Accessible Travel

A GUIDE TO EAT, STAY AND PLAY IN DAYLESFORD AND THE MACEDON RANGES

Zoe Simmons @somethingbeginningwithz Travelling can be tricky when you have a disability. That’s why we’ve pulled together this guide for accessible food, activities and accommodation in our region.

EAT AND TREAT

Treat your tastebuds to wines by award-winning craftsman Ben Ranken at Macedon Ranges’s Mount Monument winery. Sample the distinct wines grown in volcanic soil, including riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz, or grab a delectable bite to eat at the cellar door, which caters for vegan and gluten-free guests. The entire venue is wheelchair accessible, with ambulant bathrooms.

Lancefield’s Cleveland Estate is also wheelchair accessible, featuring a lakeside restaurant with spectacular panoramic vineyard views, and an underground cellar door. While on this side of the region, be sure to check out the Romsey Ecotherapy Park, which includes a newly opened sensory therapeutic space.

If you’re in the mood for a tipple of the stronger variety, indulge in some award-winning, hand-crafted gin at Kyneton’s Animus Distillery, or kick back in their trendy cocktail lounge with some light snacks. The entire venue is wheelchair accessible, including gin-blending masterclasses, where you can take home your very own custom-blended gin. For something a little bit fancy, Sault in Sailors Hill, just outside Daylesford, will tantalise your tastebuds with modern cuisine. Set aside the idyllic Wombat State Forest, and overlooking fields of lavender, the restaurant is wheelchair accessible, and caters for various dietary needs, including vegan.

STAY

Accessible accommodation isn’t always the easiest to find. But the Daylesford Art Motel’s Suite 7 is fully wheelchair accessible, with an open-plan design, kingsized bed, and an accessible bathroom, with handrails and a shower seat. Hepburn Springs’ Hotel Bellinzona also has an accessible room, with a king-sized bed and purpose-built bathroom with lowered toilet, vanities and an open-access shower with handrails.

While not specifically designed with accessibility in mind, the Flophouse’s Manse on Ebden in Kyneton is a luxurious five-bedroom retreat with large living and dining spaces. It has no stairs, a walk-in shower, and a huge bath, perfect for soaking your tired body in.

Cleveland Winery also has wheelchair-accessible rooms, with wheel-in showers, lowered vanities and railings.

PLAY

Art lovers, rejoice! There’s plenty to do at the historic Old Auction House in Kyneton. Owners Rhain and Jo are knowledgeable when it comes to accessibility and their entire venue is wheelchair accessible. Browse rotating galleries from Australian artists, take a peek at the bespoke retail store with over 100 hand-crafted Australian products, or get your creative juices flowing with an art class.

Or, why not take in the stunning views of the Macedon Ranges from Mount Macedon’s Memorial Cross? A short distance from the carpark along a slightly sloped and sealed pathway will lead you to the striking 21-metre-tall commemorative cross (there are a few stairs at its base, but you can still enjoy the views).

Closer to Daylesford, the impressive Overwrought Sculpture Garden is set on lush farmland, adorned with gorgeous gardens and sculptural metal artwork, with a hay-shed gallery, where some items are available for purchase. The property has ramps, automatic doors, ambulant toilets with lowered basins, change tables, and wooden boardwalks for accessibility.

The enchanting Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens are also a sight to behold. Perched on an extinct volcano, it boasts spectacular Daylesford countryside views. It has accessible parking bays and you can drive through much of the garden, thanks to sealed roads. Or, chase breath-taking waterfalls at nearby Sailors Hill, which has a wheelchair accessible viewing point (but many stairs to reach its base).

With these options, plus more to choose from, a trip to this beautiful part of the world doesn’t need to be tricky at all.

Photo left: Cleveland Winery. Above: art class at The Old Auction House. Photograph by Jess Elderfield.