Happy beach days

Why beach holidays are a great fit for many families who have a member with

autism spectrum disorder. WORDS: SEANA SMITH IMAGES: VIVIENNE DIMMICK & BRONWYN ORSATTI

“There is a different feeling at the beach and she’s just so happy. At the beach she can run without knocking things over or running into people. She feels free at the beach.”

It has taken trial and error, but Vivienne Dimmick has found that beach holidays work best for her daughter Dorothy, who has autism and cystic fibrosis. And Vivienne is not alone. A holiday on the coast works well for many families who have a member on the autism spectrum.

Going to new places and travelling in new ways can be highly stressful for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and for teenagers and adults too. A preference for safe, familiar routines and a distaste for novelty is entirely understandable when sensory reactions are not typical.

It is not surprising that the words ‘holiday’ and ‘disaster’ often go side by side, especially before an autism diagnosis has been confirmed.

This was certainly the case in my own family, when our oldest son was a baby and a toddler. We would pack up and head off optimistically for weekends in exotic locations, just as my husband and I had done before he was born.

Parenting fail!

Our son loathed being stuck on our knees in an aeroplane or in his car seat on long drives. He longed to run free and this never went down well with the flight attendants. Once we arrived, bedraggled, at our destinations, he would simply never sleep. We spent many sleepless hours wheeling him around hotel corridors in his stroller.

After our son’s autism diagnosis, beach holidays became our regular escape. We stayed at the same house at Jervis Bay for 10 years as the children grew up.

Vivienne and her family had similar early holiday disasters, with a plane trip to visit grandparents at Hervey Bay standing out in particular.

“Dorothy sat on my knee and she screamed all the way there on the plane,” says Vivienne. “She was red in the face and so distressed. I had taken sticker books and games but nothing worked. Once we got there, she would not leave the house. She did not sleep at night, it was a nightmare.”

Nowadays, Vivienne and her family take regular holidays to Pearl Beach, just one hour north of Sydney. They stay at the same house each time.

“Pearl Beach is a small village and people are friendly and they know us well now. The sea there is usually calm, though we can find waves at other beaches if we want to.”

Staying at the same beach house has been a huge help for Vivienne and her family. She recommends seeking out a property with plenty of space.

“If you have a few children, then getting a house with two living areas is best,” Vivienne suggests from experience. “Dorothy watches videos on her iPad in one area, while her twin sister and older brother watch their programs or play games in the other living area.

Sensory Friendly

Vivienne and family

Clockwise from top: Dorothy and her twin sister soaking in the sunset at Pearl Beach, Murrays beach at Jervis Bay, an idyllic family summer spot, Lucia and family enjoying the beach at Forster, Sun, sand and sea views, the Smith family arrive at Collingwood Beach, Jervis Bay.

Before you book a place, talk to someone who knows the property well

“The house has a cabin out the back. Sometimes one parent can sleep in the cabin for a guaranteed good night of sleep. Also, friends can stay there, or sometimes we have taken a support worker who has stayed in the cabin.”

The familiarity of returning to a favourite destination makes a holiday special for every member of the family.

Bronwyn Orsatti, her husband Nick and their children, Marcello, 13, and Lucia, 10, have turned holidays at Forster (on the NSW mid-north coast) into a tradition. Bronwyn went there as a child, and so did her mother before her.

“It’s not home, but it feels like home,” says Bronwyn.

“There is a lovely, supportive community up there. The kids know it really well and even though they cannot talk, they make their happiness known. Every time they see the bridge into Forster they get so excited.

“Forster is a great area because of the Wallis Lake which has pretty calm waters,” she says. “Marcello loves to swim in the water. Lucia likes to paddle and play and dance around on the edge. The local pool is good too.

“We also do some bush walking. You can go out on the lake on boats or go kayaking, waterskiing, sailing and dolphin watching.

“We belong to the local club up there and it is really family and autism-friendly. There is a great quieter area upstairs. They are lovely, accepting people there.”

Bronwyn has terrific advice for planning your first beach house holiday.

“You need to be clear what your criteria are. My kids are absconders so I need to be able to keep them secure in a property. The latest place we stayed at had a good backyard. Under the deck was an enclosed area with hammocks and a pool table. Marcello loved it there. He could have a bit of his own space and he had his sensory needs met there. We could hear him when he was there so it felt safe.

“Before you book a place, talk to someone who knows the property well”, Bronwyn suggests.

Bronwyn has also found a local support worker in Forster. They were connected via local families who Bronwyn met through online groups and who also have kids with autism.

“[Our support worker] is a teacher’s aide at a school. She has spent a few hours with us. An extra pair of hands makes such a difference when you have two children with additional needs, especially at the beach.

“One of the advantages of going to a place regularly is that you can build up these relationships.”

When it comes to beach holidays, my own family recommends avoiding peak season. This is mainly to escape crowds but also to cut down on costs. We know smaller families who have shared a beach house which is also a more affordable option. Holiday parks in seaside towns can also work well, especially for more sociable children who might find friends with whom to play.

With children, and especially with an autism diagnosis, the great pleasures of familiarity can be savoured, creating holidays which are truly relaxing for all members of the family.

She feels free at the beach

Carol finds her accessible family getaway at Cairns

Gold Coast resident Carol Taylor says finding accessible accommodation for her and her family can sometimes feel like “finding a needle in a haystack”.

“You can find venues that may accommodate a single person with a disability and their carer, but as a family we always need an interconnecting second room for our son,” Carol said.

“I feel like nearly every family trip has involved endless hours browsing the internet to find somewhere to stay.”

When Carol was invited to speak at a Cairns Business Women’s Club event earlier in the year to discuss how she balances her life as a mum, wife, lawyer, artist, fashion designer and someone with a spinal cord injury, she jumped at the chance to explore more of Far North Queensland.

“I was thrilled to be invited to speak and as my family had never been to Cairns before, we turned the opportunity into a family holiday,” she said.

During the trip, Carol and her family stayed at the Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre near the Cairns Esplanade, which provides fully accessible accommodation options and services for people with a physical disability.

“I was blown away by the Healthy Living Centre,” she said.

“Arriving at our apartment, we were greeted with extra-wide automatic doors, kitchen benches and dining room tables that could be raised or lowered to suit; even the kitchen sink could be moved!

“The bedrooms were extra large and easy to move around in and included height-adjustable beds and pressure care mattresses.

“Honestly, in the 19 years since sustaining quadriplegia, I’ve never slept on such a comfortable bed - as soon as I returned home, I successfully asked my Occupational Therapist to find me the exact same mattress!”

Carol said having such a hassle-free accommodation experience helped her and her family get the most from their stay.

“Cairns is such a beautiful and accessible city and the location of the Centre right near the Esplanade couldn’t be better,” she said.

“We could have easily stayed another week with how much there is to see and do.

“We had such a fantastic experience and cannot wait to return.”

Guests to the Healthy Living Centre can also access allied health services, including physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy and more during their stay, as well as request a Personal Support Worker to assist them during their stay.

Options are available for participants of the NDIS and other funding schemes, as well as self-funded guests.

The Centre also includes an accessible gym, hydrotherapy pool and community café.

For more information on the Healthy Living Centre, visit spinalhealthyliving.com.au

THE SPECTACULAR NSW CENTRAL WEST

West of the Blue Mountains you’ll find historic towns, farming communities and gourmet delights aplenty. But where do you start exploring this 63,000 square kilometre region? We spoke to local Mel Harrison to get an insider’s perspective.

WORDS: SOPHIE CULLEN

Wheelchair Accessible

Mel Harrison of Sitting Low Reaching High knows the Central West of NSW like the back of her hand. Mostly by car, she has often visited Dubbo,

Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow and Katoomba for work over the past 10 years. “I love driving to the mountains. It is a beautiful drive and there are lots of places to stop along the way,” says

Mel. “There are so many cute little towns with hidden treasures as well as food, drinks, walks and beautiful views with accessibility!” Mel particularly loves Dubbo and Orange for the independence they afford her when she travels with her wheelchair. “I have met some amazing friends in Dubbo, Orange and various other small towns along the mountains,” she says. “I find that in regional places, people will give you the time of day more.” Mel shared with us her tips and tricks for staying and playing in the Central West. All venues mentioned have wheelchair access tried and tested by Mel herself, including accessible entries, toilets and parking.

1. WHEN TO GO

The best time of the year to go is Autumn and Spring. The weather is generally beautiful - not too hot or cold - which I know can be a consideration for people who have to regulate their body temperature.

2. HOW TO GET THERE

When I visit the region, I usually drive, although I have flown twice to Dubbo. The drive to Dubbo from Sydney takes about 5 and a half hours, so it’s great to plan the drive with places to stop along the way. Make it a full day trip or take a couple of days to do it.

3. MY FAVOURITE WALKS

It is difficult to find a bushwalk of decent length for independent pushers and also for wheelchair users needing assistance.

Govetts Leap walk in Blackheath (Blue Mountains) extends 1.8 kilometres each way in gorgeous bushland. I highly recommend this walk for its beautiful views and native plants. Tracker Riley is a 4.7-kilometre accessible walk that goes around the Macquarie River and over two bridges.

One of the highlights of Dubbo for me is the Dubbo Stampede, an event that generally happens in August every year. They have a wheelchair race that goes for 5.3-kilometres around Dubbo Zoo. It includes quite a long hill, so I suggest wheelchair users either train ahead of the event or use an assistive device like the Smart Drive to make it easier. I did this race two years ago and won! 

Left: Tourists enjoying the views across the Grose Valley at Govetts Leap Lookout, Blackheath. Above: Govetts Leap track in Blackheath - walking with friends

Top: The Hydro Majestic Hotel, Medlow Bath Middle: Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba Bottom: Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

4. WHERE TO STAY, EAT AND DRINK

The hotels that I recommend are Quest Apartments in Dubbo and Mercure in Orange. I can rate their accommodation with great accessibility, from the bathroom and bedroom, to car parking and places to eat in walking distance.

In the cute little town of Milthorpe, I recommend Tonic Restaurant, which is one of the top 10 restaurants in regional NSW.

The Hydro Majestic (Medlow Bath) is a great stop for a tea, or if you want to splash out on a high tea or pub meal with an incredible view of the Blue Mountains.

I have to say that Mr Lim in Orange is the best Korean and Chinese restaurant I have been to anywhere in Australia. Also, in Orange, OPHIR is a huge, family-oriented pub with a range of food options. It is great for larger gatherings or family groups. Charred Kitchen and Bar in Orange has a gorgeous garden, with lovely tapas food and drinks galore.

Every time I go to Dubbo I must have food from Restobar Indian Restaurant.

I can’t survive the day without a coffee. I recommend the coffee from Bills Beans in Orange.

5. WHAT TO DO

My favourite attractions are Dubbo-Western Plains Cultural Centre, Taronga Western Plains Zoo and the Cultural Centre in Katoomba.

Next time I’m in the area, I plan on visiting Mount Conobalos and Cook Park. I’d also love to camp at Taronga Western Plains.

One of the things that also really impressed me in Dubbo was the first ever rehab gym operated by a man who himself lives with a spinal injury. There’s such a sense of community there. Active - On the Move Rehabilition delivers activity-based therapy through innovative and adaptive exercise for people of all types of disability.

Mel Harrison is the founder of Sitting Low Reaching High, through which she offers motivational speaking and education in areas such as adaptive fitness and travel. She also travels Australia extensively as part of her role as a Training Manager. She plans to return to the Central West for pleasure as well as business, as soon as travel opens up a bit more.

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TRAVELLING

THE GREAT CENTRAL ROAD FROM WA TO NT

As seasoned caravanners, the Prior family of six from WA have conquered many of the Aussie outback drive routes including the formidable Great Central Road from Western Australia to the Northern Territory.

WORDS: JENNY PRIOR

perth warakurna Gwalia warburton Kalgoorlie docker river yulara

Part of the reason we travel is so that our children have the privilege of seeing our incredible country and to create memories as a family

The Priors are no strangers to tricky creek crossings and corrugations. The family of six have conquered many a caravan road trip through their home state of Western Australia and beyond. Their twin girls – Emily, who is a model, actor and disability activist, and Reese, who is an up-andcoming ParaAthlete – both have cerebral palsy. They are all well-versed in tailoring trips to suit their family’s specific needs, which includes their thirst for adventure. “Part of the reason we travel is so that our children have the privilege of seeing our incredible country and to create memories as a family,” says Jen Prior. “We don’t generally stay in the same place twice.” In 2018, the family’s wanderlust saw them tackle the Great Central Road from Western Australia to the Northern Territory. Jen Prior filled us in on the trials and triumphs of this formidable route and shares her family’s top tricks for travelling in a caravan:

We wanted to drive The Great Central Road prior to it being sealed, so planned to head off in December 2018. We travelled from Perth to Yulara and Uluru, then followed on to Coober Pedy, Melbourne, Adelaide and back home to Perth.

The highlights were many. We camped under the stars, heard dingoes around the caravan, visited the Giles Weather Station and a ghost town in Gwalia, saw sculptures by artist Antony Gormley on Lake Ballard and so much more. We saw indigenous artworks and counted the rusted old wrecked cars lining the highway, enjoying the time together as a family in an undisturbed arid wilderness.

It was amazing, the first glimpse of the large rock formations of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) across the land ahead. After seeing nothing but red dirt and desert for

days, they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Kata Tjuta was followed by the equally spectacular vision of Uluru rising from the horizon right in front of us. The experience felt both mystical and spiritual.

It was hot all the time en route to Uluru. Even at night, clouds blanketed the sky trapping in the heat. We were never so glad as when we arrived at Yulura, plugged into power and turned on our air conditioner! The heat was the only major challenge we faced, along with poor road conditions. There was one 100km section between Warakurna and Docker River that was so corrugated that we had to slow down to about 40km per hour. The car began overheating, so we had to turn off the AC and wind down the windows allowing 45-degree heat to blow straight through the car. Not one of the kids complained!

We all enjoyed being together as a family and experiencing the vastness of the Outback. We would love to one day continue along from Yulara across to Winton in Queensland.

JEN’S TOP TIPS FOR THE GREAT CENTRAL ROAD

The Route

The Great Central Road runs for more than 1100km through very remote country from Laverton (about 12 hours north-east of Perth) to Yulara, just outside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The route is the western end of ‘The Outback Highway’ or ‘Australia’s Longest Short Cut’, which links Laverton to Winton, Queensland.

When to go

We left in mid-December, which was not ideal timing. Roads had been shut due to rain and only opened in the days before we left. The heat reached 45-degrees most days. From Laverton to Uluru, we saw only three other vehicles on the road.

The best time to travel to Central Australia is from July to October.

What to pack

We chose comfortable clothing that was easy to wash and wear. We brought ‘old’ clothes for the red dirt days and warm gear for the cool nights. Emily’s wheelchair was packed in the caravan along with board games, books, DVD’s, downloaded audiobooks, favourite toys and a journal each.

We packed extra fuel, water, vehicle spares and tools, as vehicle services are extremely limited. We spent the months before leaving preparing our 4WD and off-road caravan for the journey. 

Top: Antony Gormley Sculptures at Lake Ballard Middle: Travelling to Karlu Karlu Bottom: Gwalia Ghost Town - miners huts

Camping under the stars

Image: ©Tourism Western Australia

Permits

We needed a permit for both the WA and NT sections of The Great Central Road, as it passes through Aboriginal Lands. These were free and available online or in Laverton. From memory, the permits give you three days to travel from Yulara to Docker River and three days from the WA border to Laverton.

Accommodation

When booking accommodation, the only thing we consider is their accessible facilities. As Emily is an ambulant wheelchair user, we don’t always need to use wheelchair accessible bathrooms, so we are less restricted in terms of our accommodation choices.

Mostly, we free camped in our caravan using an App called Wiki-Camps, which was a life-saver. It is Australia's largest user-generated database of campgrounds, caravan parks, hostels, points of interest, dump stations, visitor information centres, water taps, toilets and so on. You can download all content and maps before you travel, allowing access in areas with no service.

Food

For the first part of the journey quick and easy meals were planned for as we stopped overnight only. We had our butcher cryo-vac all of our meat into serving portions for us to freeze. The cupboards were stocked with fresh produce and pantry items.

Each night I packed a lunch box for the next day of travel. We have found that avoiding ‘roadhouse’ food and keeping the same diet as at home makes us better travellers and reduces costs. There are very few roadhouses along The Great Central Road to begin with, and having a child with Coeliac Disease means we can never rely on gluten free food being available. We made sure to arrive at roadhouses between 9am and midday (their trading hours) as we didn’t want to be stuck waiting for fuel until the following morning.

Medical safety

In the middle of the Great Victoria Desert, the only medical services available are those of The Royal Flying Doctor Service. We always pack a comprehensive, advanced Medical First Aid Kit, trying to cover any medical emergency we can think of (within reason).

There is no mobile service on the Great Central Road except in Warburton and Warakurna. We took both a Personal Locator Beacon (GPS Spot Tracker) and a Satellite phone in case of emergency. I wouldn’t travel without either of these.

Uluru at Sunrise

Image: Tourism NT/Kyle Hunter The highlights were many. We camped under the stars, heard dingoes around the caravan, visited the Giles Weather Station and a ghost town in Gwalia, saw sculptures by artist Antony Gormley on Lake Ballard and so much more

OUR ITINERARY

DAY 1

Perth – Kalgoorlie

DAY 2

Kalgoorlie, Menzies, Gwalia, leonora, Laverton – Minnie Creek Road Rest Area (between Cosmo Newbery and Tjukayirla Roadhouse)

DAY 3

Minnie Creek Road Rest Area, Tjukayirla Roadhouse, Warburton, Warakurna - Giles River Rest Area

DAY 4

Giles River Rest Area, Docker River - Yulara