By Cory Lee

For as long as I can remember, Sydney, Australia, has been my No. 1 dream destination. I have longed to see the cute little koalas, view the majestic sails of the Sydney Opera House, and even hear the distinct Aussie accents that sound like music to the ears. After 24 seemingly long years of dreaming about it, and months upon months of saving money — it turns out Australia is quite expensive — I finally caught that 15-hour flight from the United States and headed to the land down under.

How to Get Around

Before going, I read online that Sydney is very modern and wheelchair accessible. I hoped this would be true, but was a little leery about it, as I always am when traveling to new countries as a wheelchair user. However, as soon as I exited the airport, I quickly found out that those online rumors were in fact true. I have been to many cities around the world, but I have never found an accessible taxi as fast as I did upon my arrival in Sydney.

There was a wheelchair accessible taxi already parked in the regular taxi line at the airport — and better yet, this is a normal everyday custom. They always have at least one wheelchair accessible taxi waiting just in case someone needs it. Usually, I have to ask someone to call for an accessible taxi and then wait a little while for it to come. I have waited over three hours before in the United States for a taxi that never even showed up, but not this time. Sydney was on top of it!

These wheelchair accessible taxis are known as WATS and were always available whenever I needed one. If you are at your hotel and have a sudden urge to trek across town for some food, or if you just want to go kangaroo searching outside the city, just give them a call and you can expect a WAT to pick you up within about 15-30 minutes. Be aware, though, that they are not cheap. Nothing in Australia is. A ride from the airport to downtown Sydney will run about $70. Even though it was quite costly, I was willing to pay the price for the convenience of being able to get around exactly when I wanted to like any other traveler.

Aside from the many WATS throughout Sydney, another accessible — and much cheaper — way to get around is by ferry. There are 28 ferries in Sydney and they can take you all around the city, anywhere from Darling Harbour to Taronga Zoo. What’s great about the ferries is their ease and convenience to a wheelchair traveler. Wheelchair users board via a foldout ramp before other guests, so this will give you plenty of time to secure the perfect viewing spot.

The most beautiful ferry ride that I took was from Circular Quay to Manly Beach. The ride lasts about 30 minutes, and the views along the way are truly spectacular. I was in awe the entire time. Be sure to sit at the back of the ferry so that you can see the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the towering Sydney skyline all from the best vantage point. At the end of the journey, gorgeous Manly Beach will be waiting for you to explore. Manly Beach does have beach wheelchairs available as well. Just go to the Manly Surf Pavilion and let them know that you would like to use one. Calling and reserving it in advance might be a good idea as well. Their number is (02) 9976 1497.

What to Do

There are a variety of attractions for anyone in Sydney. I could honestly write about 10 pages on all of the attractions that I loved, but instead I will just tell you about what I consider to be the three must-dos.

Taronga Zoo

When I think of Australia, I immediately think of koalas and kangaroos jumping around. At Taronga Zoo you can see these two Aussie icons and a whole lot more, including snakes, elephants, gorillas, and even giraffes. The zoo is wheelchair accessible, but sits on a pretty steep hill. I started at the top and worked my way down so that I would not have to climb the monstrous hill, and I was able to conserve battery power by doing this. In a power wheelchair like mine, the hill was not a hindrance, but it would probably be a bit tricky to conquer with a manual chair. If you use a manual chair, just take a companion with you and it shouldn’t be a big problem. If you are traveling alone, however, then the Wild Life Sydney Zoo might be a good alternative for you. Wild Life is located indoors and is completely level, but doesn’t have quite as many animals as Taronga Zoo.

Aside from just looking at all the different animals at Taronga Zoo, you can also take part in several animal encounters — with koalas, giraffes, or a snake — where you will get up close and personal with the creatures. These are a separate cost from the admission fee and average about $20 per encounter. I took part in the koala encounter and it was worth every penny. Since holding or touching koalas is illegal in the state of New South Wales, you cannot cuddle a koala in Sydney. However, with this encounter you can get extremely close to them and take some epic pictures.

The koala that I met during my encounter was very active and was apparently hungry also, as she kept eating eucalyptus leaves the whole time that I was with her. As an added convenience, a trainer is also there to answer any questions you may have about the koalas. I even learned that koalas sleep up to 20 hours per day since the eucalyptus leaves they eat contain very little nutrition. Apparently I was lucky to meet a koala that was actually awake.

Sydney Tower Eye and SKYWALK

How does rolling out onto an open-air glass ledge more than 880 feet above ground sound to you? If it sounds like fun, then the Sydney Tower SKYWALK is for you. It is hard to miss the Sydney Tower, as it can be easily seen from almost everywhere in the city. Coincidentally, you can see almost everywhere in the city from the top of the structure as well.

You can choose to stay indoors and view Sydney through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but one of my favorite experiences during my time in Sydney was the SKYWALK. Participants are given a jumpsuit to wear. Wheelchair users only wear the top shirt part, which goes on easily without you having to stand up. The jumpsuit connects by a “lifeline” to the railing outside to ensure the utmost safety. As you roll around and feel the wind upon your face, you get to learn about Sydney from the guide and take in the views. Harbour Bridge, the surrounding buildings, and the water down below from the SKYWALK are truly breathtaking. If you have a fear of heights, this may not be the ideal attraction for you, but if you are willing to brush aside the fear for a little while, then I promise it will be worth it.

Darling Harbour

This area of Sydney sits right by the water and has more attractions, restaurants, and shops than you can possibly imagine. It is fun to just roll from one end of the harbour to the other. Throughout the year there are many different events as well. However, if you want to visit some attractions, then this is the place to do it.  Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, and the Wild Life Sydney Zoo are just a few of the great attractions that shouldn’t be missed at Darling Harbour. To save some money, you can purchase a combo ticket and visit all three attractions for a reduced price.

After seeing all of the animals and interacting with the life-like wax celebrities, you may be quite hungry. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. There are American-themed restaurants such as the world famous Hard Rock Café, or if you are feeling a bit more adventurous and want a quintessential Australian experience, you can try some kangaroo (yes, I’m serious) at I’m Angus Steakhouse. I opted for the kangaroo loin and it was an interesting dining experience. The kangaroo was presented beautifully, but was tough to chew up, both because of the texture and because I kept thinking about the fact that I was eating one of those sweet little kangaroos. I probably would not order it again, but when in Sydney …

Sydney quickly became my favorite destination ever and should be at the top of any wheelchair user’s bucket list. From transportation to the many attractions, Sydney is far ahead in the game of accessibility. A lot of people say that going to Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but after visiting the land down under, I am planning and dreaming of my inevitable return.

Resources for your trip to Sydney

Getting Around:

• Accessible Taxis: www.zero200.com.au

Attractions:

• SKYWALK: www.sydneytowereye.com.au/explore/skywalk/
• Taronga Zoo: taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo

Where to Eat:

• Hugo’s Pizza:  hugos.com.au

For more articles about Sydney, visit Cory Lee’s blog at curbfreewithcorylee.com

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How to Get There, When to Go

Actually getting to Australia can be the most daunting task of your trip, but it will be completely worth the monstrously long flight once you are there. Only three U.S. cities fly directly to Sydney: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Honolulu. I flew out of Atlanta so I had to do a layover in Los Angeles. Layovers usually aren’t very fun as a wheelchair user because it means more transferring in and out of plane seats, but since the flight from Los Angeles to Sydney is nearly 15 hours long, having a few hours on ground beforehand can be nice.

Once you are in the air, hopefully you can go to sleep for most of the flight, but if you are anything like me, you’ll probably be awake the entire 15 hours. To make the flight more enjoyable, I took my own seat cushion from my wheelchair and sat on that. Plane seats are rather uncomfortable and I definitely did not want to sit on the hard seat that long. By taking my own cushion it felt just like I was in my wheelchair the whole time. Much better.

Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the complete opposite of the United States. I would suggest traveling to Sydney between the months of November and February. That is the Australian summer so prices can be a little higher, but the amazing weather is worth the extra cost in my opinion. For a slightly cheaper rate, try going between February-March. That is the end of summer, so prices should start to decline.

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