Karkarook

Karkarook Park is a 15 hectare park and lake located in the Southeast of Melbourne on Warrigul Road Oakleigh. It is a good spot for canoeing, kayaking, sailing or fishing. The lake is stocked with Rainbow Trout and Redfin. There are 6km of trails to explore.

There are three parking areas at Karkarook

Dragonfly

Car Park

The Dragonfly car park gives access to the Dragonfly picnic area, the toilet block and the dragonfly lookout tower. There two designated disabled parking spaces on the left at the far end of the car park. They are 3.6 metres in width and are adjacent to the entry path leading to the toilet block and lookout tower. The car park surface is level and sealed. The path to the toilet block and lookout tower is also sealed and has a slope of approximately 1 in 20 over 50 metres.

Toilets

The toilet block contains one unisex disabled facility between the male and female entrances. The door is a swing type that opens inward with a large vertical handle. The door is light to open and is fitted with a rotating door lock. Finger dexterity is not required to operate the lock. The room is large with ample turning room. There is wheelchair space beside the toilet which has side and rear grab rails. The height of the seat is 420 millimetres. The flush buttons are directly behind the seat, are raised and require only light pressure to operate. The hand basin has clear space under it, not exposed hot water pipes and the tap is lever operated. It requires only light upward pressure to turn it on and it remains on until it is pushed back down. There is a bin in the room.

Information Centre

Beyond the toilets is a large undercover area with a concrete floor. There is an information centre with level entry and low display panels.

Observation Tower.

Opposite the information centre is the Dragonfly Observation Tower. It is entered directly on the concrete surface via two semi-circular boardwalk paths. The ramp there proceeds straight to the top at a 1 in 14 gradient with level rest areas. At the end of the ramp is a large flat observation area that over looks the park and the lake to the north.

Picnic Facilities

In this area of the park there are under cover tables adjacent to the information centre and several individual tables placed on the grass areas. The individual tables are the square design with one open side to allow wheelchair users to sit at the table or those requiring back support to bring their own chairs and sit at the table.

Access to the Lake

Below the observation tower there is a sealed path that leads down to the lake. This path is 80 metres in length and has a constant gradient of 1 in 12 without any level rest areas. The final 10 metres increases to a gradient of 1 in 10.

Butterfly

Car Park

There are four marked disabled parking spaces in the centre of this car park, two on either side. Each bay is 4 metres in width and they share a centre access/loading area. The car park surface is asphalt and level. The path leading directly from these car parks give access to the she-oaks picnic area with several tables of the square open design. The path to lake has gradients of up to 1 in 10. There is a gentler alternative at the end of the car park nearest the entrance where the path’s gradient is a consistent 1 in 14 to the lake edge.

Lake Trail

The lake trail begins at the small bridge over the inlet. The approaches to either side of the bridge are the steepest points on the trail. Both approaches are short but have a gradient of 1 in 12. From the bridge the trail circles the lake and has a total distance of 1.8 kilometres. The trail surface is smooth asphalt and is a minimum of 1.8 metres wide. Throughout its distance the trail is predominately flat. The sloping sections do not exceed a 1 in 20 gradient.

Features

Just after the bridge is a picnic area that has a pavilion and several of the square open sided tables. Down from the picnic area is a small fishing jetty that is accessed via another asphalt path. The gradient of this path is 1 in 14 The jetty is level with the path and has a large “T” section at the end. Fishing is permitted from this jetty.

Bird Hide.

The bird hide, which was wheelchair accessible, was destroyed by fire in 2016.

Jetty

Three quarters of the way around the lake is a second jetty of another short access path. This path is steep. Assistance andcaution would be needed by wheelchair and walker users to access this jetty. The slope is consistently 1 in 10 with the final 25 metres increasing to 1 in 8.

Small Boat Launching

The park contains a small boat or canoe lanching area. It has a small concrete ramp and an adjacent loading jetty Both are accessed from the lake trail with level access onto the loading jetty.

The Wetlands Walk

On the Warragul Road side of the lake is another set of walks through the wetlands which are a great place to observe the local birdlife. These paths are compacted fine gravel. The path with the least gradient is the one commencing immediately below the observation tower. The maximum slope on this trail is a short length of 1 in 14 as it climbs the rise. The path to the right crosses a boardwalk which has a handrail rail on one side and a 75 millimetres strip on the other. Following the path to the boundary road at the fence and turing right brings you back to the lack trail