Accessible beaches

Beach wheelchair in use on the access matting at Fishermans Beach Torquay

To help more people enjoy our beautiful beaches, beach wheelchairs, matting, and mobile hoists are available at a number of locations in the Surf Coast Shire, as well as a range of disability inclusive programs.

Below you can find:

  • locations and bookings for beach wheelchairs
  • different beach wheelchair options 
  • inclusive beach programs

All beach wheelchair hire is free. Please contact the relevant hiring partner listed below for more information or to book.

Council works in partnership with the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority(GORCAPA), local Surf Life Saving Clubs and the YMCA to improve access to our beaches.

Locations and bookings for beach wheelchairs

Anglesea

Point Roadknight

Location: Anglesea Motor Yacht Club 

Point Roadknight beach has an accessible connection from the accessible carpark to the boat ramp for people wishing to enjoy the beach or water. 

It is important to note the boat ramp at Pt Roadknight is not accessible for all abilities but it is suitable for some users who have higher mobility or who have a support person who can provide assistance.

The location is not patrolled by lifesavers outside of the Christmas period and it is recommended that you visit a patrolled location if you wish to swim and no lifesaving flags are displayed.

Book online now

For more information visit GORCAPA's Accessible Beaches website.

Contact GORCAPA: email: info@greatoceanroadauthority.vic.gov.au, phone: 1300 736 533.

Anglesea Riverbank

Location: Four Kings Carpark opposite 137-139 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea

Facilities include:

  • Beach wheelchair hire 
  • Riverside access matting, which is located in a quiet space suitable for those that may experience sensory overload at busy locations (available from December - April)
  • Disabled parking
  • Disabled toilet
  • Changing Places (MLAK key required)

Improved access at Anglesea Riverbank is part of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) Accessible Beaches Initiative.

YMCA Anglesea Discovery Camp

Location: 1535 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea

There are three types of beach wheelchairs available to hire from the YMCA Anglesea Discovery Camp: the Sandcruiser Wheelchair, the Aussie Beach Wheelchair and the Hippocampe Children's Wheelchair. See below for more information about each type of chair.

All chairs are available for hire year round; however, pickup must occur between 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

You will need a large van, ute with a tray, or small trailer to transport the chairs safely. 

Chairs must be returned clean and any damage must be reported to YMCA staff. There will be a charge for any damage to the chairs

Please call 03 5263 1512 or email anglesea@ymca.org.au between Monday and Friday to make a booking.

Lorne

Lorne Beach

Location: Mountjoy Parade, Lorne VIC 3232

Facilities include:

  • Beach wheelchair and hoist 
  • Beach access matting (available from 2 Jan - 14 April 2024)
  • Disabled parking
  • Disabled toilet 

Lorne Surf Life Saving Club

A Mobi-Chair is available for free hire from Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA), from the Lorne Surf Lifesaving Club. See below for more information about the Mobi-Chair

A hoist is available on site, however you will need to provide your own sling. Users will require the assistance of one or more carers to access the wheelchair and for water safety.

Book online now

For more information visit GORCAPA's Accessible Beaches website.

Contact GORCAPA: email: info@greatoceanroadauthority.vic.gov.au, phone: 1300 736 533.

Torquay

Fishermans Beach

Location: 48 The Esplanade, Torquay Victoria 3228

Facilities include:

  • Beach access matting (September – April)
  • Disabled parking  
  • Disabled toilet  
  • Liberty Swing – key and access instructions required, please email info@greatoceanroadauthority.vic.gov.au
  • Beach wheelchair hire – see below  

A Mobi-Chair is available free to hire at Fishermans Beach. See below for more information abut the Mobi-Chair.

Book online now

For more information visit GORCAPA's Accessible Beaches website.

Contact GORCAPA: email: info@greatoceanroadauthority.vic.gov.au, phone: 1300 736 533.

The chair has been provided in partnership with Jan Juc SLSC

Go Ride a Wave

Location: 1/15 Bell St, Torquay

Hire of a Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair is free from Go Ride A Wave (closest beaches are Cosy Corner and Torquay Surf Beach). See below for more information about the Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair.

Users will require at least one support person to push the chair and you must read the safety procedures and sign a Loan Agreement and Indemnity Agreement prior to use.

Bookings are essential and should be made at least 24 hours in advance.

Book online now

Contact Go Ride A Wave on 1300 132 441.

Torquay Surf Life Saving Club

Location: Torquay SLSC, Surf Beach Drive, Torquay

A Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair is available free to hire at Torquay Surf Life Saving Club. See below for more information about the Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair.

Bookings are essential and should be made 24 hours in advance; however, for weekend usage, ensure you call Monday to Friday to secure your weekend booking.

To book, email info@torquayslsc.com.au or call 5261 4110, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

Jan Juc

Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club

Location: 10 Clubhouse Road, Jan Juc

A Mobi-Chair is available free to hire at Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club. See below for more information about the Mobi-Chair.

The Mobi-Chair is reserved for use at the Jan Juc beach and cannot be transported to other locations. Surf Life Saving club volunteers are responsible for the loan of the chair only and do not provide supporting/caring roles.

The Mobi-Chair is available during beach patrol hours. Refer to Beachsafe App | SLSA Beachsafe

Bookings are essential and should be made at least 24 hours in advance. To book call 0475 265 820 or email the office on info@janjucsurfclub.com.au

Office Hours: Tues: 10am - 3pm and Thurs: 10am - 5pm.

 

Different beach wheelchair options

Beach matting

To ensure the matting is not washed away or damaged by storms, Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) are unable to extend the matting below the high tide line.

A member of their team checks the placement of all beach access matting twice weekly and after storms. During strong winds, large amounts of sand can deposit during a couple of hours, and while they endeavour to do their best to ensure the matting remains accessible to all, during these times it is not always possible to keep the matting clear of loose wind-blown sand.

For urgent maintenance issues such as inaccessible access matting, we ask the community to please call Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority on 1300 736 533 to report any issues.

Mobi Chair

Two beach wheelchairs parked in front of a Starfish Nippers sign

Image: Mobi-Chair beach wheelchairs

The Mobi-Chair is a high-quality floating beach wheelchair, designed for use on soft sand and water entry. The Mobi-Chair provides seamless transitions from the car park, to the beach, and into the ocean. Durable, 3 different seat adjustments, stable, seat belt.

Suitable for use with 1-2 support people. The wheelchair is quite large so entry to some toilets and transport can sometimes be challenging.

For more information about the Mobi-Chair, visit the Push Mobility website.

Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair

Sandcruiser Beach Wheelchair parked on the footpath

Image: Sandcruiser wheelchair

Suitable for soft sand entry to shallow water, and other areas such as gravel areas. Anti tip and brake bar, lap belt, adjustable leg rest, turns in relatively small area. Packs down for transport with easy assembly. 

Suitable for use with a support person.

For more information about the Sandcruiser Beach wheelchair visit www.sandcruiser.com.au.

Aussie Beach Wheelchair

Aussie Beach Wheelchair being used on the sand at Anglesea beach

Image: Aussie Beach Wheelchair

You will need a large van, ute with a tray, or small trailer to transport the chair safely.

Hippocampe Children's Wheelchair

Hippocampe Beach Wheelchair being used on the sand at Anglesea beach

Image: Hippocampe Children's Wheelchair

Double width wheels for use on sand, removable push bar for easy steering, can be folded for transport.

For more information about the Hippocampe Children's Wheelchair, please visit the Beach Wheels Australia.

 

Inclusive beach programs

Starfish Nippers (Anglesea, Jan Juc, Torquay)

Starfish Nippers is a life saving skills program designed for children and young adults with a disability 6 years and older. The program aims to give young people with disabilities beach safety and water awareness skills. Find out more about the program: Starfish Nippers website.

There are three programs currently run by Surf Lifesaving Clubs across Surf Coast Shire:

Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club

Starfish Nippers and their family must be members of Anglesea SLSC to register and participate.

Learn more: Anglesea SLSC Starfish Nippers website.

Join online or call: (03) 5263 1107.

Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club

The program is capped at 10 participants. Direct enquiries to the Starfish Nipper Coordinator, or call 0475 265 820.

To join the Club (or renew your membership) and submit your Starfish Nipper Registration, head to our Join Us webpage.

Learn more: Jan Juc SLSC Starfish Nippers website.

Torquay Surf Lifesaving Club

Interested in joining our Starfish Nippers? Contact our Club Office to find out more: info@torquayslsc.com.au, or call (03) 5261 4110.

Learn more: Torquay SLSC Starfish Nippers website.

Ocean Mind Surfing and Mental Health

A surf therapy program based in Victoria that empowers young people experiencing mental health challenges social isolation and disability by building lasting connections, developing self efficacy and unlocking their full potential. Programs run across Victoria including Torquay and Anglesea.

Find out more: Ocean Mind website

Contact: email info@oceanmind.org.au, call 03 4210 0408.