On Sunday 30th July my hubby and I went to Seaworld here on the Gold Coast.

A few days before our visit I went onto their website to check out the ‘Pension’
ticket prices and I found this statement

“A carer accompanying a disabled guest for the sole purpose of assisting that disabled guest will be admitted free of charge providing a current valid Carer’s Card (or similar)issued by relevant State or Commonwealth authorities is produced.”

I then proceeded to send an email to Seaworld
stating that Queensland DOES NOT have the Carer Card but my husband does hold a
Carers pension card and asked if that would gain him free entry. I received an
email back saying “Yes the carer pension card would be adeqate and to print out
that email and take it on the day of my visit to assure that free entry was
gained”.

As expected on the day there was a dispute with
the ticket booth operator who wanted to dispute the fact that “if you don’t have
one in Queensland, then why do we see them” To which we replied, “because people
visit here from other states” DERRRRRR! Only after we produced the name of the
gentleman that emailed me were we granted our free entry.

When we arrived home I proceeded to again email
the Admissions Supervisor again and informed him of the difficulty we had in
gaining free entry for my husband as he did not posess a ‘Carer Card’. I
suggested that he may like to’educate’ his ticket booth operators of the fact
that this ‘Carer Card’ DOES NOT EXIST in Queensland.

Since this episode I have noticed that 3 other
theme parks/attractions on the Gold Coast have the same policies and state the
same about the ‘Carer Card’.

Here is a link about the proposed Carer Card
being available to Queensland Carer’s.

http://www.disability.qld.gov.au/community_involv/carer-recognition/documents/carer-card-may.pdf

In the meantime there DEFINATELY needs to be more
education regarding this to prevent embarrassment and difficulties for carers
and people with disabilities. I for one will be contacting the theme parks
concerned and informing them of this information