On our Northland trip with Charly, New Zealand’s only wheelchair-accessible campervan, we headed into Whangārei’s Town Basin to visit the Hundertwasser Art Centre and find somewhere nice for lunch.
We found an easy-to-access mobility parking space close to the Hundertwasser Art Centre, which was particularly important for us because Charly needs a little extra room at the side when we park. Part of the campervan wall has to push out slightly to create enough space for Finlay to safely enter and exit in his powerchair, so a mobility park needs to be wide enough for us to actually use that feature. It is something I plan to talk about more in the full campervan review, but it is a good example of why the size and layout of mobility parking spaces really matters.
Once parked, the Town Basin was very easy to enjoy. Footpaths are wide and well maintained. The waterfront is picturesque, and there were a number of lovely accessible cafés along the way, so finding somewhere for lunch was not difficult.
But it was on our way back to Charly that we stumbled across something we hadn’t been expecting at all: Town Basin Playground.
And what a find it was.
There were so many different play elements that Finlay could actually be included in, rather than simply sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else.
First up was one of his absolute favourites: an in-ground carousel. Finlay loves spinning. I, on the other hand, start feeling sick just watching him go around, but he simply cannot get enough of it. Because the carousel sits flush with the surrounding surface, he could roll straight onto it in his wheelchair and join in.
The entire playground had rubber surfacing, so there was no bark or loose-fill surfacing suddenly stopping his chair. We could move around freely and explore.
Then, quite by accident, we discovered buttons set into the ground that Finlay could roll his wheelchair over. As his wheels passed across them, they activated bell-like chimes. It was such a simple idea, but it meant he could independently make something happen within the playground just by moving his chair.
Another feature I was really pleased to see was a communication core board. For children and adults who are non-verbal or use alternative ways of communicating, this gives them a way to indicate what they want to play on, make choices, and interact with the people they are there with. Accessibility is not just about whether someone can physically get around a playground. Being able to communicate and participate is just as important.
There were interactive elements everywhere: chimes, in-ground trampolines and the usual basket swing.
We also came across some play equipment I hadn’t seen before, including what looked like a giant saucer that you could lie on and spin around. It wouldn’t work for Finlay because he requires a hoist transfer, but for someone able to manage a supported standing transfer or walk a few steps, it could offer another really fun option.
One thing that would have made the swing area even better would have been a high-backed supportive swing with a harness. There wasn’t one there when we visited, which was a pity, as it would give another option for people who need more postural support than a standard or basket swing can provide.
The climbing structure also had areas where people with some mobility impairments could potentially challenge themselves, depending on their individual abilities.
What I loved most was the feeling of the place. We kept moving around thinking, what else can we try? There was so much for Finlay to interact with that you never really got that feeling of being surrounded by equipment designed for everyone else.
And then there were the accessible picnic tables. Anyone travelling with a wheelchair user will understand why I get disproportionately excited when I find a picnic table where the wheelchair space has actually been considered!
Just before leaving, I did what I always do and went to investigate the accessible toilet.
I certainly wasn’t expecting what I found.
The room was enormous and at first glance looked almost like the beginnings of a Changing Places-style bathroom. There was plenty of circulation space, a toilet with lift-up grab rails on both sides, room for carers to assist, a basin, a shower area and a full-sized change table positioned along the far wall.
Unfortunately, once I looked more closely, it became obvious that the room stopped well short of being usable for someone with Finlay’s needs.
Most importantly, there was no hoist. Without a ceiling or mobile hoist, there was simply no way for us to safely transfer Finlay from his wheelchair onto the change table or toilet.
The change table itself was also fixed-height rather than height-adjustable. That is an important consideration when carers are assisting someone with personal care because being able to adjust the working height makes transfers and changing much safer for everyone involved.
The shower was positioned quite a distance from the change table as well. For someone who needs to be transferred onto a table for changing or personal care, that separation would make using the shower much more difficult. A properly designed facility needs to consider how the hoist, toilet, shower and change table work together, rather than simply having each piece of equipment somewhere in the room.
The table also looked dirty enough that I would not have been comfortable putting Finlay on it. There was an “Infectious Substance” sticker attached to the side of the table. I have no idea why it was there and it may have been completely unrelated to how the table was being used, but combined with the general condition of the table it certainly didn’t inspire confidence.
Cleanliness and maintenance in facilities like this really matter. Many of the people who need an adult change table, hoist and assisted bathroom can also have complex or vulnerable health conditions. If someone needs to lie directly on a changing surface for personal care, that surface needs to be kept clean, hygienic and ready to use.
I also didn’t think to check whether the water from the basin or shower ran warm or was cold only, which is something I would check if I returned. There was no obvious heater in the room either. For someone who may need to be partially or fully undressed for changing or showering, particularly someone who struggles to regulate their body temperature, warmth within the room is another important part of making the facility genuinely usable.
It was frustrating because the bones of a really good facility are already there. The room has the space, which is often one of the hardest things to achieve retrospectively.
With some investment, including a suitable ceiling-track hoist, a proper height-adjustable adult change table, consideration of the positioning of the shower and changing area, reliable warm water and room heating, along with good cleaning and ongoing maintenance, this could potentially become a fantastic facility for people with high and complex support needs.
For us, Town Basin was one of those places that worked well on several levels. We could park close by, enjoy the waterfront, find accessible cafés for lunch and then discover a playground where Finlay could genuinely join in.
We went to Whangārei for Hundertwasser and lunch and came away having found much more than we expected.
We absolutely loved the playground. And perhaps what makes that bathroom so frustrating is that it is so close to being something really special too.