Dolphin watching with a difference in Bunbury

An accessible attraction in an accessible city

A community-focused, not-for-profit organisation, the DDC sees accessibility as simply a matter of equity. ‘It’s the right thing to do,’ says Grossman.  

The recent redevelopment of the DDC was also part of a wider accessible tourism precinct. Bunbury has plans to become the most accessible regional city in Australia. The city council, state government and other partners have redeveloped the Koombana Bay foreshore. As well as including the DDC, the redevelopment installed accessible footpaths, seating and other features.

The Koombana pedestrian bridge seamlessly links the area around the DDC to the city centre. Separately, the council offers its own beach wheelchairs and an 'all-terrain’ wheelchair attachment.

Says Grossman: ‘This whole beautiful development has really opened Bunbury to tourism and put a focus on accessibility.’

Proud to offer a bucket-list experience

Grossman describes being in the sea near dolphins as a special, ‘emotional’ experience. You can feel the water moving around the dolphins. You can hear their whistles to each other. You can even hear the clicks as they use echo location to navigate.

‘This is an experience on many people’s bucket list,’ says Grossman. So, it doesn’t matter if only a handful of the centre’s 80,000 visitors a year are wheelchair users. ‘We’re very proud to be able to give everyone the opportunity here.’

With the centre seeing its future as surer now, after some reported uncertainty, it has plans for greater accessibility. The boat it uses for dolphin-watching eco-cruises in the bay has a wheelchair space. However, there’s a small step when boarding, so not all wheelchair users can ride. The centre hopes one day to offer fully accessible dolphin-watching cruises, perhaps off a jetty. ‘We would love to do more in future,’ says Grossman.

Learn more 

Improving the accessibility of tourism destinations and experiences is a priority of THRIVE 2030, Australia’s visitor economy strategy. 

Under THRIVE 2030, the Austrade-led Accessible Tourism Mentoring Pilot Project supported 110 tourism operators around Australia to improve accessibility and inclusion thanks to funding from the states, territories and the Commonwealth. The Dolphin Discovery Centre Bunbury was one of the accessible tourism champions for the project.

The project led to the WELCOME Framework, our guide to help tourism businesses become more accessible and inclusive. Learn more about the WELCOME Framework.