YMCA Escapes - Australia 2016

6 1 0 2 a i l a Austr We’re different. We’re social.

Contents Benefits of travel

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Choose the way you travel

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Inclusive travel

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Where we have been and where we are going 10 YMCA Escapes Mission

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2016 YMCA Escapes tours

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Our tour style

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We’re different. We’re social.

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Our staff and volunteers

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Tour inclusions

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Booking your tour

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Information on inclusive options

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Terms & Conditions

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Contact Us At YMCA Escapes we just love talking about travelling and welcome all questions!

(03) 8397 3111 www.victoria.ymca.org.au/escapes ymcaescapes@ymca.org.au /YmcaEscapes /ymcaescapes

Become happier, healthier and more socially connected with YMCA Escapes!

Travelling allows us to expand our minds and discover the world from exciting new perspectives! It also provides many wonderful health benefits for our mind and body.

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Travelling offers us the opportunity to leave our comfort zones and try new things such as food, adventurous activities and hobbies. It can inspire us to take up new hobbies such as art, music or sport.

Travelling is great for the soul and your health. Most travelling includes an element of sightseeing, walking, hiking or sports. This means that you will be getting fit and healthy while exploring amazing places!

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Travelling is incredibly social. Travelling with a group allows you to meet new people and it brings everyone closer together by sharing new experiences and deepening our social connections with others.

You will learn to embrace differences! There are often language or social differences when travelling in groups in exotic places. We can all learn to embrace peoples differences to create a more inclusive world!

5 YOLO—You only live once! So why not explore this amazing world with a group of people who believe in individuality, diversity and building friendships for life?

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Choose the way you want to travel!

Use our Tour Guide!

Our YMCA Escapes tour guide supports group dynamics, new social encounters and assists the whole group with the smooth running of the tour.

Our tour guide organises everything from dinners, to venue entries, to transport and check-ins.

Use our Support Guides we can arrange individual support to small group shared support.

Our support guides assist our travellers with daily living, language, adventure activities and social support. The level of support required is based on information you give us either over the phone or in applications.

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YMCA Escapes understands that everyone requires different support on tour so we have created flexible options so everyone can get the most out of their holiday.

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Bring your own support.

Bring your own group

If you would feel more comfortable bringing a member of your family, friend or another person to support you on your holiday, that is OK with us. If you do not require any support from our support guides, please use our tour guide costs as a guide for both of you.

We can tailor a YMCA Escape just for your group.

You could be a family, community or sporting group looking for a special experience. We can work with your requirements, budgets and objectives to deliver a great travel option.

Some of the groups we have supported include: Carers Victoria, Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome Victoria, Merri Community Health, Headstogether for ABI, Department of Health & Human Services.

Just to name a few!

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Support inclusive travel and join YMCA Escapes for an adventure of a lifetime.

At YMCA Escapes we believe people should never be excluded based on their physical or intellectual abilities, social or cultural differences.

Did you know that many organisations and tour group providers do not have accessible or inclusive options for travellers with social, physical or other support requirements?

This creates a cycle where many people in our community are excluded from accessing travel opportunities. It also means a whole section of our community do not have the opportunity to socialise with a diverse range of people while travelling. Placing people who need support in separate groups or places continues a cycle of social isolation.

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YMCA Escapes advocates for inclusive and socially responsible travel which is all about the approach we take and the choices we make when travelling by: Offering tours that value all people and provide opportunities that deepen their individuality and uniqueness.

Respecting the environment, including its flora and fauna.

Supporting tourism operators that embrace diversity and provide inclusive and accessible tour options.

Supporting local business and smaller accommodation providers where possible.

Supporting tourism industry operators and tour companies that provide the same opportunities and rights to everyone.

Offering real life experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding.

Empowering travellers and providing opportunities to learn, be more independent and to exercise choice.

Avoid the exploitation of vulnerable people and animals.

Supporting tourist attractions that provide good access to buildings and can adapt tours to various learning styles.

Responsive, flexible and creative support within the travel industry to ensure that everyone can participate.

Respecting local communities and their cultural and religious beliefs.

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Where we have been and where we are going 2015-2017!

YMCA Western Australia (Perth and Margaret River) YMCA Escapes SA (Adelaide)

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YMCA Escapes NT (Uluru and Alice Springs)

YMCA QLD (Cairns, Daintree, Gold Coast, Whitsundays)

YMCA Escapes NSW (Canberra, Sydney and Byron Bay) YMCA Escapes Tasmania (Cradle Mountain, Hobart and Launceston)

Now you have explored Australia with us, we want to show you the world.

Stay tuned for YMCA Escapes international tours in 2017.

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YMCA Escapes Mission YMCA Escapes is deeply committed to offering everyone the same opportunities and aims to lead the way in inclusive travel and recreation where everyone is welcome and no person is excluded.

We have created a program that fosters friendships from all sectors of the community and offer experiences that do not segregate people based on their abilities, language spoken or social or cultural differences.

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A more inclusive world YMCA Escapes advocates within the travel industry; to raise awareness so that in the long term all providers start to consider the broader needs of all people in the community including those with a range of disabilities or other support needs.

YMCA Escapes is flexible, enabling everyone to travel in a safe and supportive environment.

We take great care insuring all our group planned activities are fun, accessible and inclusive so everyone has the opportunity to participate in their own way. Our groups also have the choice to try new things that interest them with each tour having free choice time built in.

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Our tours

APRIL

MAY

Byron Bay

The Great Sydney Escape

6 days and 5 nights

6 days and 5 nights

Wednesday 20th April—Sunday 25th April

Tuesday 31st May—Sunday 5th June

The phrase “Live well and love life” could best describe Byron Bay – a place where people flee the city life for a more spiritual and healthy way of life. On this tour we have tried to capture this and let you experience life like the locals. Bongo lessons at sunset, a yoga lessons with a local, creative art lesson up in the hills, music, markets, beaches and loads of nature and relaxation. If you want to chill out and experience life from a different perspective then this is your tour. Book NOW this is sure to be a popular one!

Experience all the buzz and excitement of Sydney, Australia’s famous harbor city! With a wonderful food scene and a striking blend of old and modern architecture, there is something for everyone in this city. This tour will see you exploring from Manly to Bondi and everywhere in between. Your days will be filled with shopping, eating out, catching ferries, creating art and enjoying the wonderful sights such as the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. You don’t want to miss this tour if you love the city life!

Guided Tour Cost: $1770: Tour Cost with Support Guide (from 1:4): $2760 For individual or other support please enquire.

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Guided Tour Cost: $1740 Tour Cost with Support Guide (from 1:4): $2740 For individual or other support please enquire.

JULY

SEPTEMBER

The Great Cairns and Tropical North Escape 6 days and 5 nights

The Great WA Escape: Perth, Fremantle and Margaret River Escape

Tuesday 19th July—Sunday 24th July, 2016

7 days and 6 nights

Love long warm days full of sunshine, palm trees and white sandy beaches? Have you always dreamed of visiting a World Heritage listed rainforest? This tour will see you hopping on the famous Kuranda train, waking up in the Daintree rainforest, visiting the stunning Cape Tribulation, swimming in some of the clearest blue water you have ever seen and learning about animals and conserving this precious part of the world. If you love a relaxed paced holiday with a huge dash of untouched beauty then this is for you! Book now and secure your place in the sun.

Wednesday 7th September— Monday 12th September, 2016.

Tour Cost with Support Guide (from 1:4): $3190

Western Australia covers an area of more than 2.5 million square kilometres – that’s about the size of Western Europe and one-third of Australia’s total landmass. Whoah! This tour is sure to impress even the most seasoned traveller with a road trip to remember! Taking in all the best bits of the southern region from Cottesloe right down to Albany, we will visit cheese and chocolate factories, wineries, beaches, have a fishing lesson, a dolphin encounter, drive through a Karri forest and get creative with workshops at Fremantle Art Gallery. A tour for the explorer in all of us, definitely not to be missed!

For individual or other support please enquire.

Guided Tour Cost: $2300

Optional tour: Fully accessible reef tour with

snorkelling and buffet lunch.

Tour Cost with Support Guide (from 1:4): $3600

Guided Tour Cost: $1995

For individual or other support please enquire.

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Our tours

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

The Great Tasmanian Escape—Cradle Mountain and Launceston

The Great Gold Coast Escape

6 days and 5 nights Monday 7th November— Saturday 12th November, 2016 Tasmania is famous for its nature, food, arts and rich heritage. We are going to explore a little of all these things that make it unforgettable! From Freycinet to Cradle Mountain, we will see some breathtakingly beautiful scenery. We will taste wonderful produce in the Tamar Valley, explore the famous Cataract Gorge and explore Launceston for shopping and scrumptious dinners. Tasmania is sure to delight every one of your senses! Don’t miss your chance, register your interest now.

Prices and Flyer out soon.

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6 days and 5 nights Monday 5th December— Saturday 10th December, 2016 Life by the beach has never been so much fun! One of our most popular tours with highlights including a full day rainforest eco-tour, fabulous food, theme parks, resort activities, markets, sunsets and 57km of those famous QLD beaches. Sign up for some fun in the sun!

Prices and flyer out soon.

Our tour style

Accommodation

Our tour style

We are an inclusive and accessible group tour provider and support accommodation providers that have at least some accessible accommodation.

We are working with the tourism industry to improve its accessibility for groups so we are able to offer a wider and more consistent selection of accommodation. At the moment accommodation styles depend on the destinations we stay in. We utilise everything from resort style to holiday villas, holiday houses, sports and recreation facilities.

We want our travellers to experience everything that makes travelling great. Where possible we try and organise workshops and tours that will ensure every traveller can learn and grow from being exposed to new experiences in incredible parts of the world. We understand that everyone processes information and communicates differently. We want everyone to have the best chance of enjoying a well-rounded travel experience by providing tours that offer visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic experiences.

Sharing rooms

That means we add things like cooking, art, music, yoga, fishing lessons as well as private tours, historical workshops, hang gliding and adventure activities. We also take the time to simply take in the ambiance of our natural wonders and enjoy sunsets with friends by your side.

We encourage everyone to be as independent as possible while ensuring the safety of our travellers.

Our guides and support guides do not share rooms with any travellers. Those needing additional support staff are always close by in the room next door or when we are in villa’s we stay in the next bedroom.

Any of our travellers can request a single room (additional charges apply).

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We’re different.

We’re social.

We value inclusion and acknowledging everybody as special, unique and awesome, and this extends beyond just being a “Tour Guide”. Our tours guarantee fun, social opportunities and so much personal growth that it’s ridiculous! We choose to focus on people’s strengths and celebrate them.

Unlike traditional tours we believe your experience with us does not end when you get off the plane.

Our social club

Our tours

Our social networks

Our experiences are made richer by the people we share them with. Our lives are made fantastic when those people are contagiously happy. YMCA Escapes aim to build solid connections through our love of travel.

Other ways you can keep in touch include Instagram and after you have joined one of our tours you can join one of our private Facebook groups to share travel stories, photos and of course memories of your YMCA Escape with our community.

We want to extend our program culture of connectedness through YMCA social nights so that when our travellers aren’t on a YMCA Escapes, they can still stay in touch with people and constantly experience that sense of belonging. This means we catch up from time to time to enjoy a meal or afternoon out!

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Our staff and volunteers We use trained and qualified tour guides and volunteers which gives YMCA Escapes that magical formula of expertise and people who are passionate about social equality and committed to ensure everyone has the same opportunities to see this amazing world.

All YMCA Escapes staff members and volunteers are required to have a Working With Children Check, Police Check, Senior 1st Aid, Manual handling training and have undergone YMCA support training and Safeguarding Young Person’s training. We run regular training nights and weekends to ensure our staff and volunteers have all the essential skills needed to facilitate a wonderful experience.

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Lauren Bath

Our tour inclusions Accommodation We are an inclusive and accessible group tour provider and support accommodation providers that have at least some accessible accommodation. We are working with the tourism industry to improve its accessibility for groups so we are able to offer a wider and more consistent selection of accommodation. At the moment accommodation styles depend on the destinations we stay in. We utilise everything from resort style to holiday villas, holiday houses, sports and recreation facilities.

Sharing rooms We encourage everyone to be as independent as possible while ensuring the safety of our travellers. Our guides and support guides do not share rooms with any travellers. Those needing additional support staff are always close by in the room next door or when we are in villa’s we stay in the next bedroom.

Any of our travellers can request a single room (additional charges apply).

Our tour style We want our travellers to experience everything that makes travelling great. Where possible we try and organise workshops and tours that will ensure every traveller can learn and grow from being exposed to new experiences in incredible parts of the world. We understand that everyone processes information and communicates differently. We want everyone to have the best chance of enjoying a well-rounded travel experience by providing tours that offer visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic

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experiences.

That means we add things like cooking, art, music, yoga, fishing lessons as well as private tours, historical workshops, hang gliding and adventure activities. We also take the time to simply take in the ambiance of our natural wonders and enjoy sunsets with friends by your side.

Every tour is a little bit different so it’s best to refer to the individual flyers for more information. We package up each tour to include all the activities, meals,

Booking your YMCA Escape Awesome! You have decided to join us for the adventure of a lifetime!

Here’s the next steps:

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You can either call, email, Facebook message or fill in our interest form on our website to get started. Make sure you let us know which tour you are interested in or feel free to ask for some advice based on your interests.

If you have definitely decided you would like to proceed, then please go to our website and download an application and booking form. If you would prefer us to send this to you by email or post, just let us know!

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To secure your place on our tours you must pay a $600 deposit for domestic tours.

5 Please note final payment must be made approximately 5 weeks prior to departure.

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The deposit must be received within 14 days of making the booking or immediately if departure is within 60 days.

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Need some more information? Easy! Just call (03) 8397 3111 or email YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au or make a time to visit us in our Carlton office!

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Information on inclusive options

Easy english flyers Need an Easy English/Screen reader friendly version of one our flyers?

Give us a call on (03) 8397 3111 or email us at YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au or we can pop one in the post for you!

Prefer speaking to someone face-to-face?

Easy! Just call (03) 8397 3111 or email YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au and make a time to visit us in our Carlton office.

We can also organise a skype session or meet you outside the office if you live in the Melbourne Metro area.

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Pre-Tour meeting with our supportive tour staff We can also arrange for one of our YMCA Escapes support staff assigned to your tour to come meet you prior to your departure. This is so you feel organised, can easily spot a friendly face at the airport and feel super comfortable about your upcoming tour.

Terms and Conditions

YMCA Escapes reserves the right to withdraw holiday participation from anyone whose behaviour is likely to affect the smooth operation of the program and negatively affect the enjoyment or the safety of other participants. If a participant needs to be sent home early, the participant or guardian will bear the full cost of the participant’s return, including staff costs, transport and all other support costs. A YMCA Escapes participant is liable for any damage to property or persons. If a participant requires checking or intervention overnight then they will require an Active Night staff person. This will necessitate an additional staff member and will be at an additional cost. YMCA Escapes reserves the right to cancel a tour if minimum participant numbers are not met. All deposits or money paid will be fully refunded in the event we have to cancel.

We do our very best to accommodate the needs of all our travellers but occasionally upon booking the chosen accommodation may not have enough fully accessible rooms available anymore. We will explore all options to try and offer alternative plans for you. If you are not satisfied with these arrangements and any additional costs that may occur we will refund your money in full.

Cancellation Policy In the event you have to cancel your tour please note the following conditions.

We recommend you take out travel insurance at the time of booking but this is not compulsory for domestic bookings if you hold a Medicare card.

All cancellations must be made in writing; • 45 days or more prior to travel – Loss of deposit • 30-45 days prior to travel – 50% of total cost • 0-30 days prior to travel – 100% of total cost

Thank you We have a dynamic approach to partnerships, and we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to work with organisations who care about the health and happiness of the people we support.

We have so many people we would like to thank for their advice, resources and generosity supporting our program.

A special thank you to Lauren Bath for allowing us open use of her travel imagery and her constant commitment to YMCA Escapes and a more inclusive world.

For a full listing please visit: victoria.ymca.org.au/escapes/partners

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Choose your own adventure!

YMCA Escapes: www.victoria.ymca.org.au/escapes