Kuranda Scenic Railway and wheelchair accessibility.

On a recent trip to Cairns, we caught the train to Kuranda.  Although there is a bus that collects travellers from various motels, this was not wheelchair accessible.  However, Kuranda Rail ordered a wheelchair accessible taxi (included in our train ticket) and it arrived on time and drove us to Freshwater Station.  We boarded the train there and found that there is a carriage reserved for customers that need assistance. As you can see in the picture, a platform is winched from the station to the carriage.  There are seats available in this carriage, and Sully transferred to one and the wheelchair was strapped down by a staff member.  In the carriage, there was a wheelchair accessible toilet, which was well appointed and easy to access.  The train ride was terrific and certainly worth the effort.  At the Rail Station, there is lift access to the road going up to Kuranda.  The road was quite steep, but Sully managed it.  We had lunch at a lovely restaurant (really we were spoiled for choice) and most of the shops were accessible.  However the steepness may stop some people, but if you could just make the train journey, there was a lovely café at the station, and this would be a lovely place to have a break before the journey back.  There was also well appointed accessible toilets at the station. www.ksr.com.au

The Corner Store, Toowong

Recently had breakfast a couple of times at The Corner Store, Toowong.  http://www.cornerstorecafe.com/  The first time we went there, we managed to book even though we only had four and the minimum for a booking is five.  My niece said that we had a wheelchair and they let us book, as some of there areas are not accessible.  However we got there, and someone else in a wheelchair had been given our spot (guess all people in wheelchairs are treated equally).  Anyway they managed to fit us in. 
Then we went there again recently with a group of six, so booking was not a problem.  There is no wheelchair parking but we have parked both times in Quinn Street, which is fairly quite and my husband has managed to get out of the car without too many problems.  There menu is great and the coffee is fantastic.  All in all, well worth the visit.

Ahmets Restaurant at South Bank

We went to this restaurant prior to going to a show at QPAC.  We sat outside, but after I went for a bit of a looksee, it would have been easy to also access the inside of the restaurant.  There are also toilets beside the restaurant, and they have a disabled loo.  The food was great, a much better price than our last outing at Southbank - 4 scallops for $24.....

Have Wheelchair Can Travel: Ahmet's Restaurant at South Bank: We needed a meal at Southbank prior to a show at QPAC and, after the fiasco of the last one, we wanted a decent amount of food on our plates...

Suncorp Stadium and the wheelchair

Just finished another season going to Reds games at Suncorp.  The stadium has wheelchair access down to a fine art.  You need to ring the Stadium and advise when you will be there. As we were there with Season passes, we only had to ring once and they noted us down for all the games.  They take your name, registration number and disabled sticker number.  Turn down the street beside the stadium and you drive to the first checkpoint.  They then direct you to the next checkpoint, where you are allotted a parking space.  These spaces are close to the lifts and access to the stadium.  Wheelchair seating is well set up, we sat behind the goal posts at the Milton Road end.  Disabled toilets are just behind this so they are easy to access.  All in all, a great experience. 

Grill'd at Rosalie

Went to Grill'd at Rosalie for Tait's birthday.  Made a booking, checked for Wheelchair Access and headed there for 5pm on Saturday.  The wheelchair parking is at the bottom of the ramp.  The restaurant was very accessible, and there is a disabled toilet that is fairly easy to access.  The burger I had (Moroccan Lamb) with chips was tasty and well priced ($14.95).  A great night out...

Dugandan Pub at Boonah

We decided to go to the Dugandan Pub www.dugandanhotel.com.au at Boonah on Easter Monday.  There had been a supplement in the QT and this place was advertised as having wheelchair access.  I booked for 6 (although 2 of our friends could not make it), but after asking about wheelchair toilets, found that they didn't have them.  My husband has found a website that is all about public toilets, Australia wide, and found some at the Information Centre at Boonah.  So we drove down there, and used those loos on the way to the Pub (they were clean and workable).  The Pub is a lovely old Pub, although they clearly did not expect the amount of custom that they got that day.  The meals were slow (and 2 of our meals were taken by someone else - so Judy and I had to wait for a looooooong time for their replacements - while the thief quite happily enjoyed our reef and beef, which were they last available for the day).  Apart from that problem (not a problem of pub staff), it was a lovely day for a drive in the country and a pleasant meal at a Pub with a lot of history.  We accessed the Public loos on the way home and, although it can be a pain to stop more than once, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!!