Great weather, a fantastic standard of living and plenty of art and culture. It all adds up to making Melbourne one of the most desirable places to live in the world. It’s no surprise that the Australian city regularly ranks among the most ‘livable’ cities on the planet.

And while we’re not suggesting that you sell up and move there straightaway, it certainly makes for a great getaway. It is packed with plenty to keep you busy, from wonderful museums and art galleries to fantastic places to eat. And you never know, once you’re there you might never want to leave!

So, here is our guide to the most accessible sights in the wonderful city of Melbourne, Australia.

Enjoy some of the best food in the world

There are lots of cities that describe themselves as a ‘melting pot’, but Melbourne truly is the real deal. Generations of immigrants, plus Australia’s (relatively) close proximity to South East Asia make this country – and Melbourne in particular – a food-lover’s dream.

There is so much choice it is almost impossible to pick a favourite: whatever your tastes, you’re sure to find it in Melbourne. If you fancy Thai, head to Cookie. After a spicy, authentic curry? Check out Tonka. And finally, if you just want to sample some great Aussie food, we don’t think you can beat Cutler & Co..

Pick up a bargain at Camberwell Market

Melbourne does markets brilliantly. It’s home to the largest open-air market in the country (the wonderful Queen Victoria Market). But our pick is the excellent Camberwell Market. It is the perfect place to pick up antiques and curios.

Held every Sunday in a vast car part the market is easily accessible for those of us who use a mobility scooter. It’s not completely level but the stalls are wide enough apart to make it easy to get around.

The range of things you can find here is truly mind-boggling. From rare books to antique coal scuttles or vintage clothing, it’s the kind of place where you never quite know what you’re going to leave with. Happy browsing!

Get your art fix at the National Gallery

Melbourne isn’t all about food and shopping: it also has rich cultural life too. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is a must-see. It is completely accessible and has over 75,000 works of art to enjoy.

As you’d expect there are plenty of wonderful examples of Australian art here, from the arrival of the Europeans to 1980. But there is also a fascinating collection of indigenous pieces that includes beautiful examples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

There’s so much to see here that we recommend a guided tour if you’re pressed for time and just want the highlights. These run daily and are on the hour from 11am to 2pm.

It’s free to enter, and you can find out more about accessing the collections on your scooter here.

Explore the great outdoors

Wilson’s Promontory National Park (known as ‘the Prom’) is stunning. It’s the ideal place to experience some of the spectacular natural wonders of this part of the world. Parks Victoria have done an excellent job of making as much of this beautiful area as accessible to all as possible.

You’ll see everything from wombats to kangaroos here, but for us it is coastline itself that is the real star.

While not all of the trails here are accessible, the Loo-Errn Track has been adapted so that scooter users can access it easily. There are also TrailRider all-terrain beach wheelchairs available if you want to head out onto the sand.

Did you know?

Melbourne was very nearly called Batmania after John Batman, one of the founders of the city!

Getting to Melbourne

Qantas are the only airline to fly direct to Melbourne from the UK, and they have regular flights from London Heathrow. As always, we strongly suggest that you let the airline know of any particular mobility requirements you have when you book.

Other options include flying to Brisbane or Sydney and then taking an internal flight to Melbourne.

Once you’re in Melbourne airport itself, there are travelators and lifts to help you to get through the terminal. There is a full breakdown of all of the facilities available in their online accessibility guide. It also includes helpful maps of the airport.

The handy SkyBus shuttle is also fully accessible, and represents the quickest and easiest way to get to the city centre. It leaves every 10 minutes and costs $19.75 one-way.

For general information about getting about in and around Melbourne, head to the city’s official tourism site. It’s packed with lots of useful information, including a mobility map of the centre and help on using public transport. There are lifts at all of the metropolitan train stations and many of the trams also have low floors for access. Most of the buses are also accessible too.

Travelling with scooters

The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.

Share your accessible getaways abroad with us

Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847