This accessible walking or rolling loop is a fascinating lakeside cultural and heritage experience. 72 panels share local aboriginal and immigrant stories. Make it a day out, picnic or go fishing.
This accessible walking or rolling loop is a fascinating lakeside cultural and heritage experience. 72 panels share local aboriginal and immigrant stories. Make it a day out, picnic or go fishing.
Enjoy this very interesting accessible lakeside circuit as you examine the remarkable tales it has to tell. The Gippsland Heritage Walk is located here. It comprises 72 information panels of regional stories including Gunaikurnai culture and local migration history.
There are picnicking facilities for those wanting to make a day of it. Recreational fishers are encouraged to visit as well. Why not try your luck catching some of the stocked trout or perch in the water?
How accessible is the path?
There are no direction signs, this loop path clearly follows the lake edge. It is 1.8 to 2.3 meters wide. There is space for side-by-side travel, turning and passing with a wheelchair. The 1.3-metre-wide concrete footbridge has a short moderate slope. Manual wheelchair users may require assistance. Surfaces are either sealed or compacted gravel, smooth firm and flat. Edges meet grassy surfaces and the embankment. There can be lips where surfaces meet. No steps or overhead obstacles are encountered.
For a shorter walk or roll you can turn and return the way you came. Mobile phone coverage is good.
Rest Areas
The area is well maintained. Accessible shelter is provided. The path is exposed to the weather. Seats with back and arm rests are connected to the path. There is a small playground..
BBQs and picnic tables are provided. There is a ramped, broad accessible viewing platform above the lake. The Migrant, Heritage and Cultural interpretive signs are an accessible height, extensive and comprehensive. Text can be quite dense.
Drinking water access is limited. Carry water.
Refreshments can be purchased at various outlets nearby on Princes Drive.
An accessible toilet is available at the back of Kernot Hall.
This can be a busy place. Dogs must be leashed. Cyclists may share paths.
Public transport
Buses 1, 2 and 8 stop on Princess Drive with a sealed path to the lake. There is passenger information and 1 shelter. The stop opposite requires use of the service road for 100 meters and the Monash Way traffic light pedestrian crossing.
Parking
There are 2 dedicated accessible parking spaces for drivers to pick up or drop off outside Kernot Hall and more to the rear. Note: ramps through kerbs on this site are quite steep. Low mobility wheelchair users may require assistance.
The path is accessed by an unmarked crossing over Civic Court. There is a ramp through the kerb. Traffic is generally slow, but it can be busy.
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“Together More Active: accessible walking trails for people with disability” is a partnership between Victoria Walks, Disability Sport & Recreation and Regional Sport Victoria.
73 Views
2 parallel accessible spaces outside the front of Kernot Hall are closest to the path. The kerb ramp is quite steep. Low slung wheelchair users should approach with care. Assistance may be required.
To get to the path from the Kernot Hall accessible parking requires crossing Civic Court. There are ramps through the kerbs on either side. The crossing is unmarked. Traffic tends to be slow.
A smooth concrete bridge crosses the lake. It has a short moderate slope on either side. Manual wheelchair users may require some assistance.
There are occasional bollards set in the path. Gaps to the path edge are wide enough for wheelchairs to pass.
Vine covered shelters with BBQs and picnic table are concentrated at the western side of the lake. Drinking water is available via a standpipe style fountain.
This section of the walk acknowledges the many migrants who came to Gippsland from the earliest days of the colony. You might find a family name you know amongst the extensive and growing list.
A ramp gives access to a large viewing platform with plenty of room to move around using any mobility aid.
The concrete path is fully sealed, wide, smooth and flat.
The panels have paths on both sides. There is a lot of information at a height accessible to wheelchair users. Text is quite dense, which may present challenges to some. It is worth taking your time.
Information panels are more concentrated along the concrete northern section of the path. There can be lips where different surfaces meet.
There are uninterrupted views across the lake throughout the path.
The compacted gravel surface is smooth, flat, wide and firm. It also has some loose stones atop. Walking or rolling in either direction you will come to a "Welcome to Gippsland Heritage Walk" panel.
There are always some birds around watching people as they walk or roll.
The accessible toilet is not on the walking path. It is along a sealed footpath to the rear of Kernot Hall.
The accessible toilet has bilateral rails and a handbasin. The door width is 0.870 meters and floor area 2.5x2.5 meters.
Alternative accessible parking is available behind Kernot Hall with protected side space and a pedestrian crossing. Note the ramps through the kerb are quite deep, approach slowly.