Geelong has long been known as the gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula, a place that offers visitors foodie delights, historic hotspots and idyllic bays. Some travellers don’t take the time to stop in this family-friendly seaside town, not realising just how many things there are to do in Geelong! But I can assure you, they’re missing out!
I visited Geelong quite a lot while I lived in Melbourne as it’s only an hour away. Geelong was the perfect place to escape the busyness of the city, without compromising too much on my creature comforts – there’s still loads of great cafes to hit up and attractions to see! Geelong also proved to be the perfect stop before I went on my many adventures down the Great Ocean Road – a stunning stretch of coastline that you can explore in just a day from Geelong!
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If you think that Geelong is just another seaside town, then I’m here to change your mind! Here is a list of some of the best things to do in Geelong, along with a couple of bonus day-trips and places to rest your head if one day simply isn’t enough.
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Sitting across the bay from the Mornington Peninsula, the Bellarine Peninsula shares the same stunning views over Port Phillip Bay. The best place in Geelong to enjoy these views is from Eastern Beach, which also happens to be the best beach in town! It’s great because there’s something for everybody to do here. You’ll often see a family taking advantage of the grassy park area to start up a barbeque, kids exploring the shallow pools or loved-up couples taking a romantic stroll along the waterfront. It’s a great place for everyone to enjoy, and there’s no doubt that lots of your time will be spent here too!
Within walking distance of Eastern Beach, you’ll come across one of the oldest botanical gardens in Australia, Geelong Botanic Gardens. Amazingly, these gardens were built in 1851 and now showcase flora from all over the world in the many themed areas. After walking through the first lot of contemporary gardens you’ll come across the stunning Rose Garden Lawn that blooms brilliantly in Spring!
It’s also worth heading further into the park, where you can enjoy beautiful beach views! It’ll cost you absolutely nothing to enter the gardens, making this one of the best free things to do in Geelong with the family.
The 10 Best Things To Do In Geelong
The waterfront in Geelong is a hive of activity! It stretches along Corio Bay, passing Eastern Beach, Cunningham Pier, the Baywalk Bollards and plenty of local cafes and restaurants where you can pick up some food. Taking a walk along the front also gives you the chance to learn a little about Geelong’s history. The Baywalk Bollards that are dotted along the coastal path have been carved out and painted by a local artist to depict people that played a huge part in the town’s history. There’s a 104 to find along the way so keep an eye out and see who you can spot!
I always tried to visit Geelong on the first Sunday of the month, just so I could have a shop around at the Geelong Waterfront Makers and Growers Market. With endless stalls peppered along the waterfront, It’s a great place to sample any local food, from cheese to wine, vegetables to honey and to pick up any handcrafted trinkets!
Keen cyclists, or even a family looking for something a little different to do, will love the Bellarine Rail Trail. It’s a 32km stretch of well-paved and well-maintained cycle routes that start in Geelong, meander past Barwon Heads and eventually reach Queenscliff.
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It takes me about 5 hours to cycle the old rail trail to Queenscliff and back, but you could do it faster if you wanted to!
You can hire a bike from plenty of places in town. I always use Geelong Bike Hire who rent out basic bikes for around $10 a day and mountain bikers for $50. They’ll deliver them to you wherever you are in Geelong too!
You won’t be able to walk through central Geelong without spotting a few street murals brightening up the walls. Street art here has become as popular as Hosier Lane in Melbourne, with new works cropping up all of the time and old ones disappearing. Many murals pay tribute to the town’s history, like ‘To The Unknown’ which features an old man at sea (you’ll find this huge mural along Brougham Street).
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Street Art has become such a huge movement in Geelong that there’s now a huge warehouse space dedicated to it. The Powerhouse in Geelong covers 3, 000 square meters of space and is home to artwork created by more than 200 artists. Entry is $10 and the venue is open seven days a week, so you can pop in to see it when it suits you.
Taking a hot air balloon ride is somewhat of a hidden secret in Geelong – not many people seem to know that you can do it here! Liberty Balloon Flights is the company that can organise a tour for you, and they come with great reviews!
They offer sunrise flights only, which means you’ll need to stir yourself out of bed at about 4 am during the summertime! It’s one of those things that’s worth it though, to see stunning sunrise views over the Bellarine Peninsula and, depending on which way the wind takes you, views over Port Phillip Bay, the Barwon River or the Barrabool Hills!
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Place to go for wildlife spotting, fishing or just an afternoon stroll. Plenty of parks sit along the river like Queen Park or Buckley Falls Park, all perfect for a picnic or just a bit of relaxation. However you decide to spend your time by the river, you’ll want to keep an eye out for one of the many species that live by the water including 100 different species of birds, wallabies and even the elusive platypus!
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Geelong and its people, I’d highly recommend spending an afternoon at the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This is one of just a few award-winning centres in Australia that celebrates the Aboriginal People through cultural experiences, local artwork and historic artifacts. It’s free to enter, which means you can learn all about it for free!
TOP TIP: The centre rents out boomerangs and will teach you how to use them properly for just $3! It’s a great way to learn all about how the Aboriginal People traditionally hunted their food.
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Opening its doors in 1853 the Geelong Gaol operated as a prison for more than 138 years. When it shut its doors in 1991, the jail was left as it was found for many years. Nowadays, the gaol invites visitors to explore the jail cells and prison yards that once held many local convicts on a guided tour around the building.
If you’re brave enough, they also offer ghost tours around the gaol. These 90-minute tours take place during the night, and you can learn all about the convicts who used to call this place home in a much spookier setting. Due to the nature of the tour, they don’t recommend it for children under 8!
The Geelong Art Gallery is actually thought to be one of the oldest art galleries in Australia, at a ripe old age of 120! The gallery has a huge collection of 19th and 20th-century artworks from artists from all over the world.
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It’s hard to see everything in the gallery on just one visit – I used to pop in for an hour or two each time I was in town. If you only have time for a brief visit, the gallery has a permanent collection of photos from Geelong in the 19th century that are well worth taking a look at.
Little Creatures has become one of the most popular brands of craft beer in Australia, and Geelong is one of the best places to sample its produce straight from the tap! Guided tours of the brewery are excellent and well worth the $12 fee. A local and experienced brewer will take you around the brewery, explaining the process that makes Little Creature’s beer so special. Afterwards, there is a spacious bar area where you can grab a tasting paddle of tap beer or grab a bite to eat before you continue your adventures around Geelong.
TOP TIP: Don’t worry if you’re travelling with kids, this brewery has an extensive children’s food menu and a sand-pit making it super family friendly!
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Okay, bear with me, I was a little sceptical of this museum too! But it actually turned out to be one of my favourite places to visit in town!
Similar to the town of Ballarat, Geelong is one of those places in Victoria that has so much history to share! Sitting in an old bluestone wool store, the National Wool Museum is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon. Through interactive exhibitions and fascinating artifacts, the museum tells the story of Geelong’s 200-year history in the wool trade