Dolphin Discovery Centre features activities such as cruises and a chance to swim with dolphins.
Accessibility Guide:
- Wheelchair/disability access throughout, including beach access
Website: dolphindiscovery.com.au.
Mammoth Cave is home to ancient fossil remains of long-extinct Australian Megafauna (giant animals) and is a fun nature experience for anyone visiting.
Accessibility Guide:
- Mammoth Cave offers wheelchair access to the first chamber.
- MP3 audio tours are available in English, French, German, Malay, and Mandarin.
Website: margaretriver.com/things-to-do/attractions/caves/mammoth-cave
Seacliff was one of first beaches in South Australia to implement the accessible beach mat to allow wheelchair access to the water’s edge.
Accessibility Guide:
- The accessible beach mat is rolled out every weekend and during public holiday from 1pm to 5pm. It is rolled out at Seacliff Beach in front of the Seacliff Pub where there is a wheelchair ramp leading down to the beach. The beach mat sits at the base of this ramp allowing access from the ramp.
Website: holdfast.sa.gov.au/discover-our-place/parks-and-reserves/seacliff-beach
A Grade 1, easy walk trail located in the Flinders Chase National Park. The park features a cluster of granite boulders and a beautiful scenic walk .
Accesible Guide:
- A short wheelchair accessible walk along a boardwalk.
Website: parks.sa.gov.au/parks/flinders-chase-national-park
NT: Territory Wildlife Park Darwin
See wildlife up-close in their natural habitats.
Accessibility Guide:
- Free shuttle trains available. The shuttle train can accommodate prams/strollers in the first 2 bays of each carriage, and one wheelchair located at the back of the second carriage.
- Guide dogs are permitted at the Territory Wildlife Park.
- Wheelchairs are available from the Main Station on request.
Website: territorywildlifepark.com.au
ACT: National Museum of Australia
With a focus on Indigenous history and culture, European settlement and interaction with the environment, the museum brings to life the rich and diverse stories of Australia through compelling objects, ideas and events.
Accessibility Guide:
- Accessible parking spaces for visitors who have a mobility impairment and the required permit are available free of charge.
- You can bring your own wheelchair or use one of theirs.
- They have a hearing induction loop at the Information Desk.
- Museum maps and Visual Story pdfs are available to help visitors see and understand what to expect at the museum.
- Trained, registered and visibly identified assistance animals are welcome.
Website: nma.gov.au
