Fisherman’s Co-op – Phillip Island
The Fisherman’s Co-op is both a fish and chippery and a fresh seafood sales centre. It is accessed by a ramp at the southern end of the building. Seating is available inside the building and outside on the veranda overlooking the eastern entrance to Westernport Bay. The outside tables have a pole at each end with fixed side seating making them unsuitable for wheelchair users. The inside seating has movable chairs making them suitable for people of all abilities. The fresh fish displays are low and glass fronted making the contents viewable by people of all heights.
Fishermans Co-operative Education Centre
There are two designated accessible parking bays directly in front of the co-operative.
Access to the education centre is through a wide single door with level entry from the footpath. Inside there is good maneuvering room through the displays. The displays have a combination of words and pictures making them universally understandable for people who’s native language is not English or people with a cognitive disability.
Koala Conservation Centre Phillip Island
The Koala Conservation Centre offers visitors a chance to have a face to face encounter with arguably Australia’s most loved animal. The unique tree top board walks are fully wheelchair accessible offering an inclusive experience.
Unlike a Zoo, the Koala Conservation Centre offers visitors a chance to see these lovable creatures in their natural environment. The centre has played a crucial role in saving the population of Koalas on Phillip Island.
The Visitors Centre is equipped with a cafe with accessible seating, disabled toilet facilities and an interpretative centre that will allow the visitor to leave with a full appreciation of this magnificent little creature.
Accessibility Features
Visitors Centre
The visitors centre is accessed from the five disabled parking places in the carpark via a wide and smooth path. Both the carpark and access path are gravel. The surface is smooth and the stones hard packed and fine. The centre is entered via a ramp with a 1 in 14 gradient equipped with handrails on both sides. The entrance door is wide and self opening. The centre houses a gift shop, cafe, disabled toilet facilities and an excellent interpretive centre. Inside the centre the floors are level and hard surfaced. The furniture in the cafe is movable as is the outdoor eating area furniture. The longer tables have roll under ends to cater for a wheelchair. The interpretative centre is spacious allowing easy wheelchair access. All displays are readable from wheelchair height.
Koala Boardwalk
The highlight of a visit to Koala Conservation Centre are the boardwalks that are fully accessible and allow a view of the Koalas at their level in the trees. The park is entered from the interpretive centre through a self opening door and another 1 in 14 ramp. The paths within the park are again a gravel surface. The paths are smooth and a moderate gradient. The two boardwalks are a short roll from the visitors centre. They are entered through a pair of gates that are very lightly loaded. The Koala Boardwalk lives up to its name with an abundance of Koalas on view giving some remarkable photo opportunities. The boardwalks are wide as are the observation areas allowing easy access to wheelchairs.
Woodland Boardwalk
The Woodland Boardwalk also affords good opportunity to see Koalas but is alive with native bird life. Like the Koala Boardwalk it is wide and easily navigated with a wheelchair.
Woodland Walk
In additional to the two boardwalks the Woodland Walk wanders through the natural bush at ground level. This path is a gravel surface, is smooth and of very moderate grade. Taking your time around this path offers the opportunity to spot a large variety of Australian native wildlife including wallabies, possums, echidnas and over 100 native birds.
Maru Koala and Animal Park
Maru has been a standout performer in accessible tourism over a number of years holding a Hall of Fame Award for Good Access is Good Business. Disabled parking is provided. The car park is hard packed gravel. Entry to the park is down a concrete path to the main self opening entry doors. Inside the building is a gift shop, cafe, accessible toilet and park entry gate. The toilet has a self opening door and the toilet has side and rear handrails. The hand basin has a lever operated tap. The room contains a fold-down baby change table. The cafe is spacious with movable furniture. The counter has a lower display section with a glass fronted cabinet. The counter is a dark timber with a ground level colour contrast strip that is an aid to people with low vision.
Entry to the park is through a wide gateway. All paths and boardwalks through the park are gently sloping making them easy to navigate for people of all abilities. Seats are provided at regular intervals.
The farm section of the park has a paved path throughout. It is entered through a double stock control gate that has a large section between the gates to cater for large power wheelchairs or prams. The elevated sections, that give views of the koalas in their trees, have clear sections below the barrier rails giving good visibility to people of all heights.
All enclosures have viewing windows to cater for people of all heights. The animal encounters cater for people of all abilities. The theatre has two designated wheelchair positions in the front row.
A second accessible toilet is located in the enclosure section of the park. It has side and rear handrails and a lever mixer tap on the hand basin that also provides knee clearance. The picnic pavilion has ramped access and easy to move plastic chairs.
National Vietnam Veterans Museum
The National Vietnam Veterans Museum is an independent Australian museum dedicated to the heritage and legacy of Vietnam veterans. It is located at Newhaven on Phillip Island.
A designated disabled parking space is located on the asphalt road at the side of the building, immediately adjacent to the exit sign. A concrete footpath leads to the front of the building. Entry is through a wide door with level access from the footpath.
Inside the entry is the ticket counter and cafe. An accessible toilet is located within the cafe. The toilet has handrails at the back and side. The hand basin is a bench with knee clearance under it. The taps are twin star style tap fittings.
Inside the museum the floor is painted concrete making it easy to navigate for people using all forms of mobility device. The main body of the museum, is open with plenty of room to navigate the major displays even when the museum is busy. The central section houses the major equipment displays. Signage is all below 1.2 metres making it readable by people of all heights including children and wheelchair users.
Around the outside of the main display areas are galleries. The galleries are wide and the displays rely heavily on photographic and video technology making the stories easy to interpret.
A function area is located at the rear of the museum. The floor is level and the room can be configured as required. The museum also has a mezzanine which is accessed by stairs or an elevator located on the western side of the building.
A caribou aircraft is displayed outside the museum. The pathways are a fine packed hard gravel. Access to the aircraft is by the rear ramp when the exhibit is open.
North Pier Hotel
The North Pier Hotel is situated on the Esplanade in Cowes overlooking Western Port Bay. The hotel offers both accommodation and dining.
Access is via a ramp leading off the Esplanade that leads onto the outside deck.
Dining
Dining is available in three sections: The outside deck area, sports bar and a family bistro. Seating on the deck allows for wheelchair users with open-ended tables. The bistro is situated along the front of the building inside large sliding doors and full length windows. The bistro is well laid out providing ample room to get to the serving counter or to seating. The tables are all a low type design with movable furniture.
The sports bar is on the left side of the building adjacent to the main bar. Seating within the sports bar is all high top tables making it less suitable for wheelchair users or the elderly.
An accessible toilet is located at the far end of the bistro. It is a large room with side handrails for the toilet, a hand basin with knee clearance under it, lever action taps and a baby change facility.
Accommodation
The North Pier Hotel has one accessible room. It is a large multi-purpose room with a queen bed and two sets of bunks. It is on the ground floor with views over Westernport Bay. The bathroom is a full wet room. The shower has a sliding and detachable shower head, a fold-down seat and handrails. The toilet has a side handrail. The room also has a large wheelchair accessible work space/desk. The entry door to the room is 810mm.
