Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES 43
too. Taxi companies in bigger cities can
usually supply a cab equipped for
wheelchairs. TTY facilities for the deaf
are still limited largely to government
services. For information on all kinds
of facilities and services in Australia
for people with disabilities (not just
travel-related organizations), contact
National Information Communication
Awareness Network (NICAN),
P.O. Box 407, Curtin, ACT 2605
(& 1800/806 769 voice and TTY in
Australia, or 02/6285 3713; www.
nican.com.au). This free service can
put you in touch with accessible
accommodations and attractions
throughout Australia, as well as with
travel agents and tour operators who
understand your needs.
Many travel agencies offer customized
tours and itineraries for travelers
with disabilities. Flying Wheels
Travel (& 507/451-5005; www.flying
wheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours
and cruises that emphasize sports and
private tours in minivans with lifts.
Accessible Journeys (& 800/846-
4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disability
travel.com) caters specifically to slow
walkers and wheelchair travelers and
their families and friends.
Organizations that offer assistance
to travelers with disabilities include
the MossRehab Hospital (www.moss
resourcenet.org), which provides a
library of accessible-travel resources
online; and the Society for Accessible
Travel and Hospitality (& 212/447-
7284; www.sath.org; annual membership
fees: $45 adults, $30 seniors and
students), which offers a wealth of
travel resources and informed recommendations
on destinations, access
guides, travel agents, tour operators,
vehicle rentals, and companion services.
For more information specifically
targeted to travelers with disabilities,
the community website iCan (www.
icanonline.net/channels/travel/index.
cfm) has destination guides and several
regular columns on accessible
travel. Also check out the quarterly
magazine Emerging Horizons ($14.95
per year, $19.95 outside the U.S.; www.
emerginghorizons.com); Twin Peaks
Press (& 360/694-2462; http://
disabilitybookshop.virtualave.net/blist
84.htm), offering travel-related books
for travelers with special needs; and
Open World Magazine, published by
the Society for Accessible Travel and
Hospitality (see above; subscription:
$18/year, $35 outside the U.S.).
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Sydney is one of the most gay-friendly
cities in the world, and across most of
Australia, the gay community has a
high profile and lots of support services.
There are plenty of gay and lesbian
bars, and most Saturday nights
see a privately operated gay dance
party taking place in a warehouse
somewhere in the inner city. The cafes
and pubs of Oxford Street in Darlinghurst,
a short cab ride or long
stroll from Sydney’s downtown area,
are the liveliest gay spots. The annual
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras,
with a huge street parade and party in
late February/early March, is a high
point on the city’s calendar.
In rural areas of Australia, you may
still encounter a little conservative
resistance to gays and lesbians, but
Australians everywhere are generally
tolerant. Noosa, on Queensland’s Sunshine
Coast, was a favored destination
for revelers after the 2002 Mardi Gras,
and there are a couple of resorts in
north Queensland catering to gay and
lesbian travelers.
Liberty Resort at Kuranda near
Cairns (& 1300 650 464 in Australia
or 07/4093 7556; www.libertyresort.
com.au), opened in late 2002, billing
itself as the world’s most luxurious gay
and lesbian resort. It has 56 villas,
eight apartments, and an 80-bed backpacker
hostel set on 3.2 hectares (8
acres) of tropical rainforest. By the
time you get to Australia, there may be