YMCA Escapes Brochure 2016 Online Version Email

Australia 2016
We’re different. We’re social.

Benefits of travel 4
Choose the way you travel 6
Inclusive travel 8
YMCA Escapes Mission 10
Where we have been and where we are going 12
2016 YMCA Escapes tours 14
We’re different. We’re social. 17
Information on inclusive options 18
Our staff and volunteers 19
Our tour style 20
Tour inclusions 21
Booking your tour 23
Terms & Conditions 24
Thank you’s & How to contact us 25
(03) 8397 3111
www.victoria.ymca.org.au/escapes
/YmcaEscapes
/ymcaescapes
Contents

4 | YMCA Escapes 2016 | 5
Become happier,
healthier and more
socially connected
with YMCA Escapes!
Travelling allows us to expand our minds and discover
the world from exciting new perspectives! It also provides
many wonderful health benefits for our mind and body.
Travelling offers us the opportunity to leave our
comfort zones and try new things such as food,
adventurous activities and hobbies. It can inspire us
to take up new hobbies such as art, music or sport.
Travelling is great for the soul and your health. Most
travelling includes an element of sightseeing, walking,
hiking or sports. This means that you will be getting fit
and healthy while exploring amazing places!
Travelling is incredibly social. Travelling with
a group allows you to meet new people and it
brings everyone closer together by sharing new
experiences and deepening our social connections
with others.
You will learn to embrace differences! There are
often language or social differences when travelling
in groups in exotic places. We can all learn to
embrace peoples differences to create a more
inclusive world!
YOLO—You only live once! So why not explore this
amazing world with a group of people who believe in
individuality, diversity and building friendships for life?
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Choose the way
you want to travel!
Use our Tour Guide!
Our YMCA Escapes tour guide supports group
dynamics, new social encounters and assists the
whole group with the smooth running of the tour.
Our tour guide organises everything from dinners,
to venue entries, to transport and check-ins.
Use our Support Guides -
we can arrange individual
support to small group
shared support.
Our support guides assist our travellers with daily
living, language, adventure activities and social
support. The level of support required is based on
information you give us either over the phone or in
applications.
Bring your own support.
If you would feel more comfortable bringing a
member of your family, friend or another person to
support you on your holiday, that is OK with us. If
you do not require any support from our support
guides, please use our tour guide costs as a guide
for both of you.
Bring your own group
We can tailor a YMCA Escape just for your group.
You could be a family, community or sporting group
looking for a special experience. We can work
with your requirements, budgets and objectives to
deliver a great travel option.
Some of the groups we have supported include:
Carers Victoria, Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome
Victoria, Merri Community Health, Headstogether
for ABI, Department of Health & Human Services.
Just to name a few!
YMCA Escapes understands that everyone requires
different support on tour so we have created flexible
options so everyone can get the most out of their
holiday.

At YMCA Escapes we believe people should never be excluded based
on their physical or intellectual abilities, social or cultural differences.
Did you know that many organisations and tour group providers do
not have accessible or inclusive options for travellers with social,
physical or other support requirements?
This creates a cycle where many people in our community are
excluded from accessing travel opportunities. It also means a whole
section of our community do not have the opportunity to socialise
with a diverse range of people while travelling. Placing people who
need support in separate groups or places continues a cycle of
social isolation.
Support inclusive
travel and join
YMCA Escapes for
an adventure of a
lifetime.
Offering tours that value all people and provide
opportunities that deepen their individuality and
uniqueness.
Supporting tourism operators that embrace
diversity and provide inclusive and accessible tour
options.
Supporting tourism industry operators and tour
companies that provide the same opportunities
and rights to everyone.
Empowering travellers and providing opportunities
to learn, be more independent and to exercise
choice.
Supporting tourist attractions that provide good
access to buildings and can adapt tours to various
learning styles.
Respecting local communities and their cultural
and religious beliefs.
Respecting the environment, including its flora
and fauna.
Supporting local business and smaller
accommodation providers where possible.
Offering real life experiences which promote
cross-cultural understanding.
Avoid the exploitation of vulnerable people
and animals.
Responsive, flexible and creative support within
the travel industry to ensure that everyone can
participate.
YMCA Escapes advocates for inclusive and socially
responsible travel which is all about the approach
we take and the choices we make when travelling by:

YMCA Escapes
Mission
A more
inclusive world
YMCA Escapes advocates within the travel industry;
to raise awareness so that in the long term all
providers start to consider the broader needs of
all people in the community including those with a
range of disabilities or other support needs.
YMCA Escapes is flexible, enabling everyone to
travel in a safe and supportive environment.
We take great care insuring all our group planned
activities are fun, accessible and inclusive so
everyone has the opportunity to participate in their
own way. Our groups also have the choice to try
new things that interest them with each tour having
free choice time built in.
YMCA Escapes is deeply committed to offering everyone the same
opportunities and aims to lead the way in inclusive travel and
recreation where everyone is welcome and no person is excluded.
We have created a program that fosters friendships from all
sectors of the community and offer experiences that do not
segregate people based on their abilities, language spoken or
social or cultural differences.

Where we have been
and where we are
going 2015-2017!
YMCA Western Australia
(Perth and Margaret River)
YMCA Escapes SA
(Adelaide)
YMCA Escapes Tasmania
(Cradle Mountain, Hobart and Launceston)
YMCA Escapes NSW
(Canberra, Sydney and Byron Bay)
YMCA QLD
(Cairns, Daintree, Gold Coast, Whitsundays)
YMCA Escapes NT
(Uluru and Alice Springs)
Now you have explored
Australia with us, we want
to show you the world.
Stay tuned for YMCA Escapes
international tours in 2017.

Byron Bay
6 days and 5 nights
Wednesday 20th April—Sunday 25th April
The phrase “Live well and love life” could best
describe Byron Bay – a place where people flee
the city life for a more spiritual and healthy way of
life. On this tour we have tried to capture this and
let you experience life like the locals. Bongo lessons
at sunset, a yoga lessons with a local, creative art
lesson up in the hills, music, markets, beaches and
loads of nature and relaxation. If you want to chill
out and experience life from a different perspective
then this is your tour. Book NOW this is sure to be a
popular one!
Guided Tour Cost: $1770:
Tour Cost with Support Guide (from 1:4): $2760
For individual or other support please enquire.
The Great Sydney Escape
6 days and 5 nights
Tuesday 31st May—Sunday 5th June
Experience all the buzz and excitement of Sydney,
Australia’s famous harbor city! With a wonderful
food scene and a striking blend of old and modern
architecture, there is something for everyone in this
city. This tour will see you exploring from Manly to
Bondi and everywhere in between. Your days will
be filled with shopping, eating out, catching ferries,
creating art and enjoying the wonderful sights such
as the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. You don’t
want to miss this tour if you love the city life!
Guided Tour Cost: $1740
Our tours
The Great Cairns and
Tropical North Escape
6 days and 5 nights
Tuesday 19th July—Sunday 24th July, 2016
Love long warm days full of sunshine, palm trees
and white sandy beaches? Have you always
dreamed of visiting a World Heritage listed
rainforest? This tour will see you hopping on the
famous Kuranda train, waking up in the Daintree
rainforest, visiting the stunning Cape Tribulation,
swimming in some of the clearest blue water you
have ever seen and learning about animals and
conserving this precious part of the world. If you
love a relaxed paced holiday with a huge dash of
untouched beauty then this is for you! Book now
and secure your place in the sun.
Optional tour: Fully accessible reef tour with
snorkelling and buffet lunch.
The Great WA Escape:
Perth, Fremantle and
Margaret River Escape
7 days and 6 nights
Wednesday 7th September—
Monday 12th September, 2016.
Western Australia covers an area of more than 2.5
million square kilometres – that’s about the size of
Western Europe and one-third of Australia’s total
landmass. Whoah! This tour is sure to impress
even the most seasoned traveller with a road trip to
remember! Taking in all the best bits of the southern
region from Cottesloe right down to Albany, we
will visit cheese and chocolate factories, wineries,
beaches, have a fishing lesson, a dolphin encounter,
drive through a Karri forest and get creative with
workshops at Fremantle Art Gallery. A tour for the
explorer in all of us, definitely not to be missed!
APRIL JULY SEPTEMBERMAY

The Great Tasmanian
Escape—Cradle Mountain
and Launceston
6 days and 5 nights
Monday 7th November—
Saturday 12th November, 2016
Tasmania is famous for its nature, food, arts and
rich heritage. We are going to explore a little of
all these things that make it unforgettable! From
Freycinet to Cradle Mountain, we will see some
breathtakingly beautiful scenery. We will taste
wonderful produce in the Tamar Valley, explore the
famous Cataract Gorge and explore Launceston
for shopping and scrumptious dinners. Tasmania is
sure to delight every one of your senses! Don’t miss
your chance, register your interest now.
Prices and Flyer out soon.
The Great Gold Coast
Escape
6 days and 5 nights
Monday 5th December—
Saturday 10th December, 2016
Life by the beach has never been so much fun! One
of our most popular tours with highlights including
a full day rainforest eco-tour, fabulous food, theme
parks, resort activities, markets, sunsets and 57km
of those famous QLD beaches. Sign up for some
fun in the sun!
Prices and flyer out soon.
We’re different.
We’re social.
We value inclusion and acknowledging everybody
as special, unique and awesome, and this extends
beyond just being a “Tour Guide”. Our tours
guarantee fun, social opportunities and so much
personal growth that it’s ridiculous! We choose to
focus on people’s strengths and celebrate them.
Unlike traditional tours we believe your experience
with us does not end when you get off the plane.
Our tours
Our experiences are made richer by the people
we share them with. Our lives are made fantastic
when those people are contagiously happy. YMCA
Escapes aim to build solid connections through our
love of travel.
Our social club
We want to extend our program culture of
connectedness through YMCA social nights so that
when our travellers aren’t on a YMCA Escapes, they
can still stay in touch with people and constantly
experience that sense of belonging. This means
we catch up from time to time to enjoy a meal or
afternoon out!
Our social networks
Other ways you can keep in touch include Instagram
and after you have joined one of our tours you can
join one of our private Facebook groups to share
travel stories, photos and of course memories of
your YMCA Escape with our community.
/YmcaEscapes
/ymcaescapes
Our tours
NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Easy english flyers
Need an Easy English/Screen reader friendly
version of one our flyers?
Give us a call on (03) 8397 3111 or email us at
YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au or we can pop
one in the post for you!
Prefer speaking to
someone face-to-face?
Easy! Just call (03) 8397 3111 or email
YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au and make
a time to visit us in our Carlton office.
We can also organise a skype session or meet
you outside the office if you live in the Melbourne
Metro area.
Information on
inclusive options
We use trained and qualified tour guides and
volunteers which gives YMCA Escapes that magical
formula of expertise and people who are passionate
about social equality and committed to ensure
everyone has the same opportunities to see this
amazing world.
Our staff and
volunteers
All YMCA Escapes staff members and volunteers
are required to have a Working With Children Check,
Police Check, Senior 1st Aid, Manual handling
training and have undergone YMCA support training
and Safeguarding Young Person’s training. We run
regular training nights and weekends to ensure our
staff and volunteers have all the essential skills
needed to facilitate a wonderful experience.
Pre-Tour meeting with
our supportive tour staff
We can also arrange for one of our YMCA Escapes
support staff assigned to your tour to come meet
you prior to your departure. This is so you feel
organised, can easily spot a friendly face at the
airport and feel super comfortable about your
upcoming tour.

Accommodation
We are an inclusive and accessible group tour
provider and support accommodation providers
that have at least some accessible accommodation.
We are working with the tourism industry to
improve its accessibility for groups so we are able
to offer a wider and more consistent selection of
accommodation. At the moment accommodation
styles depend on the destinations we stay in. We
utilise everything from resort style to holiday villas,
holiday houses, sports and recreation facilities.
Sharing rooms
We encourage everyone to be as independent as
possible while ensuring the safety of our travellers.
Our guides and support guides do not share rooms
with any travellers. Those needing additional
support staff are always close by in the room next
door or when we are in villa’s we stay in the next
bedroom.
Any of our travellers can request a single room
(additional charges apply).
Our tour style
We want our travellers to experience everything
that makes travelling great. Where possible we try
and organise workshops and tours that will ensure
every traveller can learn and grow from being
exposed to new experiences in incredible parts of
the world. We understand that everyone processes
information and communicates differently. We want
everyone to have the best chance of enjoying a
well-rounded travel experience by providing tours
that offer visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic
experiences.
That means we add things like cooking, art, music,
yoga, fishing lessons as well as private tours,
historical workshops, hang gliding and adventure
activities. We also take the time to simply take in
the ambiance of our natural wonders and enjoy
sunsets with friends by your side.
Our tour style

Every tour is a little bit different so it’s best to refer to
the individual flyers for more information. We package
up each tour to include all the activities, meals, share
accommodation and transport while on tour. This also
includes the security of our first aid equipment and other
tour equipment.
What’s not included?
• Participant spending money; transfers to and
from departure and drop off points;
• Single room use (if you would prefer this just ask
for pricing);
• Items of personal nature such as laundry,
toiletries, postage, telephone calls;
• Wheelchair hire or other equipment;
• Activities not listed on the itinerary or listed in
the inclusions;
• Water will be provided throughout the tour but
the cost of soft drinks, alcohol, coffee and teas
is up to you.
Our tour inclusions Booking your
YMCA Escape
Food on tour
We allow generous budgets for tour breakfasts,
lunches, dinners and some snacks, we can cater for
most dietary needs. Breakfasts are usually eaten at
the accommodation and most lunches and dinners
are eaten at cafes and restaurants. If you have a
taste for champagne and lobster you are welcome
to pay to the difference when eating out. On most
tours we do at least one or two communal dinners
where we break into teams to produce a tasty
entree, main and dessert. We find this is a great way
to get to know your fellow travellers and try new
foods, share recipes and share each other’s cultural
backgrounds through food.
Group Size
Our tour groups range from four people to 16
people! Groups not your thing? We can do private
tours on request.
Awesome! You have decided to join
us for the adventure of a lifetime!
Here’s the next steps:
You can either call, email, Facebook message
or fill in our interest form on our website to get
started. Make sure you let us know which tour
you are interested in or feel free to ask for some
advice based on your interests.
If you have definitely decided you would like
to proceed, then please go to our website and
download an application and booking form. If
you would prefer us to send this to you by email
or post, just let us know!
To secure your place on our tours you must pay
a $600 deposit for domestic tours.
The deposit must be received within 14 days of
making the booking or immediately if departure
is within 60 days.
Please note final payment must be made
approximately 5 weeks prior to departure.
Need some more information? Easy! Just call (03)
8397 3111 or email YMCAEscapes@ymca.org.au
or make a time to visit us in our Carlton office!
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Lauren Bath

YMCA Escapes reserves the right to withdraw
holiday participation from anyone whose behaviour
is likely to affect the smooth operation of the
program and negatively affect the enjoyment or the
safety of other participants. If a participant needs
to be sent home early, the participant or guardian
will bear the full cost of the participant’s return,
including staff costs, transport and all other support
costs. A YMCA Escapes participant is liable for
any damage to property or persons. If a participant
requires checking or intervention overnight then
they will require an Active Night staff person. This
will necessitate an additional staff member and will
be at an additional cost. YMCA Escapes reserves
the right to cancel a tour if minimum participant
numbers are not met. All deposits or money paid
will be fully refunded in the event we have to cancel.
We do our very best to accommodate the needs
of all our travellers but occasionally upon booking
the chosen accommodation may not have enough
fully accessible rooms available anymore. We
will explore all options to try and offer alternative
plans for you. If you are not satisfied with these
arrangements and any additional costs that may
occur we will refund your money in full.
Cancellation Policy
In the event you have to cancel your tour please
note the following conditions.
We recommend you take out travel insurance at
the time of booking but this is not compulsory for
domestic bookings if you hold a Medicare card.
All cancellations must be made in writing;
• 45 days or more prior to travel – Loss of deposit
• 30-45 days prior to travel – 50% of total cost
• 0-30 days prior to travel – 100% of total cost
Terms and
Conditions
Thank you
We have a dynamic approach to partnerships, and
we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to
work with organisations who care about the health
and happiness of the people we support.
We have so many people we would like to thank for
their advice, resources and generosity supporting
our program.
A special thank you to Lauren Bath for allowing us
open use of her travel imagery and her constant
commitment to YMCA Escapes and a more
inclusive world.
For a full listing please visit:
http://victoria.ymca.org.au/discover/community-
programs/ymca-escapes/partners.html
Contact Us
At YMCA Escapes we just love talking about
travelling and welcome all questions!
(03) 8397 3111
/YmcaEscapes
/ymcaescapes

Choose your own adventure!
YMCA Escapes:

YMCA Escapes Brochure 2016 Online Version Email

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