We’ve got an exciting adventure planned….

My wheelchair’s getting a new set of boots for the trip. Fortunately I have a great team around me to help with this

I love to get around under my own steam but the hybrid makes running around after the kids so much more fun and the world a little more accessible

It’s pretty stressful being told at the gate that you need to wait as you’re being ‘de-boarded’ with two kids at the start of a mega trip. Luckily it was handled efficiently and kindly but I did aquire an extra few grey hairs!

It’s quite hard to explain how hard it is to feel vulnerable in these times - I’d completed all the special assistance request and told them at check in. I can see why people find it too much. I’m just so grateful that I can take my hybrid handcycle as I know it will be very enabling during this trip.

See you in the USA 🇺🇸

Our ‘hotel’ for the next few nights:

The weather was cold but sunny.

Pancakes with a view.

The loopwheels make a big difference. I can cope with all sorts of lumpy ground without having to worry about the after effects.

We found possibly the coolest hotel which has open fires in the courtyard for S’mores and very funky styling.

Winner with the kids!

Downhill is definitely better than up - especially with a little extra cargo!

I love that the San Francisco trams from 1952 are so accessible.

I may have needed a little extra man power…..

Golden Gate Bridge - we even saw a pod of dolphins from the boat but I didn’t quite catch them on camera.

Some of the roads are epically steep - I think Jack’s body language describes it in better terms than me!

The next day we decided to cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge. This was so much fun. I was so glad to have my hybrid - the views were incredible but then so were some of the hills 🥵

We found a hire tandem where Jack could be on the front - this was ideal for sightseeing.

Again the weather was insta perfect (first drops of rain fell as we arrived back at hotel).

I love the picture below - my hybrid has opened up such a new world for me. I’ve hated the concept of ‘getting help’ in the past but the hybrid gives me the perfect combination of chosing to put effort in or reducing it.

Sightseeing from the sitting position is so much better. My recumbent handbike is good for going fast on the roads but not the terrain above. Normally I’d have to watch Jon & kids from afar but not today 🥳

The views from the bridge were epic. Again we saw dolphins 🐬 jumping in the water below.

At the end of the ride a sea lion 🦭 even popped up to wish us well

Sally & Jon braved the top deck

Jack stayed in the wheelchair pen downstairs.

We found a beautiful park for some exercise although even the park had some cheeky hills

Almost time to say toodle pip to USA 🇺🇸 and bula to Fiji 🇫🇯

We had a bit of nervous wait to see if my wheelchair had made it onto the plane as even when you follow all the instructions you can never be completely sure.

Sally was an absolute trouper - carrying both back packs. We ask quite a lot of her sometimes as you never know what to expect in terms of getting on/off aircraft.

Bags all arrived in one peice but it’s such a mission even with 2 suitcases between all 4 of us - the hybrid is in a kite surfing bag and my loopwheels are in a wheel bag. Ideally they’d be in together but the weight of the hybrid with a few tools is 25kg. At least we had no dramas being unloaded this time!

Jack’s mode of transport usually draws a few looks - he feels like royalty 🤣

I was pleasantly surprised to find out how accessible the accommodation was. As an able bodied person it never really registered if there were steps or a ramp. Although we’re staying in bungalows you’d be surprised by how often steps are incoperated into layouts.

The other bonus is the grass is very thick so rolling over it is easy. The high tide also comes a long way up the beach so there’s not so much sand shuffling either

The pool is a perfect depth for me to stand and enjoy some swimming with the kiddiwinks. I try to be as active as I can be with them but it’s hard sometimes as you have to use a lot more effort.

I’m looking forward to taking Sally out in a kayak but might just chillax & enjoy the view.

Plenty to keep us entertained 😆

My loopwheels/frontwheel combo made the beach more accessible than usual

The kids loves the kayak/snorkelling trip

After a few days of rain the sun came back

For a particularly special sunset

Think it’s going to be good for adventuring. Campervan a work well for me because you only have a small footprints to move around in.

Spring is in full force here which is quite hard to get your head around!

The view from our campsite pitch was lovely. It’s also nice to see all the major campsites have accessible facilities as standard which you don’t see so much in the UK.

Queenstown is a bit further up the lake and is where all the cool kids go but it’s sooo hilly 😮‍💨

I even took my jumper off for the first time in New Zealand!

We found a lovely place to do some wild camping and had the spot to ourselves.

As you can tell from the waves it was a little breezy

Yes it made the waterfalls impressive but it was a bit too wet to really enjoy it. My waterproof trousers didn’t make the packing cut so spent most of the time with wet legs.

It was nice to use the hybrid to get up at 6 to go kayaking without waking up all the family to move the campervan.

Unfortunately after 30mins of sitting in the rain we were told it was cancelled due to high winds. I guess some things just aren’t meant to be.

Most of the cruise boats are accessible but I could only get onto the back deck.

Sally made the best use of the rain 🧥 coat

We were supposed to stay two nights but actually decided to bail after 1. It was just too wet to be fun. All the short walks were not very accessible and there wasn’t much scenery to see with low cloud.

We again found a beautiful spot just before dark with epic scenery. It’s so nice to be able to enjoy a view without moving a muscle!

This spot gave us a good position to visit Queenstown 🗻🗻🗻 #HillyAsHell!

We went up on the cable car. Again the accessibility was ok if you can transfer (they stopped the 🚠 to allow me to get in) then my chair went up in the 🚠 before me. They are building a new one with bigger 🚠 so hopefully they’ll incorporate a ramp.

The views were very special and well worth the effort.

At the top there was a ‘luge’ which I was fully expecting not to be able to use but I wrong! Again being able to transfer helped as you went up to the top on a chair lift

As you can see Jack wasn’t too sure about this mode of transport.

They had devised a system where you get on the chair lift at the bottom then transfer to one of their wheelchairs at the top for a short distance to the start line. I couldn’t have done this without the help of Jon as although there were no steps the gradient was beyond extreme.

Wanaka had a few hills but it was so fun cycling round.

We even got some sunshine which was unfortunately becoming a bit of a novelty on our trip.

The Wanaka puzzling world was a good place to shelter from the damp conditions although the maze wasn’t accessible which was a shame.

We stayed on a vineyard. I can 100% report that wine tastes better when drunk amongst the vines!

We were not too sure about taking the kids to a vineyard but it was perfect- they had an entire petting zoo of animals & two trampolines #winner.

The next day Sally & I got out in a canoe.

It was very windy so a bit too choppy for pictures.

The snow topped mountains were just beautiful.

Fox Glacier 😢. I was so gutted. We were supposed to visit both Franz Joseph & Fox glaciers with a snow landing but the weather wasn’t on our side despite us waiting around all day. Through someone else’s blog (Have Wheelchair Will Travel) I discovered this amazing individual Jezza who after his injury set about making adventure tourism more accessible. He’s tried out different adventures & done training with lots of companies. His website Making Trax has a great resource file for mobility impaired travellers that want to try adventure sports.

He’d arranged for one of the companies to carry a snow chair enabling wheelchair users to enjoy the snow landing from the snow and not from only inside the helicopter.

Although the weather wasn’t on our side I’m so grateful to Jezza for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the experience same kind of fun as the rest of my family.

I rewarded the kids with double home school lessons 😂

I also had a little help at times from a very helpful engine but the walkway was pretty flat. It was so calming to be amongst the trees and birds without it being a massive mission. I absolutely love being around nature but usually requires max effort and leaves me exhausted.

The only bit of the walkway I couldn’t get to was the tower but this was a small part.

The cantilever aspect out towards the lake was very bouncy.

It was a great place to visit but we decided not to stay the night and press on to our meeting point with Jon’s parents.

I didn’t explore too much of Abel Tasman but did get down this estuary path for a pint 🤪

The beaches were beautiful just not that accessible.

You realise the importance of Jezza’s \240(MakingTrax) work at times. We wanted to do a simple water taxi tour - nothing complicated.

You book a trip and when you turn up you get met with the comment ‘oh you can’t take that thing (pointing to wheelchair) up the ramp. When I’ve managed to get on board I get told to go and sit downstairs for my own good. I get that all these things are coming from the wisdom of the boat ride but they manner in which the comments were made did not make me feel very welcome or in control.

Changing the language used like - I’m sorry but the ramp is too narrow for a wheelchair , how do you think we can best get you on board? Making assumptions when you have no knowledge to base them on is not a good starting point.

In the end we \240had a great water taxi ride. I managed to find an outdoor space to myself downstairs thanks to my lovely family so it all worked out.

Jon & the kids enjoyed some top deck action.

Although it was a bit warmer indoors so I did get some company.

It was nice to go from this experience to the awesome experience to one with R&R Kayaks where I had the total opposite experience. Welcomed, respected and included. I got a lift on the waters edge on the kayak trailer - which was a relief at low tide!

It was very cool to be able to give Jack his first taste of sea kayaking although it was very choppy so he got quite salty!

Good night!

Those with West Cumbrian roots will get why we chose this one!

We saw stingray and loads of birds. It’s so nice to be able to amongst the wild life. \240

After the paddle we set off on a ride (Sally & I)/jog (Jon) back to the campsite about 10km away. The track was too rough for wheelchairs but I made it through with a lot of help from Jon & Sally.

Taking my hybrid & loopwheels does mean double to luggage we have to haul around but at times like this is invaluable. 10km over hilly terrain after a 2hr sea kayak just wouldn’t have been fun in my day chair.

Apart from one little tumble this was fab.

Sally usually likes to remind us how much she hates cycling at every opportunity but this ride we didn’t hear a peep!

After a night in one of the most beautiful campsites we’d stayed in it was time to leave South Island.

About half the boat was accessible and I was able to get outdoors.

It was so nice to share this experience with them especially as we’d spent so long apart due to covid.

We hitched a ride up to the top of the trail -thankfully it was quiet as my bike set up took up 8 upright spaces!

The first bit was ok other than the rail crossing which Jon had to carry my bike up then down.

It was tough getting it (&me 😂) up the steps

The views were amazing.

But the fact was I wasn’t quite ready for a grade 3 mountain biking track. Lots of the track was so tough and it took every functional muscle Jon & I had to get us through.

I fell multiple times and Jon had to rescue me from a few bushes.

The loop wheels really showed their worth on the cobbles. Living with chronic pain has lead me to avoid all jolting movements but I was actually able to tolerate these cobbles.(not always staying upright but physical pain is nothing compared with neuropathic pain!).

Some of the views were amazing. Although I was absolutely battered and crying by the end I’m glad I did it.

The views were spectacular and it was nice to be able to show Sally that when things are tough sometimes you just need to get on with it.

Jack didn’t seem to mind being left amongst the bushes for yet another mummy rescue mission. He was very good at sounding the alarm 🚨 ‘daddy mummy’s in another bush’ 😂

70% hated this ride. 30% loved it.

It was a real eye opener for me in that especially in the campervan I don’t feel that disabled. I’m a wheelchair user that can walk. I sometimes feel so able in the disabled world I feel like I don’t belong. Today reminded me that although I often minimise my impairment thanks to my wonderful family around me, it’s still there. I was left a bit broken and crying trying to do something my 8 year old found simple. It’s so hard to have home truthes dealt but it’s the reality of my life. Perhaps my obvious vunerability will help my kids to understand that it’s ok and just a fact of life at times. At times I’m vulnerable but at other times I’m not. It’s taken me a little time to post about this but the bruises haven’t quite faded yet.

It was so much fun. As a child I’d rafted most summers in France but I’d not even considered it after my accident.

Jack was mega cute - I was expecting him to be a bit frightened but some of the bigger rapids but he was well into it.

We saw some of the rare blue duck (Whio) with some ducklings. It was so nice to be able to enjoy it as a family.

It was billed as wheelchair accessible but I would have not had much fun without my frontwheel. The NZ opinion of a ‘steep’ slope doesn’t really match mine 😳. Fortunately Jon & Jack helped me round and we enjoyed the experience together.

A lot of people like to frown a bit when Jack’s my ’engine’ but what they don’t realise is that it’s often the best way to get him moving in the direction I want him to go in & I know he’s safe and not running off!

Unfortunately we didn’t get much of a view of Taupo due to the low cloud & rain. The next day we did enjoy the hot pools but they weren’t the most accessible.

It was nice to see them have a hoist into the cooler of the pools but it requires use of a super steep ramp so I’m not sure how much it was actually used.

You don’t really see discounted entry or free carers tickets in New Zealand for any of the attractions despite the fact you can often not access all the exhibits/locations.

The bubbling mud was our favourite

It was nice to learn about Aboriginal culture along side the geothermal wonders.

The campsite ended up being a couple of miles over hilly terrain. After my recent fun on the mountain bike track I wasn’t about to tackle steep hills in the dark (without Jon).

Thankfully we found a lakeside track that was wide enough and not too steep for my hybrid.

Sally and I made it to the meeting point in one piece! \240

The paddle was beautiful. The lake was really calm which was a welcome break from the sea kayaking & rafting. More like what I’m used to!

The glow worms were beautiful. It wasn’t quite as awe inspiring as the ones in the caves we saw in 2005 but Sally loved it.

The ride back was a bit hairy in the absolute pitch black dark but Sally & I made it without crashing or having an unexpected swim! I was so glad to have the hybrid as I don’t think I would have made it to the meeting point without it.

A nice sealed road ride was just what I needed to get my confidence back.

Well that and a cheeky cafe stop!

That night we stayed on a strawberry farm with a lovely cafe & play park. It wasn’t such a personal experience as the other Okay2Stay places but a great stopover.

The sand was very fine and much more beautiful than these pictures show. It was black but glittery ✨

Unfortunately it didn’t make good conditions for accessing the beach but we did give it a good try.

It was nice to find a break from the rain and be quite warm for a change.

Raglan had a lovely vibe. We had a nice lunch out - Jack was dancing to the restaurant music 😂

I left Jon in charge of the beach trips!

I got a lift to the water’s edge from the local surf rescue - this was such a relief as sometimes you expend half of your energy just getting the the ‘start point’ of an activity.

Jack was very jealous that I got to wear a yellow helmet!

The surfing was brilliant - I was amazed at how much I could participate despite not being able to stand up. Sally was a natural ❤️.

I really loved the feeling of the board catching the wave and being pulled along.

Jack was the best cheerleader although I think him & Jon got as wet as Sally and I thanks to the rain!

New Zealand is a very special place and we enjoyed making memories.

We’ll definitely be back and although I was still a little bruised I’m so glad we got the hybrid there.

When your mobility is restricted location is key. Yes it costs more financially but it’s worth it for the greater participation you enjoy.

It’s so weird seeing Sydney ramping up for Christmas. Warm sunny weather doesn’t really compute with tinsel & Christmas trees in my brain!

We were treated to an amazing fireworks show from our room on the first night.

20 years ago I didn’t need to worry about accessibility so hadn’t remembered that the pool is up a flight of stairs but in general the location was fab.

We could also afford a slightly better room so I could enjoy the experience without leaving my room.

Jon & Sally did the bridge climb.

Jack & I took a cheaper route. One of the things that has been so nice about this break has been time with the kids. Real quality time to take notice of them and how they interact with their surroundings. At home you’re so wrapped up with ‘life’ I definitely neglected this area.

The boat trip around the harbour was a little choppy but thankfully my tires were firm so the brakes worked fairly well and I didn’t have an unexpected swim.

I was quite glad of the initial view as the second morning we work up to this view - not such quite a majestic harbour view!

After a very brief 48hrs it was time to set off again to Bali

This place is stunning - hopelessly wheelchair inaccessible but pool and sun lounger outside my room are.

Looking forward to a few days of very little activity.

Thankfully there was a pool on our doorstep so I never needed to go far. There were always lots of people around to help with stairs but I just prefer to be independent.

Jon went out and did some research with Jack so we found some nice places to visit - this was my favourite but it was up some steps. I don’t think there’s a single place I went to that didn’t have stairs 😝.

Thought this would be quite cool for cutting around!

First day out on the handbike - OMG it was amazing. I absolutely loved being free, independent and getting out and about.

I have no words to decide the joy although I was quite hot 🥵

Seeing the amazing rice fields and going along the tracks between the fields was brilliant. The tracks were just wide enough thankfully.

I loved being able to get out with the family. It was tough to hear from this lovely Balinese company how hard they had been hit by covid - not by the disease but the lack of travellers. I know we needed the restrictions but they had such far reaching effects.

Love my fam ❤️

This company even had an e-bike for Sally - it’s now her new favourite sport 😜

The water temple is hopelessly inaccessible but Jon found this nice restaurant that you could view the Balinese dancing from and check out the lotus 🪷 flowers.

The monkey forest is also totally inaccessible but a friend recommended a cafe where you could see a few monkeys from.

The seem to love destroying things - we saw them pull at windscreen wipers, motorbike seats and all sorts of expensive things!

I’d love to be able to recommend accessible places in Ubud but I didn’t find any. It must be incredibly harsh for any wheelchair user living in Bali. Ramps for motorbikes and scooters seem ubiquitous 😔.

The kids found the concept of a warm Christmas very strange but they go it eventually.

The weather was a tad monsoony but at least there was no risk of sunburn.

I was auditioning for a role as rudolf.

Merry Christmas all.

If there is no snow I guess a foam party is the next best thing 😂

We only had a night in Hanoi before leaving for Halong Bay.

Our boat was stunning and we had a balcony so I didn’t need to leave the room to enjoy the view.

We chose this boat as it included a couple of kayaking trips - the staff were very surprised when I insisted on kayaking- it’s funny how people make assumptions but I’m so glad we talked them round. \240

I didn’t take my phone but we paddled through a couple of caves - it was beautiful.

The weather was quite chilly (for Vietnam) but our British blood was pretty resilient!

The scenery was epic. I think I’ve finally found a form of cruising that I love (I’m plagued by seasickness)

The local corner shop!

All those steps deserved a treat!

Jack was a pretty good crutch carrier!

The next day we visited a remote part of Cat Ba island.

This should have been reasonably accessible as a golf cart took you all the way but they were digging up the road so I needed carrying about 100m. I was a bit sad that I’d left my handbike in Hanoi - Jon chose to cycle.

Kids loved the golf buggy.

The trip included a visit to a river fish spa - Sally was very keen but I wasn’t!!

My chair got it’s own seat.

Not sure about the accessibility of the paddy fields but Sally enjoyed the balancing challenge.

The second part of the trip was another paddle - yeahy. I absolutely love how paddling opens up a whole new world for me. Even with slightly dodgy kit it’s still enjoyable. Jack was in charge of the boat however 🥰

The floating villages were amazing. As a bit of a hoarder I can’t imagine living in such a small space.

The final part of the day was a swim - this would have been amazing but it was actually quite cold - air temp around 15 degrees. Sally was an epic ninja jumping from the top of the boat(where this picture is taken from). As I was going to have to scale the ladder I didn’t manage to get to the upper level.

I was super proud that Jack also jumped in!

Happy cruising kids.

Hanoi is so hectic - it took us 20mins to cross the road for the first time - I’ve experienced some crazy driving in my time - Afghanistan was probably the most extreme but this beat it all!

Jack spent the entire time in my knee - mainly got his own safety! The paths are blocked everywhere so you spend your time on the streets with the motorbikes. Once I got used to it, it was fine.

On the first night we escaped to a rooftop bar for some peace.

We went on a walking tour led by some Vietnamese students. It was really interesting & we had a masterclass in road crossing! My frontwheel was absolutely invaluable there is no way I could have got round Hanoi without it.

We visited the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ prison. Pretty sobering and not that accessible despite most of it being on the ground floor 😝

The kids found the nude models quite amusing. \240

The students took us for some lovely local noodle soup.

Sallys favourite thing at the hotel was to do the lift challenge- she ran up the stairs while I went in the lift - she won every time.

Jon took the kids to a puppet show that they loved - I just chilled - it’s exhausting using every working muscle to get about.

They had a cheeky ride back in a cycle rickshaw which they loved.

At night Hanoi was transformed- it was amazing. Eating dinner on the street was - well I think Jack’s body language describes it for you!

Street coffee ☕️ neither of us was brave enough to try the egg coffee 😳

We welcomed 2023 in to the sound of crickets as a family (Jack was asleep). The view from our room is epic. It’s up a few steps but at least it’s all on one level. Being up a few steps definitely improves the view however. It’s a shame as it could be quite easily ramped but judging from the way I’m looked at they don’t get many wheelies round here - certainly not ones with a handbike attachment.

The roads are really flat so epic for cycling. The resort has bike (Sallys on bike strike unless it’s an e-one 😬) but we set out on an adventure.

Our boat tour included 9 caves and a few temples.

We got to help with the paddling - Jack became a bit of an attraction with his cute smile & blond hair 😂. He was a bit upset when they all shouted baby at him 🥰

Nice to see him getting stuck into the paddling.

The caves were amazing.

I didn’t make it to any of the temples - you can see why although I think the kids were glad we weren’t dragging them up all these steps multiple times.

Some of the caves were so low we had to duck.

Happy New Year All