walking . is . overrated

Back in the big smoke today from my trip down to The Mount, and I thought it’d be fitting to fill you all in on where I stayed! It was a cute little place on Maunganui Road called Atlas Suites & Apartments, a mere 5 minutes walk from everything, and I really mean 5 minutes. That was actually one of the coolest parts about Mt Maunganui, everything’s so close! The beach, restaurants, cafes, shops, the main residential area, hotels and motels are all within walking distance of each other, accessible walking distance, no less Truthfully, the curb cuts were very agreeable with my new Quantum Vibe wheelchair, much more so than some in Auckland!

Anyway, back to the Atlas Apartments. I’ll say it straight off - this place was pretty damn near perfect. The only grouch I have occurred before I’d even set foot inside, and it signalled a very inaccessible stay indeed. Check out the picture on the right: this is the view I was greeted with when I arrived at the apartment building - stairs! There was an “Accessible Entrance” off to the right but it was, as these things so often are, locked. So let me say straight from the outset, had my sister not been with me, I would’ve been stuck outside with no way to get in. This really needs to be addressed immediately. Thankfully, my sister traversed the stairs and used the intercom to signal that we needed the “Accessible Entrance” unlocked. I am happy to say things got better from there!

Once inside, and you’ve taken the lift to the first floor, the walkway along past all the apartments is really pretty, lots of ferns and punga, with the added bonus of being outside so you get the beach-smelling fresh air! Click on the picture to see a bigger version. Anyway, there wasn’t so much as a lip into our two-bedroom apartment, which led into a wide and spacious hallway, past a bedroom with a Queen bed, a bathroom, and into the nice little lounge area, complete with TV and stereo, which also had another bedroom directly off it, with two single beds. The kitchen also has full cooking facilities, not that we used them! ;P

The bathroom was well set up, featuring a standard open plan shower, with handrails in both the shower and toilet. I was easily able to slip under the sink, and the mirror was ideally positioned for performing my obligatory morning face-and-hair routine! One qualm I do have is that I found the flooring a little slippery, it didn’t feel like non-slip flooring, I think it’d benefit from the mere addition of a non-slip mat or something. Something I really liked was the shower seat! So many of those hinged-to-the-wall seats are really tiny and awkwardly positioned, however this one was well positioned and easily accommodated my bony backside!

THE LOWDOWN:

• Cool:Friendly and helpful staff who live on-site
• Really well-designed room, with plenty of room to manoeuvre a wheelchair
• Ramp out onto the deck - great thought!
• Sleeps 4, full cooking facilities, and a steal at special rate of $140/night
• Not cool: Impossible to enter the building without a support person
• Overall accessibility rating: 4 / 5