Julie Jones, of publication ‘Travel Without Limits’ and social account @havewheelchairwilltravel spent 2 nights at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort as a family of four, including son Braeden who is a wheelchair user. The family were hosted in our Accessible 2 Bedroom Beachfront Villa. Julie has compiled a review of the family’s stay designed to support travellers with accessible requirements to research and plan their next trip.
Road tripping Western Australia’s Coral Coast between Exmouth and Perth, our family stopped at many beautiful locations. If we were to narrow it down to our family’s favourite, though, that would have to be our stay at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. What made it so special? RAC offered us the hard-to-find trifecta – incredible location, accessible accommodation (with a view) and an abundance of wildlife spotting opportunities.
RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort accessible accommodation
As a family of four adults, including a son who is a wheelchair user, it’s difficult to find accommodation to suit our needs. Generally, the more remote the location, the trickier it is to find, so wheeling into the accessible beach view villa at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort was an absolute delight. The contemporary and spacious two-bedroom villa offers step-free entry, good circulation space for a wheelchair user and a large bathroom equipped with a shower bench and grab rails. The master bedroom also provides ample room to move with plenty of space on either side of the bed for transferring.
Even on holiday, I love the option of self-catering and with a well-equipped kitchen and a barbecue on our balcony that was possible. Our family loved sitting outside in the mornings spotting pods of dolphins swimming by as we munched our cereal. And in the evenings, we lapped up alfresco dining while having a glass of bubbly as the sun set. The pace in Monkey Mia encouraged us all to slow down and savour the untouched wilderness right on our doorstep.
Exploring the resort
The comfort and views from our villa made it hard to leave but when we did, level paths made for smooth travels around the resort.
On a warm day there’s nothing more inviting than a dip in one of the resort’s pools, so we were thrilled to find a Kingfisher pool seat to assist guests with a mobility restriction to access the water with ease. With palm trees providing shade and an accessible bathroom nearby it’s easy to while away an afternoon lounging by the pool.
Our son loves being in the ocean so the calm waters in front of our villa were ideal for a relaxing swim. A short boardwalk leads to the beach but there is still a small stretch of soft sand to traverse so borrowing the beach wheelchair can assist with this.
Monkey Mia’s Dolphins
When most people think of Monkey Mia, the first thing that comes to mind is its famous visiting dolphins. Our family, like many, were keen to get up close and learn more about the ‘locals’ that visit daily. The use of a free to loan beach wheelchair made it possible to get our son right up to the water’s edge. He delighted in joining other guests watching the dolphins swim in the shallows at the beach. To avoid disappointment, we recommend booking the beach wheelchair in advance.
As the dolphins visit when they like and stay as long as they fancy, we think making room on your itinerary for more than one dolphin experience is a good way of hedging your bets. Every visit is unique which is what makes these wild encounters so special. On our second morning we were lucky to have a female dolphin accompanied by her young calf come to say hi.
An entry fee is payable by everyone to participate, and this small contribution assists with the research and work done by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the team of marine researchers.
Setting sail with Perfect Nature Cruises
The Aristocat 2 is a spectacular sailing catamaran offering accessible cruises within Shark Bay. Conveniently docked at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, we could simply walk to the boat just before our cruise’s scheduled boarding time.
The catamaran has been designed to provide ease of access with a step-free deck and an enlarged accessible bathroom on board. Our son loved the freedom this offered him as he was able to move about freely in his wheelchair and get prime viewing throughout the cruise.
We hadn’t sailed far at all before we were being entertained by a pod of dolphins frolicking beside the boat and a turtle popping its head up as it swam alongside us. But the headline act of the day, that left us in awe, was the usually-elusive dugongs. Although there was mention that we may see dugongs on the cruise, I was sceptical. Not only did we spot single dugongs swimming but also a dugong and her calf.
We had a magical time cruising Shark Bay, and we all returned to the resort buzzing, not only from the wildlife spotting but from the experience being accessible to us all.
Campground access
We loved the comforts of our villa, but during our stay we did have a snoop around the campground. At first my motivation was to see emus, who we were told liked to hang out with the campers, but I also wanted to see if it was accessible. We found the emus and also discovered good access.
For travellers who prefer camping rather than staying in a villa, there is good accessibility with a step-free camp kitchen with all the mod-cons including microwaves, ovens and fridges. Barbecues and undercover seating areas are also provided. The campground area is mostly level and also has accessible bathroom facilities.
Our final thoughts
At the end of our time at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort we had just one regret and that was that our stay had only been two nights. Although we managed to see a lot during our stay, we think this is a corner of Australia to be savoured, not rushed, so a longer stay is warranted if you have the time. When it comes to an accessible holiday, it’s always important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all. Research your stay carefully to ensure it will meet your needs and don’t be afraid to send an email or jump on a call to ask for further information so you can book with confidence.
