When we headed to the Bay of Plenty for the opening of the new accessible changing facility at Waihi Beach, finding accessible accommodation nearby proved a little more challenging. With most accessible rooms around the beach already booked, we widened our search and discovered the charming town of Katikati, just a short drive away. Known for its murals, orchards and welcoming community, Katikati turned out to be a delightful surprise.
During our stay, we checked into ASURE Kaimai View Motel and, as we always do when travelling with Finlay, took a close look at how the accommodation works for wheelchair users and those travelling with hoists and other adaptive equipment.
Location
Asure Kaimai View Motel is located at 84 Main Road, it’s a great location with a short walk and wheel into Katikati town centre.
Reception
The reception area itself isn’t particularly accessible for wheelchair users, but we found both Erin and Lawrence were always nearby and happy to help whenever needed. They knew we were arriving, so they were already on the lookout for us.
The motel is also pet-friendly, so if you’re travelling with a pet, it’s best to call ahead to discuss arrangements, as a small surcharge applies.
Pool Area
On arrival, Lawrence offered us pool towels in case we felt like a dip after our drive from Auckland. The pool is solar-heated with steps into the water and step-free access into the gated pool area.
For our family, the pool wasn’t accessible as we’re unable to perform standing transfers or safely lift Finlay in without a hoist, but it may work for others depending on their access needs.
Room Accessibility
We stayed in Unit 12 – the Accessible One Bedroom Unit, which sleeps up to four people. The layout includes a queen bed in the lounge area and two single beds in a separate bedroom.
There is also a dining table, an LCD TV with SKY, and free unlimited WiFi.
The room also features a small kitchenette with:
- Cooktop
- Mini fridge
- Toaster
- Microwave
- Electric frypan
- Tea and coffee facilities
Erin told us that a previous wheelchair user who stayed in the unit had built a sturdy ramp to access the room and kindly left it behind for future guests. We can confirm it worked perfectly for us and made access much easier.
We were able to bring in all our adaptive equipment and Finlay in his powerchair without any issues. A solid ramp really does make a huge difference. We parked our van slightly to the left to ensure we didn’t block the ramp entrance.
Our standard Ministry of Health mobile hoist travelled with us this time, as I’ve temporarily misplaced the battery and charger for our Molift travel hoist. I’m hoping we didn’t leave it behind on our Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown last September. Considering the amount of gear we travelled with on that trip, it wouldn’t entirely surprise me.
Room Layout
The unit includes:
- Large lounge area with queen bed
- Small kitchenette
- Separate twin bedroom
- Accessible bathroom
The lounge area also contains armchairs, a table and chairs, TV, and a desk.
Circulation in the compact hall landing beside the kitchen measured around 1.3 metres, meaning it was easiest to drive forward and then reverse when moving between the bedroom and bathroom.
Door Widths
- 780 mm into the twin bedroom
- 760 mm into the bathroom
Personally, my gold standard for accessible accommodation is 810 mm door widths. These slightly narrower building-code standard doorways are workable, but Finlay’s elbows occasionally take a knock.
Finlay slept in the bedroom in one of the twin beds. All the furniture was movable.
Hoisting Setup
Whenever we travel, we need to set up the room so we can safely hoist Finlay.
To allow clearance for the hoist legs, we raised the beds, this time using Finlay’s rice pudding cans as makeshift bed raisers.
It worked… until the wheels shifted and one fell straight onto my ankle.
Note to self: buy proper travel bed raisers.
Bathroom
The bathroom features a wet-floor shower with:
- Fold-down shower seat (60 cm x 40 cm)
- Stand-alone shower chair available on request
- Sliding rail shower head
- Wall-mounted soap dispenser
- Higher toilet (around 48–50 cm)
There is no clearance under the basin, although the mirror is positioned at an accessible height.
Food Options Nearby
Just a few doors down from the motel, we discovered several great takeaway options. On the morning of our departure, we stopped in for a cooked breakfast and coffee at Robert Harris Café, which conveniently has a mobility parking space located right outside.
Accommodation Snapshot
What Worked Well
- Solid ramp access into Unit 12
- Supportive and welcoming hosts
- Power points well located for charging equipment
- Accessible wet-floor shower with fold-down seat
- Easy walk or wheel to cafés, takeaway food and shops in Katikati
- Close to the beautiful Uretara Stream walkway
Things to Be Aware Of
- The reception area is not accessible to wheelchair users
- Bathroom and bedroom door widths measure around 760–780 mm
- Circulation space in the hall landing space is 1.3 sqm, so manoeuvring can be a little tight with larger chairs
- No clearance under the bathroom basin
- Higher toilet (approx. 48–50 cm)
Good For
- Travellers who can manage slightly tighter spaces
- Families travelling with portable hoists or adaptive equipment (manageable)
- People wanting an accessible base close to Waihi Beach
Read more about exploring Katikati and the accessibility initiatives happening at Waihi Beach.
Hi Kimberly,
At the risk of being criticised for adding yet more expensive gear to pack when going away… eek… I can tell you we have found an item that has revolutionised this bedlifting problem. I had always thought I needed some kind of ‘jack’ like you use for changing a car tyre… so as to save my back lifting every hotel bed (which I did for 11 years). My 6’4′ (ie. tall, awkward and heavy to transfer) son had an idea to invent something, but noticed a trade product that is used for lifting kitchen joinery that is the very thing he had in mind. (I see is currently on special at Bunnings for $333 for two). I think there are several brands that do a similar thing, but ours is a Stanley FATMAX tradelift, so that’s what I’m recommending. It could actually work in many instances to just use one, but we have two. Currently in a hotel in Sydney, I used Stanley to lift the edges of the bed then place the elephant feet under the corners of the bed (I had purchased these elephant feet on a previous trip to Sydney but of course I still had to lift the bed, hold it there while simultaneously manoeuvring the elephant feet into place). Additionally, Stanley solves the common problem with a split base bed where you can’t get to the head of the middle of the bed to place supports (elephant feet or, in your case, cans of rice pudding). There had been a few times where I’d managed to lift one side of the bed high enough for the hoist to fit underneath, but I couldnt lower it, as I wouldn’t have been able to lift the bed with him on it again in the morning. My poor kid had to sleep on a weird angle, which obviously wasn’t very comfortable for someone with no muscle tone. Now with Stanley, I can lift the side, and once he is placed onto the bed, just lower Stanley down again, as Stanley can lift him and the bed. I still like the elephant feet when the base isn’t split, because it makes the bed higher, which I like because it saves my back while I’m working around him, dressing or whatever else. I know this is a bit long-winded but I hoped to explain how Stanley is such a relief after a long arduous trip anywhere. (I am using a molift and taking a shower commode chair along with the Permobil .. so lots of stuff on a plane). I did use to hire a hoist when away, but after not being able to in Japan recently, (and when I did in Australia it was about $1000 every time), and finding that hired commodes marked his skin alarmingly, I started to just drag everything everywhere with me. I had hoped to attach photos and/or a video to show you how it works, but I can’t see how to do that. You are welcome to email me so I can do that if you want.
Sounds really interesting Tracy, thank you for sharing. I would love to see the photos. Could you send them through to kimberly@grabyourwheels.nz ?