Bear Essentials

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

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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 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.

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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.
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 some 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. Shade is limited on the beach, and the Australian sun can be very harsh, so bring some shade and sunscreen.
Press Paws Ginger's Bar	Press Paws are in Ginger's Bar on the upper level of The Oxford, which will require stairs. Additionally, Ginger's has terraced areas, so there are small stairs inside the bar.
Hunter Valley Day Tour	The tour bus is not wheelchair accessible.
Bear Tales Basement Bar	Bear Tales is held in the Basement Bar on the underground level of Kinselas. It requires stairs to access. There will be an Auslan interpreter for the show.
Sauna Party 1 & Underbear Afterparty 357 Sydney City Steam	357 has 4 levels with a staircase running through the entire venue. There is an elevator to all floors. There are wet areas, so there may be slippery areas.
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.
Mardi Gras Viewing The Beacham	The Beacham has stairs and does not have an elevator. It is not wheelchair accessible.
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.
Opera House Tour	Sydney Opera house is fully wheelchair accessible.
Big'N'Burly Cabearet The Standard	The Standard is upstairs at Kinselas Hotel. There is no lift access, so the venue is not wheelchair accessible. There will be an Auslan interpreter for the show.
Underbear Space Nightclub	Space nightclub is on the upper level of the building. It has a elevator which must be unlocked by staff.
Harbour Cruise	The cruise vessel is wheelchair accessible. The cruise makes a stop on Clark Island, which is a national park. While there are some paths, most of the island is parkland, with uneven ground, steps and rocks. While it's technically wheelchair accessible, it may be difficult.
Sauna Party 2 Sydney Sauna	Sydney Sauna is on an upper level and is not wheelchair accessible. It does not have an elevator, and requires access via a staircase to enter. There are also a small number of steps between sections of the venue. There is a wet area that may be slippery.
Pool Party 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.
Pride Villages	The Pride Villages are held on closed streets. They are wheelchair accessible, however you may need to be aware of the location of kerb-cuts and ramps to move between the street and the footpath.
Harbour Bridge Walk	The Harbour Bridge Pride Walk will proceed from North Sydney to the Domain. This is a very long walk, approximately 5km (3 miles), however it is wheelchair accessible. The walk will be on the roadway, so the path will be smooth, however there are a number of slopes up and down on the run up to and coming down off the bridge.