The Cove's Lillico Farm is open for all

North-West agri-tourism business The Cove has won the Tasmanian Tourism Industry Council ‘s Excellence in Accessible Tourism Award for the second consecutive year.

Set on Kim and Bruce Robinson’s 140ha coastal property, Lillico Farm, the multi-faceted accommodation, restaurant and farm tour complex is now managed by their son Kurt and during its transformation over the past four years, has kept inclusivity at the forefront of every step.

Bruce, a sixth-generation farmer, grows beef cattle, peas, carrots, poppies and pyrethrum while Kim and Kurt concentrate on developing the tourism side of the businesss.

When called upon Bruce also gets involved with taking the farm tours, which his wife can’t help but note take a lot longer than hers - due to his passion for farming and talking about life on the land.

“We all love to share our unique setting and lifestyle,” Kim said.

“With one in five Australians having a disability, we recognised early in the piece that they deserved to have the same holiday experience as anybody else,” Kim said.

“It’s not a level site, so we’ve worked hard to make sure that accessibility is as easy as possible for those with mobility problems and visual impairments.”

Among the mix of glamping A-frame huts and five-star villa accommodation are options to cater for most special needs.

There’s one fully compliant disability unit and three accessible units, and the hub of the complex, the Alexander Centre, has disability bathrooms that can be used by anyone on the premises.

Pebble paths were changed to aggregate for easy wheelchair movements, access parking and ramps installed, golf carts, walking sticks and walking frames supplied for easy movement around the property and new rooms have been built featuring an outdoor bath and with mobility and accessibility in mind.

Kim said it’s rewarding to see guests find equality in being able to interact with the highland cows and alpacas, see the penguins or take in the ocean view or simply move about with confidence thanks to no steps, the right lighting and colour coding and wide hallways and doorways.

Assistance dogs are welcome and fellow guests educated on how to treat them.

“We’ve done everything we can and that’s why people come here – and if they leave us feedback we act on that,” she said.

“Our staff gets a huge sense of pride in being able to deliver a stay for those with a disability that matches everyone else’s stay. It’s not just box ticking. We encourage all businesses to do what they can to make their premises better.”

The farm tours are booked by both guests and people who are day tripping, with the restaurant and café able to showcase all the best produce from around the region.

The Cove has even used the farm’s botanicals to make their own range of vodka and gin in partnership with Alchymia Distillery at Table Cape and has also put down a barrel of whiskey that will be ready in five years.

“It’s a challenge mixing normal farm life with hospitality – our cows like to hang out on our viewing platforms and we haven’t found a way yet to stop them destroying the solar lamp posts by scratching on them, but everyone loves the tranquility of the farm and the memories they take away.”