Beaches, marinas, restaurants and cafes can be found along Geelong's breathtaking waterfront. Image: Tony Ng via Shutterstock.
Image: Beaches, marinas, restaurants and cafes can be found along Geelong's breathtaking waterfront. Image: Tony Ng via Shutterstock.
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Victoria's "city by the bay" boasts a spectacular waterfront, elegant architecture, a thriving arts scene and great dining and drinking options.
One hour from Melbourne awaits the second largest city in the state, Geelong. With a population of close to 300,000, the city is large enough to have its own centre of gravity. In fact, Geelong has been designated a UNESCO city of design using creativity and innovation to build more sustainable, resilient and inclusive communities.
The former industrial city has gentrified into a creative hub with many galleries and museums within walking distance in the city centre. The city also shares Melbourne's love affair with street art with many striking works throughout its laneways and alleys.
The Bellarine Peninsula is easily accessible from Geelong as is the Great Ocean Road which begins at nearby Torquay.
The city was founded during the gold rush days as a port city close to the Ballarat gold fields. It was more convenient for miners to stay here than commute from Melbourne, and because it is a port city, the gold could easily be exported to the world.
Gay Geelong
There are no dedicated gay bars in the city. The closest match is the Piano Bar which hosts drag several nights a week and is also the venue where touring drag queens such as Rupaul's Drag Race alumni perform. In fact, the chain of Piano Bars across the state have become beacons for queer people living in regional Victoria.
Getting There
Train. V/Line trains leave every 20 minutes from Southern Cross station. The one-hour trip costs $13.80 each way.
Ferry. Port Philip Ferries have ferries between Docklands and Geelong twice a day $18 each way. The tip takes 90 minutes.
Car. The drive takes about one hour from central Melbourne.
Traveler magazine have a review of Geelong written in 2022. It's sponsored by tourism Geelong, so it's not completely objective, but it does have a good rundown of recent openings in the city.
A narrow street in the CBD that was redeveloped in 2010 and is now a bustling entertainment district. The redeveloped section only runs for a few blocks, but many of the city’s most popular bars, restaurants and cafes are located here. Piano Bar is a rambunctious live music venue that hosts drag twice a week. For a calmer ambiance, grab a glass of local wine from Geelong Cellar Door. For the best coffee in town, or wholesale coffee beans and accessories, check out Coffee Cartel. One of Australia’s oldest regional art galleries, the Geelong gallery is also located on Little Malop Street.
Pakington Street is Geelong’s centre of cosmopolitan lifestyle and multiculturalism[11]. While it doesn’t have the cuteness of Little Malop Street, there is a splattering of good eating and drinking options. LGBT-owned Splatters Cheese Train serves a selection of cheese and charcuterie on a 20m conveyer belt (why has no one thought of this before!). Meet Me at Mary’s is a cute wine bar and restaurant housed in a former industrial warehouse. For coffee or brunch, check out the award-winning King of the Castle.
The jewel of Geelong is the glistening arc of shoreline where Corio Bay meets the city. Along the waterfront you’ll find beaches, parklands, marinas, pools, cafes and restaurants. Many original 19th century features have been retained including a former-industrial pier, a ferris wheel and a carousel. The eastern end was built in the Art Deco style during the 1930s and boasts an abundance of history and charm.
Dotted along the waterfront are over 100 colourful characters carved out of wood from the pylons of a damaged city pier. You’ll find the Baywalk Bollards, which depict local history, along the entire waterfront from Rippleside Park to Limeburners Point. There are 104 in total.
For a great brunch option, check out The Beachhouse overlooking the Eastern Beach ocean pool. The former bathing pavilion is now a stylish restaurant serving up great coffee and inventive breakfast dishes.
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