Bear Essentials 28 - Our Future, our Fans, our Friends, our Families

Accessibility

Bear Essentials

Not all the Bear Essentials are fully accessible. We've compiled some information about the different levels of accessibility for our events.

Our Home Bars

Harbour City Bears has 2 homes in Sydney- The Oxford in Darlinghurst, and The Townie in Newtown. Note that there are several bars with the same name in Sydney, so make sure you head to the right one!

The Oxford 134 Oxford Street Darlinghurst	The Oxford has 4 floors, connected by stairs. There is no elevator. The ground floor has 2 steps to get inside the main entrance doors. There is an accessible ramp into the ground floor via the V.I.P. Lounge next door. Enter via this ramp and go to the end of the corridor and turn right to enter the main bar. The Furry Friday and Cabearet events will have an Auslan interpreter.
The Town Hall Hotel (The Townie) 326 King Street, Newtown	The Town Hall Hotel has 3 floors. They are connected by stairs, and there is an elevator to all floors. The elevator is kept locked but can be unlocked on request by the staff.

Our Events

Our events are in a variety of locations, indoor and outdoor. Below are the events that might have special accessibility requirements.

Fair Day Victoria Park	Victoria Park is a large outdoor park. It is wheelchair accessible, however some areas are grassy and may be muddy and slippery if there is rain. There are some areas where the ground is uneven and may be difficult to access via wheelchair.
Beach Day 1 Little Congwong Beach	There is a fair walk, approximately 15 minutes, from the beach entry to Little Congwong Beach and there are many stairs involved. The path has stairs down from the entry to Congwong Beach, then some rock-cut stairs up and over to Little Congwong Beach. The stairs are often wet and slippery. Shade is limited on the beach, and the Australian sun can be very harsh, so bring some shade and sunscreen.
Press Paws & Cabearet Ginger's Bar	Press Paws and the Cabearet are in Ginger's Bar on the upper level of The Oxford, which requires stairs to access. Ginger's has terraced areas, so there are small stairs inside the bar.
Yum Cha Brunch Hung Cheung	Hung Cheung is on the ground floor with a single step up, and no ramp. Once inside, the restaurant is on a single level.
Beach Day 2 Obelisk Beach	Obelisk Beach is a short walk, approximately 3 minutes, from the beach entry. There are some stairs required. Shade is limited on the beach, and the Australian sun can be very harsh, so bring some shade. Sunscreen is especially important since Obelisk is clothing-optional, and you will burn very quickly and painfully if you don't wear 50+ SPF.
Retro Arcade Night 1989 Arcade Bar	The venue is not wheelchair accessible. The venue has a single step up to enter the main bar. There are 3 main levels, accessible via stairs: the ground floor with the bar and half the arcade machines, a mezzanine with the pinball machines and toilets, and a second floor with the remainder of the arcade machines. All movies are dialogue subtitled in English, however not all include non-dialogue information. Most of the arcade machines are of the 'standing' variety, however there are tabletop arcade machines on both floors.
Underbear Space Nightclub	Space nightclub is on the upper level of the building. It has a elevator which must be unlocked by staff.
Underbear Afterparty Sydney Sauna	Sydney Sauna is on the first floor, up off the street. There is no elevator, and the venue is not wheelchair accessible. There are many small steps up and down within the venue. There are wet areas, so the floor may be slippery.
Sauna Party Sydney City Steam	Sydney City Steam has 4 levels with a staircase running through the entire venue. The elevator is currently out of order and is unavailable. There are wet areas, so the floor may be slippery.
Wet Furr Cook + Phillip Pool	The Cook and Phillip Aquatic Centre is fully accessible. There are stairs or an elevator to enter the centre. The pool has ramp access and slopes gently, getting gradually deeper. The leisure pool has a wave machine which will be on periodically during the event. There are several lifeguards on duty at all times.
Mardi Gras Parade	The parade requires a long wait in the mustering area before the parade begins, with limited places to sit. The parade itself is approximately 2km (1.2 miles), and proceeds at a brisk walking pace. After the parade ends, you will likely have to walk to your next destination, as roads will be closed and transport options limited. The Mardi Gras organisers do provide a shuttle for those with mobility issues, however you must book it with them directly, Harbour City Bears cannot book this on your behalf.