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Posted 22/03/2024 in Experiences

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Australia Road Trip in a Wheelchair Accessible Van

Australia Road Trip in a Wheelchair Accessible Van

Australia Road Trip by

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

17th January - 14th February 2024

By Avril Jackson

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Introduction

How we planned this trip and the obstacles we had to overcome.

The Plan: This was probably going to be the last time we traveled the 25 hours+ to Australia from the UK. Our daughter Vicki, has a profound disability with many medical needs. We would not put her through such a long journey without ensuring her maximum comfort and this would not be in economy class. The fares in business class were astronomical, until we saw an offer on the South Korean Airline - Asiana. At the time of booking, Asiana only flew a route to Sydney, so that would be our starting point. We sought to cover the 'Great Ocean Road' with time to see friends in Adelaide and other sights en route. So we needed a connecting flight onto Melbourne as we had visited Sydney before.

The Flight: In cases where a passenger has a high level of medical needs it is always prudent to inform the airline well in advance, and if necessary complete their 'MEDIF' form. As our daughter has no need , for example, of in-flight oxygen, we did not need to complete the MEDIF. However, as she is classified as a 'carry-on' we ensure that her hoisting sling is between her and her wheelchair so that ground handlers can use the sling loops to lift her if required, rather than having to make more personal contact. The 'Eagle Lifter' was used at London (Heathrow) Airport. These are available at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport but sadly these are either in need of repair, or there are no staff trained how to operate the equipment.

The Vehicle: Wheelchair accessible vehicles for rental in Australia tend to be the MPV type, such as a Kia Carnival which can be difficult if you are travelling to multiple destinations as the luggage sits in the back, behind the wheelchair passenger. We chose a Toyota Hiace Welcab where there is more space and the luggage is placed between the driver and the wheelchair passenger. Our quest to rent a vehicle in Melbourne was not possible as it was high season. So, no flight to Melbourne, we had to drive it from Sydney, which meant re-arranging our itinerary . The bad news about this was that we had to cut down the number of nights in Victoria and South Australia. The good news was that we were able to see the beautiful New South Wales Coast.

Accommodation: It is so easy to book all your accommodation through one of the online giants like booking.com or hotels.com . But beware - you are restricted to properties that have a commercial agreement with them, and they can and do apply some hefty fees if you need to change your booking (if you booked at the lowest price) . We made that mistake; in future we would book direct with the supplier. Despite approaches to specialist tour operators in the UK, who have a fabulous offering of accommodation and tour options, none could help us. It seems that these operators have a long way to go in satisfying the needs of the mobility challenged traveller.

Summary : On reflection, the itinerary was ambitious in the number of places visited, with some days spending 4-5 hours driving. This meant that a lot of accommodation stays were one or two nights only (partly due to the fact we could not rent a vehicle in Melbourne - see above) However, ignoring that, it was a great way to see this part of Australia. The option to take the Seoul stopover for five nights on the return journey was too long - the climate is cold in February, and three nights would have been sufficient.

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