Accessibility guide
Katherine Outback Experience (KOE) prides itself in creating amazing and memorable experiences that are inclusive and accessible. We are always looking at ways to improve the experience for our guests.
The purpose of the Accessibility Guide is to outline ways in which accessibility has been considered to assist guests with planning their visit.
We encourage guests to contact us direct should they require further information about a specific need or have a specific request. Although we cannot guarantee we can accommodate all needs, we do our best and it never hurts to ask.
Site plan
Overview of services offered
Show
2-hour outback show of real horse training and working dog demonstrations.
Accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and prams.
Amplified commentary.
Fun for all ages.
Very low walking.
Recommended for tour groups, education groups, independent travellers and families.
Live bookings available online or by email or phone.
Workshop
2-hour hands-on experience with the horses and working dogs.
Easily tailored to the needs of the group.
Recommended for small tour groups of less than 50 guests.
Medium level walking.
Only offered to groups by appointment. Email or call to discuss further with team.
Horse rides
1/2 hour and 1 hour horse riding lessons and experiences.
Tailored.
Individual or small group.
For safety reasons, rider must meet minimum mobility and cognitive
standards.
Weight restricted to 100kg
Age restricted to 3 years and over.
Only offered by appointment. Email or call to discuss further with team.
Therapy
1-hour to 2-hour hands-on immersive activities with the horses, working dogsand animals.
Tailored to the group’s needs.
Accessible to wheelchairs and walkers.
Tailored mobility level.
Recommended for small groups or private bookings.
Only offered by appointment. Email or call to discuss further with team.
Lunches and dinners
Optional addition of lunches and dinners for group bookings.
Can cater for most dietary requirements/ requests.
Only available as a package with a Show or Stockman’s Workshop.
Minimum number of 15 pax.
Must be pre-booked at least two weeks in advance.
Email or call to discuss further with team.
From the comfort of elevated seating, under the shade of an indoor arena, guests watch and learn as the young horses and working dogs are trained for working life on the land. The team explain the psychology behind the training process, highlighting what can be achieved from a relationship built on trust.
Guests are also invited to pat and feed the station animals including the horses, dogs, buffalo, cattle and goats to name a few. The show wouldn’t be complete without stories from the team’s experiences of living and working on the land.
We offer a 2-hour Outback Show and Tailored Shows for special events.
Location and transport
Katherine is a regional centre in outback Northern Territory, Australia. It is located 320 kms south of the capital city, Darwin, at the intersection of major highways; the Stuart Highway and Victoria Highway.
Our address is 15 Collins Road, Uralla, NT 0852. We are just 7km east of the town centre of Katherine in the Northern Territory, Australia.
There is signage on Stuart Highway, at the T – Junction of Byers Road/ Collins Road and into our property on Collins Road.Refer to Location Map below.
FAQs
Public transport is limited. Most people drive to Katherine from Darwin in the north, Alice Spring in the south, the Queensland border to the east or Kununurra over the border in Western Australia.
Darwin is the closest major airport that is serviced by major airlines including Qantas, Virgin and Airnorth. There are a range of car hire businesses based in Darwin. We would recommend discussing this with Tourism Top End.
There is a local airport at the Tindal Airbase 12 kms east of Katherine Outback Experience. Airnorth provides up to three services per week between Darwin and Alice Springs that stopover in Katherine.
There are a small number of local helicopter operators and fixed wing charter companies also based in Katherine.
The Ghan Railway line extends between Adelaide and Darwin. The Ghan Train is the only passenger train on the line which stops-over in Katherine for three to five hours on its trips between Adelaide and Darwin. The Ghan Train is exceptionally well equipped to accommodate guests with various disabilities however this is a tour in itself (yes, guests have the option to come visit us during the stop over).
Locally there are limited bus options. Katherine Taxi service has a small number of wheelchair accessible vehicles and can be contacted on 131 008.
Public transport options in Katherine are limited. There is a taxi service that has some universally accessible vehicles. We recommend booking this service in advance of your visit.
Should you wish to arrive by 9am, we recommend booking it for 8:30am. Likewise, do not forget to book your return taxi in advance.
You can contact Katherine Taxi’s on 131 008.
Despite being in the outback, we are very close to a number of emergency services as outlined below:
- Police Station: 3.8km
- Ambulance: 4.1km
- Fire Brigade: 4.1km
- Katherine Hospital: 7km
In the case of an emergency, we can quickly access emergency support.
Despite being in the outback, we are very close to a number of emergency services as outlined below:
- Police Station: 3.8km
- Ambulance: 4.1km
- Fire Brigade: 4.1km
- Katherine Hospital: 7km
In the case of an emergency, we can quickly access emergency support.
Katherine Outback Experience has a large car park that includes:
- 90 car bays
- Two disabled car bays adjacent to the toilet block with ample space either side
- Oversized vehicle parking bays for trucks, caravans, motor-vehicles and buses
- Drop-off/ Pick-up area close to the show
- Overflow parking for special events
For those with low mobility, we are happy for vehicles to drive closer to the show arena. We request guests arrange this with staff prior to their visit.
The disabled car park is 50m from the check-in desk and main arena. A guest could move from the car park, check-in, watch the show, visit the shop and return to their car in less than 200m of total distance covered.
All pathways throughout the site are flat and made from cracker-dust allowing them to be traversed easily on foot, with wheels and walkers.
The ‘check-in/ reception/ shop’ area is all outdoors and undercover on level ground. The reception desk has two levels allowing us to service wheel chairs. We regularly step-out from behind the desk to check-in guests and provide a pre-show brief. The space is open plan with wide walkways with more than sufficient space for wheelchairs and prams to move through.
The height of our retail shelves vary and our team will be more than happy to assist you with anything that is out of reach. Unfortunately, with little children of our own, together with cheeky goats, we do need to keep items a tad higher out of their reach.
The ‘check-in/ reception/ shop’ area is all outdoors and undercover on level ground. The reception desk has two levels allowing us to service wheel chairs. We regularly step-out from behind the desk to check-in guests and provide a pre-show brief. The space is open plan with wide walkways with more than sufficient space for wheelchairs and prams to move through.
The height of our retail shelves vary and our team will be more than happy to assist you with anything that is out of reach. Unfortunately, with little children of our own, together with cheeky goats, we do need to keep items a tad higher out of their reach.
The universally accessible toilet/ shower is 2.9m x 2.7m and has:
- A baby change table
- Braille signage on door
- Sufficient change space
- Low accessible hand-basin
Seating around Arena’s 1 and 2 includes:
- Three-tier grandstand seating for 140 pax available. The bottom tier of the grandstand is at ground level
- Chairs can easily be added for extra comfort (particularly for guests with lowermobility) or so guests can sit with a member of their travelling party who is using a wheelchair, walker or pram
- Ample space for wheelchairs, walker and prams with great viewing of the show
- Guests offered cushions for added comfort.
There is ‘café style’ seating and low tables in a breakout space between the check-in/ reception/ shop area and grandstand seating at Arena 2. There is sufficient space to manoeuvre wheelchairs and prams through this space (refer to Figure 5). There is ‘café style’ seating and low tables in a breakout space between the check-in/ reception/ shop area and grandstand seating at Arena 2. There is sufficient space to manoeuvre wheelchairs and prams through this space (refer to Figure 5).
There are opportunities to pat and feed animals during the Show and the activities. To maximise inclusion of this activity, we have:
- Added low and high feeding openings in the animal pens so those in wheelchairs and our younger guests can access and feed the animals
- Where possible, we will create opportunities to increase access to the animals where a guest is limited by their mobility by bringing an animal to the guest
Although it cannot accommodate all requests, we do encourage guests to reach out in advance and we can see what we can do.
Please contact us by email at [email protected] to discuss further.
Companion Cardholders are free of charge if they are attending in their capacity as a Carer.A Companion Card is required to be presented at the check-in desk. If booking online, please book a “Free Infant Ticket” for the Companion Card-holders and add the Companion Card details in the ‘Comments’ section.
We provide the following Rate Types:
- Adult: 18 years to 59 years of age
- Senior: 60 years and over
- Student: 6 years to 17 years
- Child/ Infant: 5 years and under
- Family: Two adults and two students.
Guide dogs and companion animals are allowed at this location. Water and shade will be provided.
We do not accept general pets as a biosecurity safety measure for our own team of working dogs and animals. We do request you ensure your Guide/ Companion Dog is up-to-date with vaccinations and worming including Parvo.
For safety, we request you please keep your Guide/ Companion Dog separated from our animals and food preparation areas.
Please reach out to our team via email at [email protected] should you have any further queries.
All efforts are made to keep dust to a minimum including:
- Watering down arenas prior to Shows
- Planting grass and greenery
- Laying of fake turf in common areas
- Cleaning the grandstands, chairs and tables prior to every Show
- Hand basins and soap close-by
Nonetheless, we are a working farm so unfortunately it is impossible to completely remove all dust and dirt. Should dust and dirt be something that could trigger a guest, we would recommend preparing them for what they can expect prior to arriving. We would also recommend avoiding white/ light clothes. Patterned clothes are great for concealing the outback red dirt.
This is predominantly an outdoor venue with animals. It is a working farm and despite efforts to minimise dust, it cannot be prevented. At different times of the year, different grasses and trees can cause allergies.
If you suffer from allergies, please carry anti-histamine medication.
We are located in the tropics and most days are over 30 degrees.
The Outback Show is completely in shade, under a huge 40m x 60m insulated shed that is open on the sides for added airflow.
To help keep guests cool and refreshed on warmer days, we pass out cool towels for guests to pop around their necks or hold in their hands. Guests are also offered cold drinking water while watching the show
We recommend checking the weather forecast before arriving and dressing appropriately for the weather.
It is also important to drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
The animal feeding is outside of the large shed in the shade of trees. We would recommend wearing a hat and applying sunscreen.
For the Stockman’s Workshops and Horse Rides, we do spend time in direct sunlight. We recommend being sun-smart including wearing a hat, sunscreen long-sleeve collared shirt and long pants. Both these activities also require closed-in shoes.
Should the sun and heat be triggering, we recommend preparing the guest for what they can expect during their visit.
We have an Emergency Evacuation Plan in place for disabled guests. Staff have been trained on how to manage different needs (i.e., blind, deaf, limited mobility and cognitive issues) and have Emergency Checklists and maps to use as a reference during an emergency evacuation situation. In case of an evacuation, all guests will be led safely to the Muster Point (which is accessible to wheelchairs) by a staff member. Refer to the Emergency Site Plan below.
Our friendly team are always willing to assist where possible. To improve our Customer Care Support:
- All staff have disability awareness training
- All staff have customer experience training
- All staff are trained in Basic First Aid and CPR
- We have a defibrillator and emergency medical kit on-site
- We carry hydrolytes in case a guest is in need of additional electrolytes and minerals
- We are accessible by a number of methods including email, phone and in person to answer queries.
We encourage guests to reach out to us either by phone, email or in person to discuss your needs further. We also encourage feedback on how we could better accommodate your needs.
The future
This Accessibility Guide is a work-in-progress. We realise there is always room for improvement however accessibility and inclusion are front-of-mind in our venue design,product development and decision-making processes.
There are still so many projects we have in the pipeline for the expansion of Katherine Outback Experience and making it more accessible.
We welcome and encourage feedback to help us improve this Guide as well as accessibility and inclusion at our venue. Please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing us at [email protected] direct.
Site plan
