I shared a picture about beach wheelchairs at Burleigh Heads with a friend. The feedback was surprising. They said without handrails in the water a beach wheelchair was pretty useless. That’s feedback from a wheelchair user. I didn’t see that coming!

A rail to hang onto

Ocean pools is where it’s at I guess. We have bucket loads in Australia with our huge coastline. Even so these can be pretty treacherous and mostly inaccessible. I only know of 3 that potentially fit the bill – Watsons Bay, Collaroy, and Merewether.

Watsons Bay

The first one that springs to mind is about a half hour drive east from the Sydney CBD at Watsons Bay. What I like about this destination is that it’s a bit tucked away, nice and private with a small amount of locals swimming and sunbathing in the mix. There are a couple of disabled parking spots and a toilet block with disabled toilet just across the road. When say road I mean like a side road so not very wide to cross and rarely any cars.

I remember it winning awards after it was renovated around 2016. It was specifically designed with wheelchair users in mind. If you look west from it you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the distance. To tell you the truth I was surprised that I was the only one taking advantage of it that day.

This is a deep water wheelchair setup and I wouldn’t tackle it alone. At the end of the ramp you have a metal gate that will swing you out into the deep water. There are fully immersible wheelchairs locked away at the entrance. You will need your MLAK to access. 

Collaroy Rockpool

Then we are headed north over the bridge to the northern beaches of Sydney. This pool is amazing. A ramp and a handrail. There’s a long walkway that goes along the beach next to it. 
The hotel totally set up above it is set up for people with disabilities and their carers. People at this pool as used to people in wheelchairs getting out and about.

This space is far more out in the open which is why I have put it as my second choice. There are loads of people here on a hot day. The last time I went I got very self conscious. My legs take ages to adjust to colder water. They were all over the place. Yeah and people will say to me not to worry about what people think (or just go where it is more private).

Merewether Ocean Pool

My last one is at Merewether Beach at Newcastle City. I’ve put it third as it is around 2 hours to get there from Sydney. The pool is amazing. That ramp so great. Yes still not as private as Watsons Bay but they have done such a great job it is worth a visit.

Check out this article by Have Wheelchair will Travel. They write a brilliant article about their experiences accessing this beach. The detail is sensational.

Dezzie 2024