A close up encounter with a California Sea Lion was the highlight of their 12-day adventure when Paul and his wife Deb visited sunny Queensland earlier this year.

A few years had passed since their last holiday, so they decided to pack away their winter clothing, and head up north to catch some sun rays. A romantic at heart, Paul wanted to take Deb back to their honeymoon destination.

It was a bonus that Paul’s brother lived on the Gold Coast; they hadn’t seen each other in a while so this was a perfect excuse to plan a trip.

“We wanted to go away on holiday and my brother and his family moved to the Gold Coast about two years ago, so we thought we could visit them and have a holiday as well,” Paul said.

As a kid, Paul visited the Gold Coast frequently and was eager to revisit some of the places he loved.

“We went shopping at Pacific Fair and spent our days in the heart of Surfers Paradise. It was really easy to get around and the weather was just perfect.

“My favourite part of our holiday was going to Sea World with my brother and his family. We got to go inside the seal enclosure and meet the California Sea Lions up close.

“We also got to pat the stingrays, which was an amazing experience. They fly and glide under the water, coming close enough to let you feel and feed them.”

Paul and Deb have cerebral palsy (CP), which means they require assistance from Support Professionals for everyday tasks. CP is an umbrella term that refers to a group of disorders. It is the most common physical disability in childhood with 34,000 people living with CP in Australia and 17 million affected worldwide.

“My wife and I both have cerebral palsy so we receive support for pretty much everything, including personal care, social support, going out, cleaning, shopping and recreational support.
“We have been receiving support services from Just Better Care Northern Beaches for over five years now.

“We weren’t that happy with our previous provider and met with Just Better Care Northern Beaches to see what was available. We liked what we saw with their Support Professionals and range of services on offer, so we moved our funding over and have been with them ever since,” Paul said.

Their holiday required some planning to ensure they would have the necessary support while away, just like they do at home. Paul spoke to his Support Coordinator at Northern Beaches, who offered to speak with the Gold Coast franchise and organise the assistance they needed while they were away.

“We booked all of our flights and planned where we wanted to stay on the Gold Coast. Our Northern Beaches Support Professional got us all packed and to the airport. She stayed with us until we got onto the plane, which was really lovely, it put our minds at ease,” Paul said.

“Just Better Care Northern Beaches liaised with Just Better Care Gold Coast and organised about five Support Professionals to assist us during our stay.

“The Gold Coast team provided us with everything we needed. It was very helpful and we wouldn’t have been able to travel without this support.”

Paul and Deb are already planning their next trip. It’s no surprise that they want to travel back to the Gold Coast again next year, after a stellar trip this time around.