Plenty to do in Geelong

 

This small coastal town has plenty of charms.

GEELONG may not be as popular as other tourism spots in Australia.

Located in the state of Victoria and once famous for its wool-making industry, this city has its charms.

When told that I had to fly to Geelong for a work-trip, I was not exactly thrilled.

But I later found this city has plenty to offer those looking for an escape from city life.

Since I was planning to stay only for three days, I did not plan on doing much travel outside town.

This was not an issue since many Geelong attractions are within walking distance.

During my stay, I mostly walked to get to places, though I occasionally took buses too --- the rides were not too expensive.

If you don't mind paying a bit more for comfort, you can travel via Uber.

Picturesque beach, activities aplenty

My favourite thing to do in Geelong is just to take a stroll along the Eastern Beach.

This picturesque beach is only about 500m from the city centre and is ideal for relaxing and hanging out.

The view of seagulls flying over the crystal-clear water with the clear, blue sky as backdrop, is calming.

Many locals frequent this beach in the evenings for exercising and socialising.

Eastern beach is a popular spot among locals.

Geelong is known for its colourful and fanciful wooden bollards, which are found scattered along the beach.

The bollards depict key figures in local history.

These wooden carvings depict key figures who played a role in shaping Geelong’s history.

There are over 100 of these brightly coloured characters, lining up the 1km stretch of the beach, each about 6ft high.

Some are stationed in groups along the beach, while some are standing solo, ready to greet passers-by.

You can interact with them via the “Activate Geelong” app, which would bring these characters to life on your smartphone.

If you want to fish, take your fishing gear to the Cunningham Pier, which is also located at the waterfront.

Just make sure to keep the walking path clear of your gears and no cleaning your catch on the pier!

For those who bring children, there is a carousel just near the beach where they can hop on.

This steam-driven machine was hand-crafted in 1892 and has been preserved since then.

Ticket is priced AUD5 and each ride lasts about five minutes.

If you want to see the bay from a bird’s eye perspective, there is a giant sky wheel, located not that far from the waterfront.

Riding the wheel offers you the opportunity to view Geelong's stunning landscape.

From inside the car, you can see the ships and cruises sailing on the water and the charming view of the sandy stretch below.

Admission is priced AUD9, and like the carousel, this ride lasts five minutes.

The sky wheel offers visitors an opportunity to view Geelong's stunning landscape

Eastern Beach is a hotspot in the weekends as locals flock here for activities

This view is taken from inside the sky wheel's car

If you stroll further east along the beach, you will come across a wooden platform that curves out into the ocean.

On weekends, many locals come here for various watersports, and it would be quite lively.

Note however that you are not allowed to fish or bring your pets here.

This promenade is often used for water sports, but fishing and pets are not allowed

Vintage shopping

Although Geelong is no shopping haven, it does have plenty to offer shopaholics and window-shoppers.

One place to check out is the Geelong Vintage Market.

Antiques, collectables, vintage clothing, rustic furniture, dusty old books and vinyl records are among items found here.

With more than 70 stalls spanning over 3,700sq m of floorspace, this market appeals to those who collect novelty items.

It is 5km away from the city and I recommend that you take a bus. 

You could also opt for Uber which costs about AUD15.

The vintage market houses a host of antiques and collectables

Geelong Vintage Market offers over 70 stalls selling novelty items

 

Stunning garden

Established in 1851, the Geelong Botanical Gardens is about 1.5km away from the city centre, and is the fourth oldest botanic garden in Australia.

Many locals come to this 80ha garden for picnics and family outing.

I suggest you get here by walking here but make sure to have your comfortable shoes on because you'd be doing some hiking.

Take a stroll along the narrow walking trail but watch out for mozzies though!

The park is open from 8am to 7pm during daylight saving hours and from 8am to 5pm on other times.

There is also a conservatory here which opens on weekdays from 9am to 4pm.

Those wanting to have a quick bite can stop by the tea house which sell pastries and beverages.

It opens from 10am to 3pm on weekdays, although this is extended for another hour on weekends.

The wooden tables and chairs are arranged outside to give you that dine-in-nature experience.

Cool museum

The National Wool Museum offers a glimpse into Geelong’s past as the global wool exporting powerhouse then.

The first wool mills opened in Geelong in 1868, and soon after wool became its major trade.

The city’s close proximity to the farmlands and the bay meant it was placed strategically to ship Australian wool.

The museum used to be a wool factory until it was repurposed into a museum.

The exhibits walk the visitors through the wool production processes, starting from shearing of the sheep to how the fleece is turned into finished products.

There are also diorama showing what a typical shelter for the farm workers looked like back then when the wool industry was at its height from 1930s to the 1950s.

There are also various machines here which were used to process the wool into fabrics and textiles.

Visitors can come to the museum from 10am to 5pm daily.

Entrances are priced AUD10 (adults) and AUD6 (children).

Since there are not many souvenir shops in Geelong, the museum's gift shop may be your only bet if you're looking for some to take home.

The wool museum offers insight into Geelong's past.

Getting here

Domestic travelers may fly to Geelong via the Avalon Airport which operates the low-airfare Jetstar flights.

International tourists may fly in from Kuala Lumpur’s KLIA2 via AirAsia flights which fly daily to and from Avalon.

The flight duration is about 8 hours. The airport is located 30 minutes from Geelong and is connected by a SkyBus service.

From Avalon, the bus stops at the Southern Cross Station.

Fly into Geelong via the Avalon Airport

Disclaimer: This review was written based on my visit in 2019. Some things might have changed since then in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I am reachable at +6017-628 9812 (WhatsApp) and faridfreddy92@gmail.com (email).