Staying True to Form on the Sunshine Coast

Holiday Apartment Review 

Novotel Twin Waters Resort

Staying true to form and sticking to our family pact – Spend at least 3 nights away from home at least every 3 months – the Cross family have been busy holidaying as often as physically and financially possible. While our recent “Cross Family Adventures” have only taken us up and down the South-East Queensland coast, they have been fun. After all, when you live in the best climate in the world, with the best beaches in the world, why not holiday locally?

Our latest adventure took us to Novotel Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast, a sprawling hotel with acres of land, pathways and amenities. Set on a large (man-made) lake on the northern banks of the Maroochy river, the hotel is a mecca for young families. The added bonus; it’s pretty accessible too!

As with most holiday bookings for people with additional or specific needs, our interaction with the hotel started weeks prior to our stay. We found the reservation staff to be most helpful and knowledgeable when it came to discussing my specific access requirements. We booked directly through the hotel and were therefore able to discuss my requirements in detail, from accessible room options, right through to the storage of my hired hoist (which, being Christmas time, was due to arrive via courier days before we did).

Then, when I sustained a pressure area 4 days prior to our holiday, we feared that we would have to forfeit our holiday. We feared also that we would be forfeiting our full payment as well. To the credit of the Novotel and the friendly reservation staff, we were able to push our stay back by 4 days, allowing me more time to rest my pressure area at home. Admittedly, we were slugged with an additional $330 for our trouble but, in the end, it was worth it if it meant the difference between going on holiday and not going at all!

Novotel Twin Waters is a low-set hotel, with all buildings a maximum of 2 stories (ground floor and first floor). Like all (most) hotels, they have a number of room selections however the accessible rooms are only available as studio rooms. If you’re an interabled family however, one of the rooms has been furnished with two double beds to cater for a family of 4. 

Having stayed at the resort several times, we’ve realised that the King Suite (ground floor) is “semi-accessible”. The Access Consultant in me tells me, “there’s no such thing as ‘semi-accessible’, it either meets Australian Standards or it doesn’t,” but the realist in me says that, “despite the small step to the front door, the small toilet and the lip at the entry to the shower, I’m able to stay in the King Suite quite relatively comfortably.” The hotel even supplied a removal step ramp that we left at the front door for the duration of our stay. This allowed me to enter/exit the room with minimal assistance. I’d recommend considering your own specific needs though before booking the King Suite.

If a purely accessible room is what you’re after, the hotel’s 3 designated accessible rooms are built to pre-2011 standards, with roll-in showers, grab rails in the toilet and shower, foldable bench seat in the shower and clear accessible path of travel to and into the room. There is also sufficient clearance under the bed for a hoist. Circulation space within the room is tight but, unfortunately, this is what most travellers with disability have come to expect.

Speaking of hoists, I was able to hire a hoist from Home Health Care Sunshine Coast, who are located in Nambour. They were a pleasure to deal with, delivered the hoist to the hotel and collected it at the end. At $55 per week for the hire (including delivery and pick-up), it saved us so much hassle. I’m never bringing my hoist with me on holidays again. I’ll be hiring from now on!

Back to the Novotel. The best part about staying at the Novotel Twin Waters, apart from the meandering pathways around the lake, on-site restaurants, fish feeding (you should see the fish in there, impressive!), boardwalk to the river, natural surrounds and gentle roar of the surf beach (approx. 200m away) is the lake itself. The watersports that they have available are fantastic. Everything from kayaking to catamaran sailing, paddle boarding and swimming. While there isn’t an accessible pathway to the lakeside beach in front of the resort, there are a couple of other little secluded lakeside beaches that have (steepish) ramps leading onto the sand. If you’re standing at the resort pool, looking out at the lake, take a right along the main pathway around the lake and try the first beach after the Day Spa. It seems to be the most accessible. Also on the lake (however independently owned and operated), is the Sunshine Coast Aqua Fun Park. An inflatable obstacle course that sits on the lake, complete with slides and climbing obstacles. This, in combination with the resort’s on-site paintball, minigolf, trampolines and all-day Kids Club, makes Novotel Twin Waters a mecca for families with adventurous children.

The second-best thing at Novotel Twin Waters is the Seafood Buffet at the on-site Nouveau restaurant. All you can eat fresh oysters, Moreton Bay bugs, prawns, crabs, whole cooked fish flaking from the bone, followed by a desert bar complete with flowing chocolate fountain. Offered on Friday and Saturday nights only, it’s my favourite buffet in the world and, as it turns out, it’s our two-year old’s favourite buffet also. I’ve never seen a toddler eat Moreton Bay bugs like he did that night. He’s going to eat us out of house and home in the future that kid! Nouveau also offers a full breakfast and other dinner buffets daily.

In addition to the main (Nouveau) restaurant, the Grabit & Go resort takeaway shop caters for those looking to grab their meal on the run or take it to enjoy in the outdoors. The Deli Café (open until 4pm) serves up barista coffees and stocks a few essentials for those catering for themselves. Room service is also an option and came in handy whilst I was still laid up in bed for long periods at a time recovering from my pressure area. Finally, the Aqua Lounge serves up lunch and dinner, as well as cocktails and cold beer from lunchtime onwards. Sitting on the deck, overlooking the pool and lake beyond is the perfect way to spend an afternoon relaxing. 

If you’re not keen on relaxing, the Activities Staff are willing to assist you onto the beach and into the water (where possible). Speaking with another interabled family who were also staying at the resort, their son who uses a wheelchair had the Activities Staff carry him from his ‘chair and onto a catamaran. Given that I was still recovering from my pressure area, I decided to give sailing a miss. If you’re into fishing though, I would recommend bring your rod down to the boardwalk jetty and casting a line in the Maroochy River in search of a bream or whiting, or two. Sunset at the River’s edge is magnificent but bring the mozzie repellent. Keep an eye out for a few loose boards along the boardwalk also. 

The only things wheelchair users will find disappointing is the inability to access the Lagoon Day Spa, as well as the absence of a ramp or hoist providing access into the resort pool. The laundry facilities are located upstairs (with no lift/ramp access) and accessible parking bays are limited in number. The up-market Overwater Lagoon Suites are also out of the question, as both the upstairs and downstairs rooms are exactly that – up-stairs or down-stairs. Other than those few things, most people will find it quite accessible.

At the end of the day, the Novotel Twin Waters is the ultimate family-friendly resort. If you’re looking for a resort whereby you just want to park the car, check-in, and not have to leave the resort for your entire stay, then the Novotel is the place for you. The children will be completely entertained, riding around the lake on a bike or floating on the lake on a catamaran, while giving the adults plenty of time to relax or play as they please. For people with disability, you’ll find the hotel accommodating, entertaining and, for a hotel built almost 30 years ago, relatively accessible. With major refurbishments planned for the next 2 years, we’re definitely looking forward to going back! 

Dane Cross

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