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A road trip to Queensland

Planning a trip to South-East Queensland? Covid permitting! Caitlin Maynard did just that in true wheelchair style.

"Like many people I love taking trips and going on holiday. Since flying with a disability is difficult and stressful, it is often easier to take a road trip. Driving means I can be sure my wheelchair will be safe and in sight and I am not limited to one suitcase so I can take things that make my daily life easier.

My partner, Duncan, and I decided to take a road trip to Queensland. Neither of us are Australian so we were very excited to get out and explore a bit more of what this country has in store. We spent eight days driving through Queensland from NSW and had a wonderful time. Our trip was jam packed with activities but as a wheelchair user there were a few extra steps we had to take when planning this trip such as calling ahead to find accessible accommodation and check on accessible attractions. Everywhere that I called was very accommodating and it was easy to find out what I needed to know.

The first two days were spent on the Gold Coast visiting Warner Bros Movie World and Sea World. When we arrived at both parks it was easy to find the main office and register as a visitor with disability. Office staff go through personal capabilities, issue you a wrist band detailing which rides you can go on and how much assistance you will need. This eliminates waiting in queues and having to explain your disability at each ride. It also avoids disappointment as I was told up front which rides I could or could not go on, so I could plan my day accordingly.

After visiting the parks and going for hand cycle rides on the beach we headed to Brisbane where we stayed with friends. A visit to Australia Zoo was on our list which involved a day trip to the Sunshine Coast to what is a huge and fully accessible zoo. It was reassuring to see more than the usual one or two disability seating options with at least three areas available for wheelchair users, with each having up to four spots.

But the best part of our trip was the two nights we spent at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, set in the World Heritage listed Lamington National Park on the Gold Coast Hinterland. The retreat offers a few different options in accessible accommodation, including accessible camping tents. The campground features 17 powered safari tents, two of them are accessible.

We chose to stay in one of the fully accessible mountain view rooms, located close to the main house. The front desk gave us a sheet detailing all activities at the retreat with the accessible activities clearly marked and easy to find.

One was the animal encounter. For this, we sat overlooking a gorgeous view of Green Mountain and heard about a few Australian native animals. I held a snake (yes pictured!) and fed honey to some flying squirrels. The retreat made this experience as inclusive as possible. And since it was outdoors people could come and go as needed during the talk.

We had dinner both nights in the retreat restaurant, which had a set price for a 3-course meal. Staff were helpful and made me feel that me and my chair were no different from any other diners. There are also some beautiful wheelchair accessible hikes that take you further into the national park, with staff more than happy to help with questions or concerns. In the afternoon we went on the wheelchair accessible Tree Top Walk, an amazing walkway construction of suspension bridges that goes through the canopy of the rainforest.

On our way back to Sydney, we stopped off at the Gold Coast to celebrate our birthdays at Dracula’s Cabaret, a horror-themed dining experience that was great fun and I was able to appreciate the evening from my own chair. We could not take advantage of the Ghost Train ride to get into the main room, but staff made up for it by having our table set next to the stage. Staff made themselves known to us and made sure we could see the show and order what we needed.

I just love it when even somewhere like a haunted cabaret finds a way to be inclusive. I have found that venues geared towards children are more likely to be made accessible so children with disability don’t miss out, but adults with disability are not considered as much.

The whole trip was a blast. Between having our car full of the right pillows and accessibility equipment, to the friendly and welcoming people we met on the way, our trip was a huge success. Some parts of our trip were done a little bit differently with more effort and planning to accommodate my disability, but it was a wonderful experience that I would enjoy doing again.

I am constantly impressed by Australia’s effort to making as many things as it can accessible. These kinds of trips and experiences are not always possible, but this one certainly ticked all the boxes."

- Caitlin Maynard