Snapper House Bed and Breakfast
Snapper House Bed and Breakfast is located at 1 Snapper Court Rhyll. It is a 15 minute walk into the town of Rhyll.
Seahorse Motel
The Seahorse motel is located in Chapel Street, 500 metres from the main strip of Cowes.
The motel has two accessible two bedroom units, one a motel room style and the other fully self-contained.
Each unit has wide entry doors and parking directly in front of the units. The parking bays are wide with ample room for wheelchair users.
Each bathroom is a full wet-room. The shower has a sliding shower head that is also removable. Portable shower chairs are provided. The toilet has side and rear handrails with a metre of clear space beside the toilet.
A full-length vanity unit is provided with lever taps on the hand basin.
The main bedrooms have a queen bed with room under the bed for a portable hoist. The second bedroom/ lounge area has two single beds again with room under the bed for a portable hoist. A couch is located between the beds that can be moved on request.
The kitchen area is large and open. The microwave is located above the bench and may be difficult to reach for wheelchair users.
The grounds of the motel contain a swimming pool with wide level access. Entry to the pool is via steps and a handrail is provided. Next to the steps is a wide in-water seating area.
Ripples n Tonic Farm Stay
Ripples n Tonic Farm Stay is on 15 acres located close to Ventnor Beach. The property has six accessible accommodation options.
• Killara Cottage – a 2 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to and a maximum of 6 people.
• Plover Cottage – a 3 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to and a maximum of 9 people.
• Shearer’s Quarters – a two bedroom unit that sleeps up to and a maximum of 4 people
• Genista Cottage – a 2 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to and a maximum of 6 people.
• Hollydene Cottage – a 3 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to and a maximum of 9 people.
• Narrabeen Cottage – a 2 bedroom cottage that sleeps up to and a maximum of 6 people.
Each of the cottages has been purpose built with people with a disability in mind.
The kitchens all have roll-under workspaces. Appliances are all located at easy reach height from a seated position. Storage is all under the bench tops with roll-out shelves giving easy access. Power points are located within easy reach.
The bathrooms are full wetrooms. The showers have portable shower chairs, handrails and height adjustable and removable shower roses. Shower controls are a single lever mixer tap. Toilets have side handrails. The bedrooms can be configured to a guests needs. All beds have 300mm of clearance for portable hoists. Guests do not have to bring their own equipment as the property has a variety of shower chairs, commodes, hoists and height adjustable beds available as well as a variety of mobility devices and beach wheelchairs.
The property is on flat ground with a mixture of hard packed gravel and concrete paths. The camp kitchen is ramped. The playground contains a variety of equipment for children with a disability.
Ripples n Tonic is suitable for both people with a physical or cognitive disability. It is a quiet setting and guests are encourage to interact with the animals on the farm. There are daily feeding sessions with guest participation.
Phillip Island Apartments
Phillip Island Apartments is a 4 star self-rated property located in Church St Cowes, offering spacious fully self-contained apartments with one, two and three bedroom options. All apartments include a full kitchen and laundry facilities, large living and dining area. There is one 2 bedroom accessible apartment. It is a designated parking bay directly outside.
The kitchen has a wheelchair under the workbench with appliances within easy reach.
The bathroom is a full wetroom equipped with handrails for the toilet and shower. The shower has a fold down shower seat, height
adjustable and removable shower rose. The taps are a large star pattern.
The master bedroom has a queen bed with 100mm clearance under it making it suitable for a portable hoist. The second bedroom has two single beds also with 100mm clearance under them.
The lounge is spacious to accommodate a wheelchair.
Comfort Resort Kaloha Phillip Island
Kaloha is located on the corner of Steele and Chapel Streets, Cowes. The resort offers beach frontage in a quiet location. The resort is less than a 5 minute walk to shops, cafes and restaurants.
The reception is located just inside the main entry. There are four steps to the reception building limiting accessibility to full-time wheelchair users without someone accompanying them. Reception staff will meet guests at the room with prior notice or a phone call to the resort on arrival.
Kaloha has one accessible two bedroom apartment with kitchenette. It is apartment 8. There is a designated park outside the door, however, it is a standard size bay. A larger bay is available adjacent to the stairs that can be made available by prior request for wheelchair users. The entry to the apartment has a 75mm high step. The door is 860mm wide.
Inside the apartment, there is the main living-dining area with the two bedrooms on the right hand side. Both bedrooms had wide doorways with ample room in front of the bed.
Space is limited at the side of the beds.
The bathroom is a full wet room with handrails for both the toilet and shower. The handrail extends across the full back wall. The shower features a detachable shower head. The vanity unit is a solid unit with no rollunder space. A portable shower chair is available.
Space is the living area is tight and is the entry to the bathroom. Furniture would need to be repositioned to allow for wheelchair access to the bathroom and the rear bedroom.
Both the swimming pool and the restaurant have stairs at their respective entries.
Anchor Belle Holiday Park
Anchor Belle Holiday Park is a family owned holiday park located in Church Street Cowes. It is 500 metres from the Cowes boat ramp and has its own direct access to the beach via a 100 metre pathway.
The park has a fully accessible two bedroom holiday cabin. Parking is available immediately adjacent to the entry ramp. The bay is over 6 metres in length making it suitable for both side and rear loading vans.
Inside the wide sliding entry door is a lounge area which adjoins the kitchen. The kitchen is spacious with both the oven and microwave under the beach. All appliances are stored in under bench cupboards.
The bathroom is a full wet room with a fold down shower seat, handrails and adjustable height and removable shower rose. The toilet has side and rear handrails as well as a full padded backrest. The vanity basin has knee clearance under it and lever operated mixer tap.
The master bedroom has a queen size bed. There is ample maneuvering room at the side of the bed and in front of the wardrobe. There is 75mm of clearance under the bed to provide for a portable hoist.
The second bedroom has two bunk beds. The upper bunk on both beds can be folded up if not required. There is a wide corridor between the two bunks to cater for children using mobility devices or wheelchairs.
In addition to the accessible cabin, the park also supports travellers with a disability bringing their own RV or caravan. There is an accessible shower/toilet facility within the main ablutions block. It is a full wet room containing a toilet with side and rear handrails and a shower with rear handrails and detachable shower head. A portable, height adjustable shower chair is supplied.
The games room, multi-purpose ball court, pool, business centre and arcade games room are all accessible.
The camp kitchen is well laid out and spacious. Tables all accommodate wheelchair users.
Indoor pool. Access is via steps with a central handrail.
Youki’s Fresh Sushi
Youki’s is located in Chapel Street just off the main street. It supplies a variety of fresh Sushi for take away or eaten in the cafe. Entry is through a wide door with level entry off Chapel Street. The display counter is low with a glass front easily visible by people of all heights including children and wheelchair users. The service and waiting area is spacious. The adjoining cafe is also spacious. Chairs are movable providing a range of seating options.
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.
The Penguin Parade Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
Since the 1920’s Phillip Island to the south east of Melbourne has hosted one of nature’s great spectacles, the Little Penguins waddling ashore at sunset to their burrows buried in the sand dunes. The Penguins live year round in burrows in large colonies. They fish all day returning under the cover of dusk to feed their young and avoiding their land based predators. The Little Penguin, also often referred to as the Fairy Penguin is the smallest Penguin in world standing at only 17 inches high.
The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is now a world renowned attraction with over 650,000 local and international visitors enjoying the spectacle every year. The Penguin Parade has the highest eco tourism rating available with all viewing options designed to protect the animals and their homes. All forms of photography are strictly prohibited to further protect the birds. Phillip Island Nature Parks is a not for profit operation and all visitor income goes back into Penguin research and conservation.
In addition to being an eco tourism attraction the Penguin Parade and its associated facilities are accessible and affords tourists with disabilities the opportunity to witness this remarkable nightly event.
Accessibility Features
Visitors Centre
On entering the car park follow the signs around to car park number one, proceed to the top of the car park and turn right into the adjacent area. There is a line of disabled parking spaces all of 3.5 metres in width. The path at the top of the car park leads directly to the Visitors Centre. Entry is via the paved path and ramp. The ticket counter is immediately inside the door. To the left is a theatrette. The door is level and there is an area inside where the short film can be viewed from a wheelchair. A ramp to the right of the stairs leads to the lower (main) level of the centre. There is a cafe and shops available inside and they all on level floors with easy access to all. Accessible toilets are available at the left hand end of the building. It should be noted that there are no accessible toilets out on the viewing platforms and boardwalks. There is an interpretative education centre down a small ramp way that explains the habitat and life cycle of the Little Penguin. All of these exhibits are at an eye height that can easily be seen from a wheelchair.
General Access to the Penguin Parade
There is a fair roll from the visitor centre to the observation decks at Summerland Beach. For those that require it a courtesy buggy is available immediately outside the door of the visitors centre. The parade occurs at dusk each day so check with the centre prior to your visit for the exact time and allow for the walk to the platforms. Our photos have been taken in daylight to highlight the slopes and surfaces you will be traversing.
Just outside the visitors centre there is a new gently sloping boardwalk that leads to the dunes. This path is wide and smooth it is with a gentle gradient and ample level rest areas. The boardwalk gives access to both the Penguin Parade and Penguin Plus viewing platforms. This boardwalk also allows viewing of the Little Penguins in their burrows.
Penguin Parade
This is the main viewing area at Summerland Beach. At the end of the flat boardwalk the boardwalk slopes up to the left. The slope here is 1 in 14. At the top there are two areas. Both have a large level area at the top to accommodate wheelchairs, especially for families, groups of friends or tour groups. The elevated position gives a good 180 degree view over the beach below as the Penguins arrive and waddle across the beach to their burrows. There is a designated wheelchair viewing area between the two platforms that has a prime location right above the weighing station.
Penguin Plus Viewing Platform
This area provides a more personalised penguin viewing experience. Limited to 150 people, this viewing platform provides a closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing platforms at the Penguin Parade. The stand is located in a high penguin traffic area and is much closer to the ground giving a more intimate experience. Rangers are on hand to give a full interpretation and insight into the lives of these little creatures. Wheelchair viewing is from the bottom of this stand and therefore gives a far better view than is available from the top of the stands at the Penguin Parade. Because of the limited number of spaces available at Penguin Plus bookings are essential.
The latest addition to the Penguin Plus experience is the underground bunker. The area is limited to 60 guest. It provides an eye level view as the penguins walk straight past the ground level windows. The is a special high floor section giving wheelchair users the same experience from a seated position. This option is perfect for people who are susceptible to the cold.
The Cape Kitchen
The Cape kitchen is located on Phillip Road, NewHaven. The restaurant has spectacular views over Bass Straight from its cliff top position.
There are no designated diabled parking bays in the car park. The car park is a fine hard packed gravel surface. A wide ramp leads from the car park to the restaurant. Entry is through double doors off the veranda.
The restaurant is open plan with ample room for people using any form of mobility device. All tables can accommodate a wheelchair user. Both the front and rear verandas have accessible seating and both the rear and front veranda doors and wide and level.
The restaurant has an accessible toilet located on the western end of the building. The cliff top grass area is not accessible to wheelchair users.
