Australia provides excellent transport especially on the trains and ferries in Sydney (from Circular Quay). Mobility scooters can be a bit more of a problem on buses due to their length but most wheelchairs are fine.
A trip over to Tauranga on the Circular Quay ferry to the incredible zoo is a must. The zoo which houses the Tasman Devil, elephants and many exotic pets – but my favourite were the adorable koalas.
We stayed in a hotel close to Darling Harbour which is adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is also a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on the western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. This vibrant waterfront area is great fun with eateries to suit just about every taste bud! Happy Hour starts at 4pm so restaurants are full quite early.
For those of you who love all things oriental, then a visit to the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour is a must. These beautifully designed gardens were built together with the Chinese government to celebrate Australia’s bicentenary . I particularly enjoyed feeding the huge koi carp! The pathway has some uneven areas and access to the tea Pavilion is sadly up many steps. However the whole venue offers total tranquillity and peace away from the hustle and bustle of the waterfront.
Tip: Bizarrely bottled water is quite expensive in Sydney so if your hotel provides bottled water, take it along with you.
The Rocks area is another great place to explore and is close to the Circular Quay waterfront. Disabled toilets are all around Darling Harbour.
Freemantle: If you are on a cruise that stops in Freemantle, a low-ramped bus will greet you and take you into the lovely old town. An accessible train goes into Perth which is a very vibrant city, lovely parks and great shopping.
Melbourne is another fun city with accessible trams that take you right to where the larger cruise ships dock. The trams are brilliant – but doors can close quite quickly as I discovered when my husband disappeared and left me on the platform alone!!