Bridgewater Bakehouse
Bridgewater on the Loddon River makes a perfect accessible lunch stop. The Bakehouse is award winning including the 2018 award for the best Vanilla Slice. There is a designated disabled parking space in front of the bakehouse. The bakehouse in entered from a level wide door with ample room inside for users of wheelchairs and mobility devices. The outdoor undercover tables on the footpath are all accessible.
There is an accessible toilet facility adjacent to the bakehouse.
Bridgewater River Walk
Adjacent to the Loddon Bridge Hotel is the Bridgewater River Walk. There is a designated disabled parking space next to the hotel. The walk is designated as a class 1 trail that is suitable for wheelchair users. The slopes are gentle throughout. Just below the car park is a large fishing platform with level access from the concrete path. The fishing platform has two lowered sections to cater for children or wheelchair users.
A short distance further on is a swimming platform equipped with a ladder and canoe launcher.
Above the swimming platform and accessed by a gently sloping concrete path from the fishing platform is a picnic area equipped with both an accessible picnic table and an accessible toilet facility.
Castlemaine Botanical Gardens
Opposite the Mill is the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens.
This tranquil space has good access throughout with the paths being level and wide with a hard compacted fine gravel surface.
The fountain has a gently sloping ramped access from the path parallel to Downes Road.
Seats are located at strategic intervals along all of the paths.
Access to the Tearooms is via a ramped double door entry at the Mill end of the building.
The playground is well laid out with rubberised pathways giving good access to all of the play equipment. At the playground, there is an undercover picnic facility that contains one accessible picnic table. The playground also contains an accessible drinking fountain.
The rotunda in the park is fully ramped.
The grass areas of the park have an underlying hard surface giving easy access to the lake and rotunda.
There is a bridge from Doran Ave over the river that, while step free, has a steep incline ramp into the park.
There are two car parks in Downes road that each has two designated disabled parking bays. Both bays require wheelchair users to enter the traffic flow to access the curb cuts into the park.
At both car park locations, there are good accessible toilet facilities.
Power points for electrical recharge of power wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available at the playground BBQ’s and the rotunda
BUDA Historic Home and Garden. Castlemaine
BUDA is a historic house and garden from the gold rush era of Castlemaine.
Parking is available directly outside the fence line and relatively level and constructed of fine crushed rock. Entry to the house is via the small gateway.
In front of the house is a wide veranda. A 75mm step is required to get onto the veranda and a further step of the same height to gain entry into the house hallway. Off the hallway are a series of display rooms. Each room has a wide doorway. The content of the rooms is protected by barriers. The full content of each room is fully visible from the door.
At the end of the hall is a room that is traversed across the main lounge/piano room. There is a full step drop to enter this room.
The tour of the house then follows the sunroom and finally another formal lounge. There is a further 75mm step to negotiate.
The garden is accessed by following the house around. The garden paths are all well compacted fine gravel. The garden slopes away quite steeply immediately behind the house. There is a map available the clearly shows the steep sections of the garden and the paths that contain steps. The upper areas of the garden are easy to navigate right around to the tea room.
An accessible toilet is located within the tearoom. It should be noted that this may not be available if there is a private function in the room. The nearest accessible toilet facilities are at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens at either of the two car parks in Downes Street.
Steps restrict access between the house and nursery at the front. Accessible access can be found by exiting the property through the main gate and re-entering through the double gates.
Cumberland Castlemaine
Generally a well designed old country pub with plenty of manoeuvring room and gentle slopes to the ramps. The dining area has moveable seating and ramps link all areas of the hotel. A private room is also available for groups with ramped access.
The Cumberland Hotel has a high level of accessibility. Level access entry is via Lyttleton Street, under the awning.
From the main entrance, there is access to the TAB on the left and the gaming room to the right.
At the end of the bar in the gaming room, there is ramped access to the Bistro and Main Bar.
Accessible toilets are located at the rear of the gaming room.
Outdoor smokers area also accessible from the gaming room.
There is a low countertop in the bistro.
There is wide double door access to the children’s play area
Dietary requirements catered for on request.
Das Kaffeehaus
Das Kaffeehaus is located at The Mill. Designated accessible parking is located just inside the entrance. The first bay in the sealed car park.
Access is via a level concrete path and wide entry doors.
The café is spacious with generous circulation space. Chairs are moveable giving seating options throughout the café. On the left-hand side of the café, there are a series of booths with a wheelchair seating option at the end. The floor is polished concrete.
There is an outdoor seating area accessible from double doors in the middle of the café, however, the surface is loose soft pebbles.
All the countertops are low giving good access to coffee and food.
Accessible toilet facilities are located adjacent to the café clear signed from the café entrance.
