Bimbadeen, Merimbula, Sapphire Coast
Wheelie Long Points:
In Merimbula on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, 'Bimbadeen' is an Australian Aboriginal word that means beautiful views and for the first time ever, I was not forced to choose between a nice view and accessible accommodation for a few days away. Bimbadeen is a two-bedroom, self-contained apartment complete with kitchen, living room, laundry (with extra toilet and basin) and bathroom, all of which are fully wheelchair-accessible. Unlike many so-called wheelchair-friendly accommodations, there are no slap-dash additions and modifications here; the apartment was designed by Australia's leading disability access architect, Harry Sprintz, and built with unerring attention to detail. From the durable and easy-to-clean bamboo flooring to the textured paint and strong walls that can cope with additional bumps from wheelchairs, everything was chosen with great care. On arrival, we were greeted by the owner, Alex Cochran, who lives above the apartment with his wife Desiree. Alex showed us around and provided us with all manner of local knowledge so that we could make the most of our visit to Merimbula. The first order of the day for my family on arrival is always to choose our beds for the night. The first bedroom has two single beds, one of which is a hospital-type bed with a hoist. My husband and son decided to claim that as the boys' room leaving me with the luxurious solitude of the queen bed and a lovely view of the garden and lake to wake up to. Bimbadeen is in a quiet, suburban street which means it is very peaceful but on the flip side, you will need a vehicle to drive the short distance down the hill into town. Unless you are a wheelie with some serious upper body and arm strength (and a daredevil attitude to hills) there really is no option but to take the car. Fortunately the driveway is level and wide so loading and unloading a wheelchair is no problem. The town itself has the usual combination of accessible and inaccessible shops, but I was able to get my wheelchair into most places that I wanted to look at. The main street is quite level at one end and then rises up the hill which is no problem for a motorised wheelchair or a manual wheelchair with a carer to push but could be a little challenging if you are self-propelling to the top end of the street. After waking to the delightful calls of the bellbirds each morning, then getting ready in comfort and ease before heading out each day, Bimbadeen instantly jumped to the top of my list of favourite places to stay. It will be the standard by which I judge all future properties and should be viewed by the entire travel sector as a shining example of what accessible accommodation is truly all about. |
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