I'm An NDIS Participant

Travel with confidence and control. We’re the team designing unique, personalised, and seamless travel experiences for participants and their families. We are an NDIS-registered service provider and disability specialist travel agency.

STX designs unique and personalised experiences with you tailored to your needs and requirements and helps you achieve your NDIS goals.

Go anywhere and anytime, with whoever you need – with the confidence and control of a perfectly planned stay.

As an NDIS-registered service provider, we listen to your specific needs and can assist you with:

✅ Exploring new destinations: Whether it’s a relaxing beach getaway, an adventurous city trip, or a cultural immersion, we can curate the perfect itinerary for you.

✅ Accessing accessible travel options: We specialise in finding and booking accessible accommodation, transportation, and activities to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable journey.

✅ NDIS funding guidance: In individual circumstances, and within the framework of your NDIS plan’s reasonable and necessary support and goals, we can provide guidance on what travel-related expenses may be eligible for funding.

Experience the world your way. We work closely with you to create a seamless travel experience that aligns with your goals and preferences, giving you the confidence and control to explore the world on your terms.

Why STX

Enjoy a fully tailored experience

Relax with complete peace of mind

Experience the world confidently with full support

Achieve your goals

How we help design your dream holiday

Enjoy ultimate choice, control and flexibility as we take care of booking all the elements for your travel, including accessible accommodation activities, transfers, restaurant bookings, and more – no need for additional research!
We collaborate with your current support team to assess your support needs and seamlessly arrange everything. Benefit from our extensive research and trusted network to deliver an experience that suit your individual needs.
Get expert advice on travel experiences for your individual needs.
Bring along your own support worker, or we can assist in finding local direct support to meet your requirements.
Always receive upfront quotes with no hidden fees for your travel itinerary.

Examples of inclusions:

Booking of appropriate accommodation

Hiring and relocating of assistive tech or medical equipment

Arranging all transport and transfers

Coordinating meals delivery

Booking relevant experiences to help achieve your NDIS goals

Coordinating support workers if needed

NDIS and Travel

The NDIS won’t fund your holiday expenses like travel, accommodation, or entertainment.

However, you might be able to claim some NDIS funding for support you need while on your trip. This will depend on the details of your NDIS plan and your individual circumstances, support and accessibility needs.

Here’s what you can potentially claim:

- Support worker assistance: If you require a support worker to accompany you on your trip, you can use your Core funding to cover their time. This funding only pays for their support, not their travel or accommodation costs. You’ll need to discuss and agree on how these additional costs will be covered beforehand. Make sure to document the agreed upon hours of support in a quote or service agreement.

Assistive Technology

Specific accommodation expenses

Transport and additional baggage costs

To determine if and how much you can claim, it’s best to consult with:

Supported Travel eXperiences (STX): They can help you explore what funding options might be available based on your NDIS plan and goals.
Your Support Coordinator or Plan Manager: They can advise you on how your specific needs and plan can be incorporated into claiming for support during your trip.

Our team understands the complexities of using NDIS funding. We’ll guide you through the process and ensure your plans seamlessly integrate with your existing support network, collaborating with your support coordinators, plan managers, and service providers for a stress-free experience.

FAQs on Short Term Respite (STR)

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has replaced the Short Term Accommodation (STA) guideline with a new one for Short Term Respite (STR). STR allows a participant and their primary informal supports (like family) to have a break. It is generally funded for up to 14 days at a time, for a total of 28 days per year.

General Questions about STR

What is Short Term Respite (STR)?

STR is NDIS funding that allows you to spend time, including overnight, away from your primary informal supports. A primary informal support is a family member or friend who provides you with the majority of your unpaid, active, disability-related support.

The main goals of STR are:

To give your primary carers a short break from their usual responsibilities.
To ensure you are supported by someone else while your carers have a break.
To sustain your long-term living arrangements with your informal supports.

Who is eligible for STR?

To be eligible for STR, you generally must live with your primary informal supports or receive daily drop-in support from them. You must also receive more than 6 hours per day of long-term, disability-related support from them.

In addition, at least one of the following must apply:

You receive high-intensity supports (e.g., complex bowel care, ventilator management).
You require intensive or complex behaviour support.
Your primary carer’s wellbeing is at risk (e.g., they are ageing or ill).
Your carer has other significant caring responsibilities (e.g., for young children).
You live in an area where alternative in-home supports are not readily available.

Who is NOT eligible for STR?
STR funding is generally not available if:

You live alone independently.
You already receive more than 18 hours of paid support in your home each day.
You live in a Supported Independent Living (SIL) arrangement.
You have funding for Individualised Living Options (ILO).

Using your STR Funding

What can I use STR funding for?

Your STR funding can be used to pay for:

Standard Accommodation: This includes a clean and comfortable place to stay like a hotel, motel, or short-stay rental (e.g., Airbnb) with the accessibility features you need.
Support for Daily Activities: Funding for a support worker to help you with everyday tasks that your informal carer would normally help with, such as personal care, cooking, and cleaning.
Support Worker’s Accommodation: If you require overnight support and it’s necessary for your support worker to stay at the location with you, the NDIS can fund their accommodation costs.

What can’t I use STR funding for?
STR funding is specifically for respite and cannot be used for:

Holidays: It cannot be used to pay for holiday packages, cruises, tours, or airfares.
Day-to-day Living Costs: Expenses that everyone is expected to pay, such as rent, mortgage, or utility bills.
Informal Supports: You cannot use the funding to pay for arrangements with your own family or friends.
Carer’s Expenses: It cannot be used to pay for accommodation or programs for your primary informal supports.

How is the amount of STR funding decided?
The funding amount is based on the level of support you usually receive from your primary informal carers. The NDIS will consider how many hours of informal support you get each day and fund a similar level of paid support during your respite. The NDIS will ensure it is not duplicating other supports already in your plan.

Travel, Meals, and Activities

Can I use STR funding to go on a holiday?

No. STR funding cannot be used to go on a holiday. Its purpose is to give your informal carers a break, not to pay for a vacation. While you can’t use STR funds to pay for holiday costs like flights or tourist accommodation, you can still use other flexible funding in your Core budget (e.g., for a support worker) while you are away on a self-funded holiday.

What about meals during STR?

Meals are considered a day-to-day living cost and are not covered by NDIS funding. You must use your own money to pay for your food. This includes groceries, restaurant meals, or meal delivery services.

In some group-based respite centres, meals may be included in the daily rate, but this must align with NDIS price limits. For individual STR in a hotel or Airbnb, you will always be responsible for the cost of your meals.

Can I pay for activities with STR funding?

No. You cannot use NDIS funding to pay for the activities themselves. Costs like tickets, entry fees, or equipment hire are day-to-day living costs that you must pay for with your own money.

However, you can use your STR funding to pay for the support worker you need to help you participate in an activity. For example, if you go to a museum, you would pay for your own entry ticket, but your STR funding could pay for your support worker’s time to assist you during the visit.

If you have further questions on STR and NDIS guidelines, contact us here.

Last updated: November 2025

What our clients say

We recently enjoyed a night away staying on Level 73 with an impressive view. We are very grateful for the work done by Yann, Andrew and Mandi at Supported Travel eXperiences and are looking forward to the next time we can head away for a break a little further away from home.

Thank you Mandi for taking the time to book our weekend away. Trying to find wheelchair accessible accommodation for a family is always a challenge. Thank you for finding the right place for us. I look forward to using your services again when booking our next holiday. Thank you.

From both my family and I, we would like to 'Thank you’ for all your assistance with my travel arrangements. There is so much that I am grateful for, you have been so understanding, patient and generously kind throughout. You made sure that I was well informed and updated every step of my time here. I have absolutely enjoyed my time away.