Station Pier Melbourne's Cruise Ship Terminal

Station Pier was originally known as Railway Pier and was first opened in 1854. It played a key role in Victoria's history and through the mid to late 1800's saw the arrival of the first visitors keen to seek their fortunes on the goldfields and then the settlers. It saw off the first contingent of Australian troops headed for the Boer War. In October 1914 16 ships left Station Pier for World War I. Again in 1940 troops headed for the European, African and Pacific theatres of World War II from Station Pier. Post the Second World War many thousands of the migrants that came to Australia's shores and gave Melbourne its rich multicultural diversity first set foot on Australian soil at Station Pier. The pier and its unique Gate House are heritage listed.
Today Station Pier is Melbourne's premier cruise ship terminal and is also host to the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service from Melbourne to Devonport. It also plays host to visiting naval and tall ships. Unlike many cruise ship terminals, Station Pier is not located within a freight terminal. The pier is constructed directly off the beach into Port Phillip Bay at the historic and cosmopolitan suburb of Port Melbourne, giving visitors stunning views from their ship and the chance to wander along the beach side board walks directly from the end of the pier.
Station Pier is 15 minutes from Melbourne's CBD.
The pier is open to the general public from 6am to 9pm daily (for pedestrians only). However, the pier is closed to the public during cruise ship visits, some naval ship visits and other exceptional circumstances.

Accessibility
Terminal Building
During cruise ship visits entry to the pier is via the left side gate for initial security. The path down the pier is level and smooth with a road crossing about half way down to the cruise terminal. The cruise terminal is the second building on the pier and there is a set of elevators just past the main escalators. The terminal is on the first floor with a small cafe accessible toilets, and a gift shop prior to the main security checkpoint and gangway entry. The tidal movement in Port Phillip bay is only approximately 18 inches, gangway slope will alter greatly during your visit. Depending on the ship and gangway configuration assistance is on hand for wheelchair users.

Access to the City
There are two public transport options to the CBD. There is an accessible free shuttle bus that operates on weekdays from the cruise terminal to the arts precinct in the city near the Flinders Street Station.
An accessible tram service (route 109) operates from the Beacon Cove terminus right into the centre of the centre with stops along Collins Street. Route 109 operates flat floor roll in trams from elevated tram platforms. Each platform has a 1 in 14 ramp at one end for wheelchair users. The accessible stops are:

• 8-Parliament/Collins St (Melbourne City)
• 7-101 Collins St (Melbourne City)
• 6-Melbourne Town Hall/Collins St (Melbourne City)
• 5-Elizabeth St/Collins St (Melbourne City)
• 1-Spencer St/Collins St (Melbourne City)
• 124A-Casino/MCEC/Clarendon St (Southbank)
• 129-Beacon Cove/Light Rail (Port Melbourne)

The Tram terminus is a pleasant 10 minute walk/roll from the cruise terminal. On Cruise visiting days an accessible bus shuttle operates from the terminal to the Beacon Cove terminus.

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Grouse Mountain, Vancouver BC

In addition to its picture perfect setting Vancouver has a stunning surprise for the visitor on its backdoor step, Grouse Mountain. In winter Grouse Mountain serves as a stunning winter playground and ski field within 20 minutes of the centre of the city, but in summer it is a great place to spend a day with a host of activities and stunning views down over downtown Vancouver and its harbour.

It is reached by the SkyRide Gondola a 12 minute ride taking you to the upper station at an elevation of 3,700 feet. To reach the lower station from Vancouver either:
Take the North Vancouver exit (right) to Marine Drive. Turn north (left) at the first intersection, Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road for 5km (3.1 miles) until the road ends at the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Disabled parking bays are provided in the front row of the parking area directly opposite the two ramps leading to Gondola loading station. The left hand ramp offers the shorter distance to the ticket office.
By public transportation, take the SeaBus to the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. Take bus #236 to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. An alternative is to take bus #246 on West Georgia St across the Lions Gate Bridge to Edgemont Village. From there, transfer to bus #232 that will take you to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. The SeaBus is accessible with rollon rolloff access and offers superb views of the city on the trip across the harbour. The return trip is well worth doing on its own. Officially it is stated in some guides that 24 hours notice is required for a wheelchair passenger, however passage is on a first come first serve basis and unless there is a large group there doesn't seem to be an issue with just showing up (and nor should there be) Access to the and from the Gondola is easy and level and access to the amenities building adjacent to the top station is via gently sloping ramps.

Once on the top there is plenty to do and all of the attractions are included in the price of your SkyRide ticket, excluding the franchised operations such as the paragliding. The wood carvings are amazing, as is the Birds in Motion display. For a bit of fun the Lumberjack Show provides an action packed and humorous 45 minutes of entertainment.
The must see while you are on the mountain are the two orphaned Grizzly Bears, Grinda and Coola now living in the sanctuary at the top of the mountain. The best viewing area from a wheelchair is from the bridge over the river at the Grizzly Bear enclosure. Their respective stories are reprinted below.
Back at the main building the theatre in the sky offers two presentations. At the top of every hour is Born to Fly which takes visitors on a dramatic aerial adventure through an eagle’s perspective, exploring four-seasons of scenery, recreation, travel and the natural wonders of Canada’s pacific province, British Columbia. This presentation in particular will leave you breathless. At the bottom of the hour, watch Discovery Channel’s Animal Tracks: Baby Grizzlies. The feature tells the story of Grinder and Coola and follows their journey to the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. Smooth and well graded paths lead between all of these attractions, and ample room to view the Lumberjack Show and Birds in motion.

If you are in Vancouver and you strike a clear day a trip up Grouse Mountain is well worth the effort. Allow yourself plenty of time as time does get away if the weather is good. While nearly all of the activities are accessible the final chairlift to the top of the mountain is not nor is the ziplining. The BBQ cafe located near the Birds in Motion display does not have a ramped access to the BBQ deck.

See our full story and slide show