The Australian Outback Spectacular has never quite made it onto our itinerary when we’ve previously visited the Gold Coast. We regularly get messages from our community asking if we have visited and can help with access information so on our most recent trip it seemed time to finally go and see the famed Gold Coast dinner show.
Australian Outback Spectacular – accessible Gold Coast
The Australian Outback Spectacular is located in Oxenford, about a 30 minute drive from Surfers Paradise and in the same neighbourhood as the Gold Coast’s famed theme parks, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Movie World.
Bazza’s bar was bustling with guests keen for a drink before the show. Doors open and pre-show entertainment begins at 6.15pm.
Live music and the the opportunity to meet some of the show’s equine and four-legged stars is available to those who arrive early enough. Of course the animals have to head off for last minute glam so they leave Bazza’s Bar around 7pm to get ready for the show.
The arena seats 1000 people so it’s huge but I think the accessible seating is some of the best in the house to view Heartland, the current show at the Australian Outback Spectacular. As the name suggests, the show is spectacular with immersive technology, fabulous horsemanship and a story that explores the hardships that often come with life on the land. It also celebrates the Aussie community spirit that keeps farmers afloat during tough times. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers so I’ll leave my commentary on the storyline at that. It’s always nice to go to a show and be surprised.
Dinner at Australian Outback Spectacular
At the time of booking guests make a meal choice. When we visited the three course meal consisted of a rustic woodfire roasted vegetable and goat feta tart served with wild rocket and home-made pineapple chutney and the main meal choices were either a juicy eye fillet steak or a tender chicken breast. There was also a vegetarian option. For research purposes (of course) I tried a bit of all three options. They were all tasty but the eye fillet steak was my favourite.
The meal is finished off with a delicate chocolate tart served with a delicious honey salted caramel sauce, and a pinch of chocolate dirt from the outback. It’s rich but not a scrap was left on the plates.
A complimentary bottle of water and glass of wine is offered during the meal.
Wheelchair access at Australian Outback Spectacular
We found the Australian Outback Spectacular provides excellent access throughout. We arrived at around 645pm and found that it was a bit of a challenge moving through the crowd in Bazza’s bar as many guests had started queuing for the main show. Given tickets provide reserved seating I’m not sure why people feel the need to queue so early. Even though the venue seats 1000 people, staff were quick to seat everyone.
Step-free entry is provided into the venue and a gentle ramp takes guests to the arena seating.
We had four seats in the wheelchair accessible seating area. Amelia, Hubby and I had standard seating where we squeezed behind a bar-style of table. Braeden had the same kind of bar-style table but his was on wheels so it could be wheeled to the side to allow him to get positioned in his wheelchair and then wheeled back into place in front of him. It’s super nifty.
It’s important to book through the venue directly to ensure you get suitable accessible seating. As you can see from the photo above, the accessible seating level provides great viewing for the show.
There is one unisex accessible bathroom. As you can imagine, the queues during the break are long after everyone’s drinks have had time to settle. We popped out during a quieter part of the show to avoid the crowds.
Accessible parking is available in the outdoor car park in front of the venue. A path leads from the car park to the entry.
I wasn’t sure if our family, particularly Braeden, would enjoy the Australian Outback Spectacular but it was hit with us all. We were guests of Village Roadshow for the purposes of sharing an accessible review but as always, our opinions are our own.
You can read more about dinner and the Heartland show on the Australian Outback Spectacular website.
