Hello, everyone! Sam here, checking in from the very last leg of our epic Western Australia journey!
After verifying the remote Kimberley, the urban hubs of Perth, and the waterways of Mandurah, I set my sights on WA’s famous South West region. This is where the wine meets the coast, and the ancient forests touch the sky.
I’ve put Busselton, Margaret River, and the massive Tingle forests to the test. Get ready for some major access wins and vital reality checks as we wrap up this incredible chapter and prepare for our next adventure in South Australia heading into the new year!
1. The Gold Standard: Busselton Jetty & Foreshore
The Busselton Jetty is a marvel of accessible design, proving that major tourism infrastructure can be built for universal access. As the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere (1.841 km), the entire structure is fully accessible for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and those with mobility aids.
- Jetty Train & Underwater Observatory: The Jetty Train features wider doors (800mm) and dedicated wheelchair areas. Best of all, the Underwater Observatory located at the jetty’s end has a staff-operated lift providing access to the ocean floor 8 meters below!
- Foreshore Access: The Foreshore perfectly complements the jetty. It offers free hire of beach wheelchairs and a Universal Access Platform at the end of the jetty for safe water entry.
- Changing Places Facility: A major win! A state-of-the-art Changing Places bathroom (with a ceiling hoist and adjustable change table) is located at Signal Park, accessible 24/7 with an MLAK key.
2. High in the Canopy: Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk
This internationally recognised nature-based attraction in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park exceeded all expectations.
- Access Win: The stunning 600-metre walkway, which rises 40 meters above the forest floor, is fully wheelchair accessible and was specifically designed with a gentle, safe gradient.
- Sam’s Verdict: “Really well designed, the boardwalk was super accessible and not steep, and you really feel like you are high in the treetops!”
- Ground-Level Experience: The Ancient Empire Walk boardwalk on the forest floor is also wheelchair accessible, allowing everyone to experience the massive, gnarled Red Tingle trunks up close.
3. Lighthouse Views & Coastal Trails (Cape Leeuwin & Cape Naturaliste)
We checked two iconic lighthouses to see how much of the coastal experience is accessible:
- Cape Leeuwin (South-Westerly Tip): Access is available to the base of the lighthouse tower, the surrounding walking trails, the Interpretive Centre, and several observation decks. Limitation: The lighthouse tower itself is only accessible via 176 steps
Bonus Fact: The lighthouse tower, which is the tallest on the Australian mainland, was constructed from local limestone quarried from the site.
- Cape Naturaliste: The site features an accessible observation platform at the base and a wheelchair-friendly museum. The highlight is the “Access for More” Trail, a 3.7 km universally accessible section of the Cape to Cape Track with a bitumenized path and timber boardwalk.
Bonus Fact: The beautiful Cape to Cape Track has a 3.7 km section starting near the lighthouse that was specifically constructed as a “universal access” trail (the “Access for More” trail), making a world-class hiking experience accessible to wheelchairs and mobility aids.
4. Wine & Beer: Margie’s Big Day Out
The Margaret River region is famed for its culinary excellence, and the Margie’s Big Day Out Beer & Wine Tour is a highly accessible way to experience it.
- Accessible Transport: Their tour buses are fully wheelchair-accessible, allowing guests with mobility needs to travel comfortably.
- Venue Access: The tour is designed so that all areas and surfaces visited (wineries, breweries, chocolate, and lunch) are wheelchair accessible.
- Sam’s Reality Check: While the venues themselves are accessible, Sam noted that some of the venues’ driveways and paths are gravelly, and there are some small inclines. Manual wheelchair users may require some assistance on these surfaces.
The WA Finale & Our Next Accessible Frontier!
The South West has provided a spectacular conclusion to our Western Australia adventure. We have verified incredible experiences from the floor of the ocean at Busselton to the canopy of the forest at Walpole!
We are so grateful to everyone who has followed Sam & Charlie’s Accessible Frontiers mission through WA! Your messages and support fuel this journey.
Thank You and What’s Next!
Sam is now officially signing off from Western Australia and is heading across the Nullarbor to tackle South Australia for the next month! Stay tuned for her reports on Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges, and the accessible wine regions
✈️ Ready to explore the South West using Sam’s verified notes? Book with AccessibleOz!
Whether it’s securing the train car on the Busselton Jetty or booking your wheelchair-accessible wine tour, let the AccessibleOz team handle the details for your perfect WA holiday.
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Let us take the complexity out of planning:
- Verified Access: We use Sam’s on-the-ground notes to ensure your itinerary is genuinely accessible.
- Logistics Coordination: We handle communications with operators (like the flight and whale shark companies) to arrange all necessary support.
- Tailored Itineraries: We can incorporate accessibility needs beyond mobility (like the client with autism interested in the Whale Shark swim).
Click here to contact the AccessibleOz team and start planning your Western Australian holiday today!