People with mobility access requirements can now enjoy the freedom of flight with NSW\u2019s first wheelchair accessible hot air balloon experience in the Hunter Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the balloon\u2019s first official flight is a milestone moment for local accessibility and inclusion, which are critical components for responsible and sustainable tourism in the Hunter Valley. People with mobility access requirements can now enjoy the freedom of flight with NSW\u2019s first wheelchair accessible hot air balloon experience in the Hunter Valley. Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the balloon\u2019s first official flight is a milestone moment for local accessibility and inclusion, which are critical components for responsible and sustainable tourism … Continue reading “Up, up and away with a new accessible tourism experience”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23152"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23153,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23152\/revisions\/23153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cPlanning and creating accessible tourism experiences like this one in the picturesque Hunter Valley has removed the barriers that prevented locals, families or visitors from enjoying the freedom of flight and will also help the local tourism industry become more sustainable,\u201d Ms Moriarty said.
Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said the wheelchair accessible balloon basket is significant.
“As of today, it’s up, up and away for everyone seeking a ballooning experience in the stunning Hunter Valley!”
\u201cThe NSW government is excited to be backing inclusive tourism initiatives like this, allowing people with disability to access adventures and seeing wheelchair accessible tourism taking off.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion Liesl Tesch said it was a proud moment to be part of the state\u2019s first accessible balloon flight and understands how important it will be for locals and visitors to the region, especially for those with disability.
\u201cDignified and equitable tourism experiences benefit the individual and also their support networks, who will now be able to share an unforgettable experience together, and that will go a long way in making life more inclusive for people with disability in NSW,\u201d Ms Tesch said.
\u201cToo often, people with disability miss out on the joys of tourism and I am thrilled to see more equitable experiences across our regions.\u201d
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said the Hunter Valley is among the state\u2019s leading tourism destinations and attracts visitors from all parts of Australia and abroad.
Hunter Valley local and Vietnam veteran David LeBrocque, who was onboard the official first flight, has a history of adrenaline fuelled adventures, including skydiving, bungee jumping and joy flights.
In 2011 the self-confessed daredevil was riding with friends in Northern NSW when his motorbike hit rough terrain.
\u201cThere\u2019s an old saying with motorbikes, where you look is where you go, and I ran off the side of the road and I knew straight away I\u2019d hurt my spine – I was driven by ambulance to Newcastle and then by helicopter to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney,\u201d Mr LeBrocque said.
\u201cI was on a ventilator unable to breathe independently for three months however, I knew if anyone could dig themselves out of a hole it would be me, and a week later I had managed to get myself off the ventilator to begin my recovery back home in Maitland.\u201d
\u201cI know this opportunity will open up avenues for other adaptive adventure seekers out there, and for them to see a person with a disability like mine do this and know they are able experience the same thing is very exciting, I am truly humbled to be the first flight participant.\u201d
Australian balloon manufacturer Sean Kavanagh of Kavanagh Balloons said designing and building the state\u2019s first accessible balloon basket has been both a challenge and a privilege.
\u201cThe biggest challenge was ensuring we could engineer a wheelchair accessible balloon basket that was safe, so we locally designed and built a basket with a door and cushioned seating with restraint systems and a multi-point harness,\u201d Mr Kavanagh said.
\u201cWe\u2019re very proud to be involved in this project as hot air ballooning is our passion, and one of the greatest things about our business is being able to share that with other people, and everyone should be able to experience a balloon flight.
“The balloon is the first of its kind in NSW and has been supported by the NSW Government and Cessnock City Council, in partnership with operator Balloon Aloft in the Hunter Valley.
“Cessnock City Council Mayor Jay Suvaal said we are focused on ensuring that the unique sights and experiences that attract tourists are available to everyone and our new accessible hot air balloon boosts the number of inclusive tourism experiences on offer in the Hunter Valley region.\u201d
Pilot and General Manager Matthew Scaife said Balloon Aloft, which has been based in the Hunter Valley for 43 years, is excited to be launching a tourism experience that will enable people with limited mobility to experience the thrill of hot air ballooning.
\u201cWe believe everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy this amazing experience and our new balloon will make that possible for more people than ever before and it\u2019s wonderful to see this come to fruition with the launch of our Hunter Valley Accessible Balloon Flights,\u201d Mr Scaife said.
Visit Balloon Aloftlaunch<\/a> to find out more about the accessible balloon flights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"