Plenty Gorge Park accessibility
Before visiting Plenty Gorge Park, check the park page for the latest changes of conditions.
Plenty Gorge Park is spread out and accessed via numerous entries. The park has several picnic areas with playground and barbecue facilities. Plenty Gorge offers walks of varying terrain and wildlife spotting.
Wildlife at Plenty Gorge
Blue Lake view
Red Gum Picnic Area
Parking
There are two 3.6 metre wide designated disabled parking spaces. Both parking spaces share a central access way for loading that is 3 meters wide. The car park surface is asphalt and is level. The two disabled spaces are located directly in front of the toilet block.
Accessible parking spaces at Red Gum Picnic Area
Gravel Path leading from the accessible parking to the toilet block
Toilet Facilities
There is an accessible unisex toilet located on the far side of the building away from the car park. The cubicle entrance is 700 millimeters wide and there is a low curb/lip at the entryway. The cubicle is fitted with an inward opening swing door. It is light to open and is fitted with a self-closer. There is a low vertical handle on the outside of the door and an internal rotating lock fitted with a wing type handle. The door needs finger dexterity or strength to be opened and locked.
Toilet block
Low curb/lip at entryway
Accessible toilet facilities at Red Gum Picnic Area
The toilet seat is 450 millimeters high and is fitted with a side grab bar only. There is wheelchair space beside the toilet. The hand basin stands at 850 millimeters in height, has a clear space of 200 millimeters underneath it and has no exposed hot water pipes. The tap is a fluted handle twist type that requires finger dexterity and strength.
Picnic Area
Red Gum Picnic Area is a large flat grassed field easily accessed from the car park. There are picnic tables provided. The tables have fixed side seating with 300-millimeter overhangs. The tables are all on small concrete pads which do not have ample room to fit a wheelchair.
Picnic table and playground
Playground
There is a playground behind the main toilet block which is on flat open ground. The main play area is covered with tanbark and surrounded by plastic edging approximately 75 millimeters high. The playground has several ground level play features including a swing set with one back support seat, giant abacus and animal rocking chair.
Swing set including one seat with back support
Curb/lip surrounding playground area
Hawkestowe Picnic Area
The Hawkestowe Picnic Area is on two levels.
Lower Car Park Area
The lower car park gives access to the picnic facilities and a large grassed area. The car park does not have a designated disabled parking area (bays are not marked) but there is a loading area next to the bay that is marked with raised sleepers (75 millimeters high). The surface of the car park is gravel and level.
Parking Lot (no marked accessible parking) with loading bay adjacent to closet parking space to the path.
Picnic Area
Entry to the picnic area is at the far end of the car park. Level access is provided through the garden to the flat grassed area. There are gravel paths running through the area. The paths are all level and are a fine hard packed gravel.
Entry gate into the picnic area
Two picnic pavilions are located to the left. Each is accessed by a gravel path and has a level concrete floor. The picnic tables are steel framed with fixed side seating and a small 225-millimeter overhang at either end. A barbecue is located between the two pavilions. It has two hotplates at a working height of 1 meter and is push button operated. The buttons are recessed and require flinger dexterity to operate within their recessed surrounds. The barbecue is surrounded by fine crushed gravel.
Picnic pavilion and electric barbecue
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Picnic Pavilion
A second barbecue area is located to the right of the path from the car park at the base of the hill leading to the homestead. The barbecue is of identical design and has several picnic tables.
Electric barbecue and picnic table
Upper car park
Up the hill from the lower car park is the old Le Page homestead. It can be reached by a path across the lawn but it is uphill for 200 metres at an approximately 1 in 14 slope. Manual wheelchair users would require assistance. The path leading from the designated disabled parking spaces has no steps. An alternative parking area is located between the homestead and the outbuildings. There are no designated disabled parking spaces. The parking area is a level gravel surface.
The homestead and parking area
Toilet Facilities
The toilets for the Hawkestowe Picnic Area are located at the rear of the Le Page homestead off the rear patio. They can be accessed via a flat paved brick path. The assessible toilet is a unisex facility and is located on the side of the house on the far side of the rear patio/ courtyard. The doorway is 800 millimeters wide and opens outward. The handle is a lever type that pushes down and is 1 meter from ground height. The internal lock is a rotary type with a wing type handle that can be operated without finger dexterity. It is mounted below the entry handle at 850 millimeters from ground height.
Unisex accessible toilet facility at Le Page Homestead
The room is large with space for a wheelchair beside the toilet. The seat height is 450 millimeters and it is fitted with side and rear grab bars. The flush unit is located behind the toilet at a height of 1.1 meters. The buttons are raised and can be operated without finger dexterity and minimal strength required. The toilet paper dispenser is positioned at a height of 1.1 meters tall.
The hand basin has clear space underneath it and all pipes are protected. The tap is a lever flick style with long handle requiring only light pressure to operate it. There is a hand dryer located next to the basin and requires a height of 110 centimeters to activate.
Le Page Homestead (exterior)
The rear patio has a great view over the old farm and the large dam below. The large trees offering protection from the summer sun. The verandah areas of the Le Page homestead are wide and level with the car park allowing wheelchair access to the arts school when it is open.
The rear patio is wheelchair accessible and ideal for picnicking and enjoying the view
Le Page Homestead entrance and verandah
Le Page Homestead verandah and entryway
Yarrambat Picnic Area
The Yarrambat Picnic area is off Yan Yean Road on the other side of the Plenty Gorge Park. It is a small area with large, grassed areas for play.
Parking
The car park has two designated disabled parking spaces that are just over 4 meters wide each. They adjoin a center access path which is 3 meters wide. The two parking bays are directly in front of the toilet block.
Designated accessible parking spaces with access path to the toilet block
Toilet Facilities
The car park has two designated disabled parking spaces that are just over 4 meters wide each. They adjoin a center access path which is 3 meters wide. The two parking bays are directly in front of the toilet block.
Unisex accessible toilet facility at Yarrambat Picnic Area
The is ample room inside with space beside the toilet for a wheelchair. The toilet seat is high at 530 millimetres from floor level. There are side and rear grab bars fitted. The flush is immediately behind the toilet just above the rear grab bar. It is an unusual twist type with a 50 millimetre by 19 millimetre handle. Only light effort is required to operate it. The hand basin has a push button tap that requires some strength. There is clear space beneath it with no exposed hot water pipes.
Picnic Area
Beside the toilet block in front of the car park is a large, grassed area with picnic tables, a water tap and an electric barbecue. The barbecue is operated by a small, recessed push button control and has two cooktops with a working height of 900 millimeters. It is situated on a large brick paved area.
Electric barbecue and picnic table
The picnic tables are steel framed with fixed bench seating on either side. The table tops have a 225 millimetre overhang at either end but sit on small concrete pads that are not large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. At the back of the area is a picnic pavilion. It has a brick paved floor and two tables that have fixed seating on three sides and an open side for wheelchair users. The front of the pavilion has a 75-millimeter lip from the grassed area, but the rear of the pavilion is level with the surrounding grass.
Picnic pavilion
Drinking fountain
On the opposite side of the carpark is a large playing field
Yellow Gum Recreation Area
To access the Yellow Gum Picnic Area, take Memorial Drive and head to the end of Goldsworthy Lane (the driveway is a mixture of gravel dirt and concrete) until you reach the carpark area. It is approximately 2km from the Memorial Drive turn off into this section of the park.
Parking
There is no designated disabled parking in the small gravel car park. The surface is course stones that can be up to 25 millimeters in diameter. Entry to the picnic area is through a gate. There are small gaps on either side of the gate to allow entry with the gap of the right the larger (allowing over 1 meter for visitors to pass through).
Parking at Yellow Gum Recreation Area
Gate access into the park
Picnic Area
The picnic area is about 80 metres up the path to the right. The path is gravel with an approximate slope of 1 in 14. The picnic area is large and flat with a grassed surface. There are several electric barbecues here. They have a working height of 900 millimeters and are operated by small, recessed push button switch. Each barbecue is located on a concrete slab extends a metre around the barbecue.
The picnic tables are a square design with three fixed seats and one open side to accommodate a wheelchair or people bringing their own chair for back support. The tables are located on a natural surface allowing ample room around each table.
At the rear of the picnic area is a large pavilion. It has one fixed table of the same accessible design with room for two more portable tables.
Picnic area with electric barbecue and wheelchair accessible picnic tables
Picnic pavilion at Yellow Gum Picnic Area
Toilet Facilities
There is a toilet block at the rear of the picnic area but there are no disabled facilities.
Toilet block at Yellow Gum Picnic Area
Blue Lake Observation Platform
The Yellow Gum Picnic Area is renowned for its views over the blue lake in the Plenty Gorge below. The blue lake can be seen from two viewing platforms. The upper platform is best accessed by taking the left-hand road near the entry gate and then following the right hand branch below the toilet block. There is a path from the toilet block that joins the main path but the gradients exceed 1 in 10 and the surface is rough and rutted. The upper viewing platform looks down on the lake and is a wide area of natural earth.
Blue Lake observation platform
The path to the lower platform is over 600 metres in length and has long sections with gradients in excess of 1 in 10.
Lower platform observation area
Visitors can reach lake level if they take continue following the path for approximately another 300 meters from the lower viewing platform.
Wide dirt/gravel walking paths lead down the the Blue Lake
Lake level access via the dirt path