Australia
It all begins with an itch, something you need to scratch.
When Deb was a teenager she nearly had a chance to visit Australia, for one reason or another it never happened but it also it never really left her. Strange really as Deb’s is very much the home bird whilst I have the wanderlust.
But it never left and here we are one month away from one of the biggest adventures of our lives, four weeks no less down under. Are we excited, you bet, nervous yes that too so let’s start with the itinerary.
The flight
We are flying with Qatar airlines, first into Doha the flight being 6 hours, a three hour layover followed by a 13 hour flight into Melbourne.
Now the prospect of almost a day in the air is not appealing although it is slightly tempered by the fact Qatar airways has the reputation of being one of the best in the world. To be honest the fact it’s not Ryanair or Easy jet does appeal somewhat (don’t worry guys we will be flying with you later in the year I promise). In flight entertainment, meal service and perhaps the most important part of all, the extra legroom, will all be welcome. However I try to spin it though it will still be a long old flight.
Melbourne
First up is Melbourne, a taxi will hopefully whisk us off to the first port of call, the Hilton Intercontinental, we have saved up a bit to get some decent hotels this trip. We will also be linking up with my old travel buddy Neil Elliott for the Melbourne leg of the tour. Melbourne is a trendy, vibrant city known for its laneways and coffee culture and will be a great place to experience our first taste of Oz. A few days in the central business district and a chance to experience Aussie Rules Football will make way for a trip into the Suburbs with a night stay in Rosewood.
Tasmania
We travel from the suburbs of Melbourne where we will pick up the “Spirit of Tasmania” ferry for an overnight trip to Tasmania, this in itself should be an adventure as it has a reputation for being a somewhat boisterous crossing. Once in Tas we pick up a hire car and make our way to Strachan and a day cruise the next day along the Gordon River. A rest day follows before we drive to the state capital of Holborn where after a nights sleep we get an early flight to Sydney.
Sydney
So from the stark beauty of Tasmania to one of the world’s most iconic cities and another Intercontinental hotel this time overlooking the Opera house. It’s here we link up once more with Mr Elliott as we enjoy a few days exploring this city.
Uluru
The rock formally known as Ayers is the next stop on the itinerary, this will be a real test for Deb’s new wheels as we explore this fascinating wonder. Three nights in the desert hotel in what Debs thinks will be the highlight of the tour, I think she might be right.
Cairns
A morning flight from Uluru takes us to Cairns and after a rest day we will be exploring the rainforest followed by the barrier reef. Two full on fun packed days involving trains, cable cars, boats and a semi submersible.
Brisbane
The final leg of the journey is a couple of nights in Brisbane just chilling out and drinking coffee before our flights back to Manchester and the real world.
In the next blog I will explain how travelling as a disabled person makes everything harder and more complicated. I will look into the special kit we have invested in for this trip and all the extra planning and considerations we have had to make.
