Barramundi discovery tour – Karumba
June 5, 2023
Accessibility rating: 10/10
Accomodation: 5/10 **not part of the experience, but more so for general accomodation options in Karumba
Bathrooms: 9/10
Activities: 10/10
Highlights: Ramps galore and staff that are passionate about accessibility
What to what out for: The rest of Karumba isn’t as wheelie friendly, however it is still worth a visit.
Any fish lovers out there? Anyone dream of catching the mighty Barra up north? Well, if you answered yes to either of these then the Barramundi Discovery Centre could be the place for you! Who knows, maybe a bit of knowledge about them will give you the edge to catch that 1.6m Barra. The Barramundi Discovery Centre is located in Karumba, Karumba isn’t that big so I’m sure you’ll track it down once you are in town. Karumba is 8.5 hours from Cairns and is right at the western base of the Cape York Peninsula. Here comes the plug, the Undara lava tubes are on the way to Karumba “cough cough” go read my last blog to add it to your itinerary.
Apart from the Discovery Centre, there are actually other things to do as well. I also highly recommend the Sunset Tavern at Karumba Point and I tell you it isn’t called the sunset tavern for nothing. The sunset is spectacular!
There are a few accommodation options in Karumba, from caravan parks to hotels. We stayed at the Karumba Point Holiday and Tourist Park. It was pretty standard for a caravan park except each toilet was a little bathroom complete with shower, there were no accessible bathrooms and there was a small step out the front of it, but depending on your function, you could make it work. Best option, as I have probably mentioned in a previous blog, is an accessible caravan with bathroom facilities or something similar. These are the most versatile and practical option for those outback adventures.
Wow side tracked much! But hey, you’ve got to live somewhere while you dream of the huge Barra you’ll catch. The Barramundi Discovery Centre is the dream when it comes to accessibility. Their staff were the most friendly and accommodating staff I have come across. Not to mention passionate about making their experience accessible, not just for the wheelie folk. They are currently working to make it accessible for people with vision and or hearing impairments. In fact when building the facility they took extra effort to ensure it was accessible and had a range of mobility aids for people who may need them. They also advertised that assistance dogs are welcome, not that they shouldn’t be welcome anywhere they are needed. Pretty bloody awesome I say!
There is wheelchair accessible parking at the front of the building, followed by a ramp to get into the building. Once in the building it is shaped around a huge human made lake with a large deck surrounding it that takes you to the cafe, bathrooms and start of the tour. There is also a fairly large information display which is all flat and easily accessible. The tour goes for 30mins and apart from getting the 411 on Barramundi from the experts, you get to feed a Barra. Pretty cool hey. The tour cost $28 for an adult, $20 for a child between 4-17yrs and $67 for a family of four. The tour runs every hour from 11-1pm and it is recommended you book online.
While on the tour you are taken under the building to the inner working of the centre via ramp. Here you are shown a video and given some information followed by the feeding component. Here there is a ramp and platform on one side so you can reach the pools. We unfortunately missed the tour times when we arrived so I can’t show you any pictures of the “behind the scenes” but from what I did suss out, they are on the money and have really taken the time to make this an inclusive experience. If you do take part in the tour, I have no doubt they would be open to any improvements.
Thank you as always and let me know if you have any questions or places you want me to check out for you.
Over and out,
Sheree
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