About

I’ve travelled back to South Africa, where I’m originally from, twice. At the time, I found the country not particularly accessible, though that was over 13 years ago now, so I do hope things have changed 🤞.

In 2017, I travelled to Kenya — to the Mara Triangle, to be precise. We stayed at a specific safari camp built by friends of mine. One of them came to see us in 2016 and asked why we hadn’t visited yet, especially as they’d installed Patty’s Tent! Of course, we were then obliged to go.  While there, I did have to gently educate the camp managers about accessibility: I can’t hang my clothes where able-bodied people can, where exactly do my knees go when there are shelves under the basin, and so on 😲. I even suggested they get hold of an old wheelchair and ask their extremely willing staff to spend a day using it — just to really understand what it feels like.  In 2023, I visited my younger sister and her lovely family in Australia. We stopped over in Singapore both on the way there and on the way back, and I was absolutely amazed at how accessible the country is 😃. We went to an incredible laser, light, and water show at Marina Bay Sands, visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Aquarium, and Gardens by the Bay with those iconic tree-like structures. I loved wheeling from one to another — it truly felt magical.We also went to the top floor of Marina Bay Sands for a drink and a snack. The view is astounding. When the General Manager was asked whether they need to advertise the hotel, he replied, “Absolutely not,” as so many people post photos of themselves in the pool on Instagram 😁.  From Singapore, we flew to Sydney, where my sister and brother-in-law met us. It was a great reunion — I hadn’t seen them for many years. They live about two hours from Sydney, but we did visit the city to see the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Botanic Gardens, among other places.  On the way back from the Blue Mountains, we joined a Street Art Walk in Katoomba. The artwork — entire building walls — was stunning, and it was wonderful to see that none of it had been tagged or graffitied. We flew with Singapore Airlines, and I was incredibly impressed with their service, both on the ground and in the air. It’s reassuring to see that genuine service still exists in this mad world.  More recently, I travelled to Bath via Stonehenge and spent three nights there. Although Bath is a very hilly city, I was using my power chair, so I managed all the hills with ease. I’ve also spent two nights in Cambridge and absolutely loved it — especially after discovering an accessible punting company on the River Cam. I can’t wait to go back.  Despite my Support Worker’s mild distress 😟, I haven’t lost my spirit of adventure. I’ve also travelled to see friends in Silverstone and Ibstone — both trips were filled with laughter and brilliant times.