24 minute read
Riding a wave of success
RIDING
A WAVE OF SUCCESS
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XIMAGES: CAMERON BLOOM AND @SAMJBLOOM Sophie Cullen spoke to world championship kayaker and surfer Sam Bloom about her journey, travel and what it’s like to have your story told in print and on the big screen. SamX 21 COVER STORY Bloom Left: Sam and Cameron Bloom surfing at Bungan Beach Below: Sam at La Jolla San Diego 2020
It
took a magpie named Penguin and a letter from a stranger to get Sam Bloom surfing again. Since then, Sam has won international titles and held spots on the Australian teams in both surfing and kayaking. When we spoke, she had just returned with her husband, Cam, and three sons from her second surfing world championship in the United States.
“I’d surfed all my life,” says Sam. “But after my accident…it took me five years before I got back on a board.”
A terrible injury on a family holiday in Thailand left Sam paralysed from the chest down. “We were four days into our holiday, half way between Phuket and Bangkok. We were staying at a really beautiful hotel right on the beach. I leaned against the railing and it broke. I fell six metres and broke my back.”
Sam, who was a registered nurse, sports fan and travel lover, was devastated.
A strange twist of fate
“When I came home from hospital, as you can imagine, I wasn’t the best,” she says. “I was angry and sad. From where we live, we can see the ocean and it just rubbed it in.” It was a strange twist of fate, in the form of a tiny bird, that helped Sam through her rehab and her return back home. On the way home one afternoon, her middle son Noah found a baby magpie blown out of her nest. “We took her home because we thought that she would’ve died,” says Sam. “She was so cool. It was perfect timing in a way, because she kept me company. I enjoyed caring for her and nothing makes you feel better than caring for others. I would talk to her all the time. She was like a little sounding board.” Sam’s husband Cam, a photographer by trade, documented the family’s interactions with Penguin the magpie. The photographs were published in a book co-written by Bradley Trevor Greive called Penguin Bloom: * Left: Sam during the World Adaptive Surf Championships La Jolla San Diego 2020 Below: Sam with Jose Martinez US Adaptive surfer The Odd Little Bird who Saved a Family.
“It was really weird,” says Sam, “because she [Penguin] left when I went to Italy. I’ve often said, she came at the perfect time and left at the perfect time.”
This trip to Italy was Sam’s first time overseas in a wheelchair.
“When I got out of rehab, I started kayaking. After a couple of years, I got onto the Australian team and we went to Italy for the world championships.”
Having visited the country several times before her accident, returning in a wheelchair was not easy.
“It was not what it used to be. It was a love-hate thing. I love Rome, but I hated being in a wheelchair going over all those cobblestones. The accommodation was really hard; the bathrooms were so small and Cam had to piggyback me up the stairs. As a family, we still had fun, but it was pretty tricky at the same time.”
Despite international success, Sam’s dedication to kayaking did not match her lifelong passion for surfing.
One day, she received a letter from the mother of Australian pro surfer Julian Wilson.
“I didn’t know them,” Sam marvels. “But she said, ‘I read your story and I know you love surfing and have a connection with the ocean.’ In a roundabout way, she convinced me to get back out there.”
“The first time I got back on a board it was really fun. I went out with Noah [Sam’s middle son] and a friend, Tom Carroll, who is a two time world champion surfer. Tom was pushing me on the waves. I loved it. It’s not the same, but it was great to be back out in the water with Noah having fun together.”
In 2018, Sam competed in the Australian Titles, which she found “much more chilled” compared to kayaking.
“Everyone’s really nice and loves the ocean. It’s still competitive, but it’s not as nerve-wracking as sitting there, waiting to try and paddle as hard as you can for 200 metres.”
It was at this event that Sam made the Australian team and went on to America to surf in the world championships.
“It was so unreal. There are people from everywhere. Because I love travelling, I loved meeting people from other countries – from Argentina and Costa Rica. It was the best event.”
Encountering new people and cultures has always drawn Sam to overseas travel. Her first big trip was to Europe when she finished university, and from there she spent a couple of months travelling through Turkey, down through the Middle East and over to Egypt and West Africa.
She remembers particularly fondly the experience of witnessing a festival in northern Ethiopia.
“In northern Ethiopia, the people are Coptic Christian. We were there for this festival called Timkat where priests dress in silk robes carrying replicas of the Ark of the Covenant. It was awesome. Then you go down south to the Omo Valley where tribes have existed unchanged for centuries. We loved the diversity of cultures. From a young age, I always dreamed of going to Africa and am so grateful that I was able to visit so many amazing countries.”
Sam’s extensive travels will feature in a new book coming out in September. Also written by Bradley Trevor Greive after
#COVER STORY
and cultures New people
Left: Australian Team captain Sebastian van Veenendaal and Sam La Jolla San Diego 2020 Above: Local Fijian girl with Sam Fiji 2019
extensive interviews, it will cover Sam’s perspective and will be called Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong. “It is so weird seeing your name on a book!” laughs Sam. The story of Sam, her family and Penguin has also made it on the big screen. A film will be released next year starring Naomi Watts as Sam and Andrew Lincoln as Cam. The filming process was bizarre for Sam, who was on set most days. “You’re watching a monitor and listening with a headset while they film, thinking, whoa, she’s playing me!” says Sam. “The one thing I said to them, before they even started filming, was ‘all I want is for you guys to make it honest.’ I didn’t want them to ‘Hollywood’ it, to make it all happy at the & end. They stuck to that, which I’m thankful for. Our whole family is really happy with the film.” Filming might have wrapped, but the Bloom family still have at least one superstar in residence. “They had to do what they call ‘pickups,’ or extra bits of filming,” says Sam. “Someone found a baby magpie, and she’s in the film! As a joke we sometimes call her Hollywood.” Hollywood, who is usually known as Chicken, is often joined at the Bloom family home by a cheeky currawong called Frankie. Frankie only has one eye and was rescued after being thrown out of her nest as a baby. “They live outside, but they’ll just fly in. Frankie is cute but she’s very naughty. She’ll know when we want her to go back out because she just keeps flying around!” With a movie, two books and many a sporting accolade under her belt, what’s next for Sam Bloom? “I want to continue surfing and keep training to become a three-time world champion,” she says. “Hopefully the world is in better shape this time next year and we can all get back to travelling, competing and doing what we love.”
Left: Gaye Hatfield Sam’s kayaking coach with Sam on Narrabeen Lake 2019 Below: Mark Mono Stewart with Sam La Jolla San Diego 2020
Really happy with the film
30 Northern exposure
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58 Rollin’ in Noosa
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63 Capital Gains
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70 The spectacular NSW Central West
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74 Travelling The Great Central Road from WA to NT
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86 Take it to the top
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92 Making Trax
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Nine Mile beach
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Tanya and Mackenzie drive the east coast of Australia and discover experiences to tantilise all the senses.
WORDS: TANYA SAVVA
Sensory Friendly
Vision Impairment
Left: Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays Above: Cape Hillsborough National Park urnt-out, disconnected and exhausted as a solo mum to my 7-year-old daughter with special needs,
I was desperate to escape the 9-5 grind. I wanted to bathe in the magic of wide open spaces, starlit nights, sunrises over a salty horizon and long roads. After 12 months of planning, we waved goodbye to a life we’d known. With a caravan and bike in tow, we needed nothing more than a sign directing us to the Pacific Highway. The plan? Travel up the east coast of Australia from Sydney as far as we could without a 4WD.
Some thought it was a little reckless for a single woman and her blind daughter to navigate this great expanse of Australian coast. But I trusted that this experience would offer the space, connections, solitude, spontaneity, freedom and beauty that we sought.
Our senses were delighted in the first few weeks of our journey. On the first day we found ourselves on a ‘stinky and bumpy’ camel ride over the sand dunes of Birubi Beach, near Port Stephens. At a fundraising event in Maitland, we met a helicopter pilot who gifted us with a joy ride in his helicopter. We flew over the magnificent Newcastle coastline, experiencing the wild sensation of a powerful machine as it vibrated, whirled and whizzed. Mackenzie’s tactile and auditory needs were satisfied, while my eyes feasted on the view.
We headed north to Coffs Harbour and learned about the conservation efforts at the Dolphin Marine Conservation Park. We fed and were kissed by a seal and had the privilege of swimming with a rescued dolphin. Getting so close to these majestic creatures, which would have died abandoned in the wild, left us awestruck. We were also amazed by the love of the caretakers.
Our country is rich in history, diverse landscapes and experiences that offer interactive and unique learning opportunities. The Gold Coast Hinterland, for example, offered an array of activities in the lush Mount Tamborine precinct. We revisited this dense rainforest region three times to explore it all. The Skywalk is an accessible and informative walk along the treetops. The Mount Tamborine Glow Worm Cave presented a short but fascinating tour in support of their conservation efforts.
Safe, well-lit, lengthy bike tracks are plentiful along the shore lines of the eastern seaboard. We frequented these for sightseeing, exercise and a dose of fresh air after long drives. I relayed information I read about the towns as we roamed on our bike along the Sunshine Coast, Tin Can Bay, Hervey Bay, Elliot
Above: Cardwell and Spa Pool Below: Mackenzie with a snake around her neck Billabong Sanctuary, Townsville
Heads, Tannum Sands, Yeppoon and all the way up at the Whitsundays and Cairns.
We stayed in caravan parks and received warm reception and kind offerings from park managers who provided helpful tourist information and invited us to barbecues on the beach. Mackenzie’s social disposition made it easy to connect and seek guidance and support when needed. We met so many incredible travellers, many of whom frequented the east coast to escape the Victorian winter and were willing to share meals, stories, and assist with broken caravan parts.
We chose destinations based on recommendations of the strangers who became friends over sunset drinks. We loved the interactive Mary Poppins Story Bank Museum in Maryborough. We got up close and personal with an array of animals at the Australia Zoo, and relished the educational bird show and turtle feeding at Billabong Sanctuary in Townsville. Park managers were incredibly considerate of our needs and helpful in suggesting places to visit that would be interactive and enjoyable.
We found ourselves lazing on a catamaran sailing the Fraser Island coast with a skipper named Brian. He was the salt of the earth, weathered and friendly, jovial and full of stories. Seventeen Seventy captured our hearts with its picture-perfect sunsets, rich modern Australian and Indigenous history. We braved a 1770 LARC tour on an amphibious craft that took us along the Bustard Bay coastline, flew down sand dunes on boogie boards, and visited Queensland's only operating lighthouse.
The Whitehaven Express took us to the oasis of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays where we snorkelled with groper fish. We braved the freezing rainforest waters of the Mosman Gorge in Port Douglas, meandered accessible paths in the ancient landscape and ate an abundance of home-made ice cream from fruit orchards in the Daintree Rainforest. Flying over the rainforest canopy on the Skyrail and the Gold Class upgrade on the Kuranda Scenic Railway was a luxurious and exciting end to a northern Queensland adventure.
Australia hosts an array of activities that fulfil the most adventurous, gentle or inquisitive spirit. Not short of an opportunity to capture your heart, despite Mackenzie’s blindness, we had the adventure of a lifetime. It has filled us with wonder, as the memories of that 6-month journey live on.
Jordan Ashby (L) and James (Buck) McFarlane (R)
Tailored tours for blind, low vision & deaf travellers
A new kind of tourism has been quietly achieving exceptional experiences for travellers with specific needs. For the past two years, tour operator Cocky Guides has been delivering sensory group adventures for blind & low vision travellers. More than 350 Australians have experienced Cocky Guides unique interpretation of destinations without sight!
James (Buck) McFarlane explains "We understood that our blind & low vision travellers could access a destination independently with one on one support, but this was an extra expense over & above the cost of a holiday. A traveller could also join a group tour; however, most tours focus on sightseeing & this can negatively impact the traveller's experience at a destination. To ensure traveller satisfaction, we needed to deliver destinations differently. So, we eliminated sightseeing & highlighted destination experiences by engaging our traveller's other senses. "Our community groups enjoyed trialling day tours for Cocky Guides. They provide outstanding personalised services that embrace activities that suit our client needs & wants. It fills a gap in the tourism market for blind & low vision travellers" Jordan Ashby, Client Services NSW for Vision Australia.
AUSLAN TOURS
Buck is applying a similar philosophy that's been successful in delivering tours for blind & low vision travellers, to his new enterprise Sensory Tourism Australia. This new business provides fun, accessible & engaging experiences for Deaf Australians.
Sensory Tourism Australia provides Day Tours, Weekend Escapes & Sensory Short Breaks that focus on a specific region. Travellers can choose a small group adventure with up to 10 guests & journey to destinations throughout Australia & New Zealand. Tailored trip design highlights sensory experiences that are unique to each destination. Tours are led by a professional trip leader & supported by an onboard Auslan Interpreter. If you'd love a tactile experience in the world's oldest rainforest in Tropical North Queensland, enjoy a traditional Maori hāngī in Rotorua or sleep in Australia's most haunted house in Junee, you'll be sure to find a destination delivered perfectly different!
Search scheduled adventures with an Auslan Interpreter & Book at
sensorytourismaustralia.com
LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITY
Interested in a specific destination or departure date? There is limitless opportunity to create your very own unique small group adventure with family & friends by calling Sensory Tourism Australia on 1300 657 640
Our youngest daughter checked our carry on bags
Our son worked security
THE FLIGHT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU’RE GROUNDED
Cancelled travel plans can be so disappointing. Here’s how one family turned lemons into lemonade and travelled the world virtually when COVID-19 saw their grand European adventure
grounded. WORDS: KIRSTY RUSSELL
Dietary Needs
Sensory Friendly
Wheelchair Accessible
We had grand plans for 2020. For five years, we’d planned and prepped for a big old European adventure. Over 11 weeks, we were going to tick off the main sights of Europe and the UK, with three kids in tow and a set of grandparents along for the ride (and for much-needed support)!
Obviously, COVID-19 had other ideas and we had to cancel our long-held plans and go into lockdown instead. Now, we could have left things at that, but my husband had other ideas.
When he first suggested that we recreate our flight to Europe, I laughed it off. Recreate the worst part of the trip, for fun? However, as our original departure date neared and lockdown wore on, it began to look like a positive way to process our disappointment while keeping us entertained.
Which is how we ended up on a virtual adventure, enjoyed from the comfort of our very own lounge room.
RECREATING OUR FLIGHT TO EUROPE
My husband set up our lounge room with two rows of seats, complete with complimentary blankets. He also brought up an old school library trolley from the shed so we could deliver meals just like real cabin crews do during the flight.
Creating the fictional Lounge Chair Air (where the air is free, everything else is extra) he designed custom boarding passes for us, complete with gate number, flight details and QR code. He also completed our immersive experience with branded inflight menus, featuring delicacies like ‘probably still crunchy cookies’ and ‘lasagna ala freezer’.
The kids surprised us with their enthusiasm to take on different roles as we prepared for check-in. Our youngest daughter checked our carry on bags, our son worked security, directing us to walk through the metal detector (a portable clothes rack!) and our eldest daughter guided us to our seats as we entered the cabin.
IMMERSING OURSELVES IN THE EXPERIENCE
Once 3.50pm hit (the time our real flight was supposed to depart) we were seated and ready for our 15-hour long haul flight from Sydney to Doha. As that’s a long time for anyone to be confined in one place, especially kids, we made sure we were prepared, with iPads at the ready and streaming services available on our TV.
No flight is complete without an authentic aeroplane meal. We had originally planned to get the kids used to aeroplane food with frozen meals at home before we left. So, we ran with that idea for our virtual adventure, serving the kids microwaved
burgers and fries in a foil tray, with a fruit cup, dairy dessert and can of drink on the side.
For us, we tucked into frozen lasagne, fries and a creme caramel cup, also snacking on homemade chocolate crackles and hot chocolate along the way. As the hours went on, the inflight complimentary alcohol selection started to look pretty good!
JUST LIKE A REAL FLIGHT
Just like a real flight, we still had to take turns heading to the toilet, although we were spared the awkward glances from fellow passengers as we waited in the aisle for our turn.
While we benefitted from neck pillows, blankets and bigger than average seats on our virtual flight, it still wasn’t easy to sleep. After eight hours in the lounge room, my son went off to explore ‘first class’ (his bedroom) and I followed suit a little later. Our two girls made the most of the empty cabin, while my husband sought refuge in business class (the lounge in the rumpus room).
After getting a little shut-eye, we found our way back to our seats to complete the remainder of our journey. By 8am, we took a break as we enjoyed our two-hour layover in Doha. While there was no dutyfree shopping, there was a welcome chance to stretch our legs.
After six more hours of ‘flying’, we disembarked in Munich at 2pm. As expected, the kids quickly made their escape and locked themselves in their rooms for much-needed alone time, while my husband and I started to plan for the next part of our virtual European adventure.
Microwaved burgers and fries in a foil tray
BEYOND THE FLIGHT
After our virtual flight, we kept the feeling of being on holidays alive by following our original itinerary. In each destination, we took online tours of museums, checked out 360º videos of famous attractions, watched travel videos and cooked European classics, such as pretzels, Croque monsieurs, macarons, paella, bangers and mash and more.
The highlight of our virtual adventure was recreating Disneyland at home for our youngest daughter’s 10th birthday. While we could never make up for not being at Disneyland Paris as planned, we wore Mickey hats, served up quick service fast food meals, enjoyed our own Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and went on virtual rides thanks to YouTube!
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT VIRTUAL TRAVEL
Virtual adventures are a way everyone can enjoy the benefits of travel without the cost, the accessibility challenges and discomfort of being away from home. We were surprised at the variety of options available online, which grew as lockdown wore on. Whatever your dream destination, a quick search online will yield all sorts of virtual fun.
While we will travel again, this experience helped us prepare our kids for the real thing by introducing them to new foods and experiencing the highlights of each destination from the safety of home. Our two eldest kids are on the autism spectrum so anxiety always runs high. Travelling virtually helped them get used to the idea of travel without the stress of the real thing.
If you’re itching to travel right now but can’t, or if you’ve always wanted to take the leap but just couldn’t do it, now’s the time to discover the joy of virtual travel. You don’t need to recreate the flight (I probably wouldn’t do that again) but adventure really does await if you’re willing to get a little creative and give things a go.
Follow Kirsty at facebook.com/InclusiveParenting
Adelaide the place to be as restrictions ease
With options for international travel still limited, there’s no better time to look to our own backyard to satisfy itchy feet.
South Australia has been a leader in keeping COVID-19 under control in recent months. While there’s still a need to remain cautious, its capital Adelaide offers the chance to see the sights and stay safe as we continue to emerge from restrictions.
U City in the heart of the Adelaide CBD is the perfect base to explore the City of Churches. Its 18 purpose-built Accessible Serviced Apartments are specially designed to make your visit as convenient and independent as possible. Each of the 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments are fitted with different accessible features designed for low-, medium- and high-physical support, so guests can select the one most suitable to their needs.
Guest Robert De Pasquale is about to come back for his fifth stay at the brand new 20-storey building.
‘I found out about U City through my Support Coordinator,’ he says. ‘I initially came for a two-week stay and fell in love with it. I’ve now visited four times and my next will be for a month.
‘The facilities are all fully accessible. I can arrange food delivery, manage my own laundry, do the dishes… and the bathrooms are amazing.’
Within the apartments you’ll find a range of purpose-built features such as wheelunder hot plates and kitchen sink, motorised doors and blinds, lifter tracks and functional beds, height-adjustable en suite basins and kitchen benches, wide doors and passages, and step-free thresholds and shower cubicles.
Apartments are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art assistive technology, allowing guests to control elements from their smart device, and to contact Concierge from wherever they are in the apartment. Built-in cameras also allow people to see visitors at the entrance and remotely grant access to the building.
‘One of the best parts has been using my iPad to tap into the assistive technology,’ Robert says. ‘It’s made it so easy to manage
things like the air conditioning, lights and blinds.’
Just down the street from U City is the renowned Adelaide Central Market, one of the largest fresh produce markets in the Southern Hemisphere. Dining options are available in every direction, from the revitalised Leigh and Peel Street laneways to the delectable cuisines of Gouger Street.
A range of public transport options nearby will allow you to explore further afield. Adelaide’s central shopping precinct, Rundle Mall, is just a few tram stops from U City, and just beyond that along North Terrace are the Art Gallery, SA Museum and picturesque Botanic Gardens.
‘I enjoyed heading out and about most days to places like the Central Market to do my shopping or to Luigi Delicatessen downstairs,’ Robert says. ‘I found I was much more active than usual.’
Not only is it home to stunning coastline, inviting wine and hills regions, and a jampacked arts and culture calendar, Adelaide is also leading the way in access and inclusion. In 2019, the City of Adelaide endorsed its Access and Inclusion Plan, making clear its commitment to making the city a welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.
Similarly, U City has been developed with accessibility the priority for the building’s design.
‘As a wheelchair user, it’s been great to stay in a part of the city that’s pretty flat,’ says Robert. ‘It’s been the ideal location for getting out, especially at night – and having Concierge staff around 24/7 has helped my confidence and sense of security.’
U City also offers Specialist Disability Accommodation and a newly-accredited Changing Places facility – a best-practice bathroom including a hoist and other customised features to provide dignified and purpose-built toileting and showering facilities, and the only 24/7 Changing Places in the Adelaide CBD.
If Adelaide is on the list for your next travel experience, consider a stay at the U City Accessible Serviced Apartments on Franklin Street. Find out more at ucity.com.au or call 1800 247 365.
