Greater Geelong



This article is about the Greater Geelong and Bellarine area, not just Geelong City.

Greater Geelong is the second largest city of Victoria with old and new architecture, shopping, galleries, theatres, and large parks and wineries. There is a lot more to Greater Geelong than just the principal city, such as the Bellarine Peninsula dotted with small towns and wineries, and the massive You Yangs Regional Park to the north of the city.

Visitors come to attend major sporting events, such as Australian rules football (AFL) and cycling. Greater Geelong is also a gateway city to both Melbourne in the north and the Great Ocean Road to the south.

Regions[edit]

Areas of Greater Geelong
  North
The northern areas of Geelong covering farmland, rural living, and the mountainous You Yangs Regional Park.
  Geelong
The second largest city in Victoria full of shopping, offices, apartments, and the well renowned waterfront. The Barwon River straddles the suburbs of the city.
  Lara and Avalon Airport
Includes the outer town of Lara, and the gateway to both Geelong and Melbourne, Avalon Airport.
  Bellarine Peninsula
This area includes many wineries and small towns dotted around the coastline, such as Ocean Grove and Queenscliff.

Cities[edit]

  • 1 Geelong - the lively main city of this region. Geelong is now a cosmopolitan growing city with many attractions to show for it.
  • 2 Lara - a small residential town with local shops and close proximity to the airport.
  • 3 Leopold Leopold, Victoria on Wikipedia - a small residential area to the east of Geelong. It is considered the beginning of the Bellarine Peninsula.
  • 4 Clifton Springs/Drysdale Clifton Springs, Victoria on Wikipedia - a coastal town on the peninsula, overlooking blue sea and the You Yang peaks.
  • 5 Portarlington - a historic coastal town with high tourism in the summer months. Portarlington Pier overlooks the bay.
  • 6 Barwon Heads Barwon Heads, Victoria on Wikipedia - a coastal township with the mouth of the Barwon River next to packed beaches for holidaymakers.
  • 7 Queenscliff - a small town with many local shops and restaurants. Has a ferry terminal and service to opposite Mornington Peninsula.

Other destinations[edit]

  • 1 You Yangs Regional Park You Yangs on Wikipedia – a series of granite ridges that rise up to 300 m and overlook the Greater Geelong region.
  • 2 Lake Connewarre Lake Connewarre on Wikipedia – a shallow estuarine lake on the Barwon River. It is part of a wetland of international importance.

Understand[edit]

Geelong is the second largest city in Victoria, and one of the fastest growing regions in the whole of Australia. Many parts of Greater Geelong are ideal for touring, with many activities to do in a small area.

There is so much more to this region than just Geelong. The Bellarine Peninsula is a whole other destination ready to be explored. The peninsula is best known for its small towns with local shops and businesses, as well as grand wineries and vineyards. These wineries are spectacular places to eat and even celebrate special occasions with friends and family.

To understand more of Greater Geelong, the Geelong article has additional information.

Get in[edit]

By car[edit]

Geelong has good road connections to all its neighbouring areas. The main route through Geelong is the M1 Princes Freeway (Geelong Ring Road) to the west of the city, as well as LaTrobe Terrace in the middle of the city. Connections to the Bellarine Peninsula include the Bellarine Highway (B110), and the Surf Coast Highway (B100) runs south toward surf capital Torquay.

By plane[edit]

Melbourne (MEL IATA) is the main entry point to Geelong and surrounds, with flights to and from every Australian capital city. If choosing to arrive to Greater Geelong from MEL, bus services run between the airport and Geelong Train Station.

Avalon Airport is the secondary airport and closest airport to Geelong, with limited flights to the Sunshine Coast and Sydney.

By ferry[edit]

The Spirit of Tasmania is a large ro-ro ferry operating between Devonport in northern Tasmania and Geelong with at least one daily scheduled service. See Geelong#By ferry for detailed information.

The Searoad Ferries is another company that operates a ferry route between the towns of Queenscliff on the Bellarine, and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

Get around[edit]

By car[edit]

Traffic is generally light throughout the region all year round. The bustiest traffic times can be the public holidays and school holiday times of Victoria. Most of the region is covered with car parking spaces next to the road, as well as large parking spaces (particularly in Geelong).

Greater Geelong has a good road network spanning all directions. The Geelong Ring Road (Princes Freeway) acts as a backbone and serves the northern suburbs (Corio, Lara) of Geelong to the southern suburbs (Waurn Ponds, Highton). If travelling smaller distances or heading east, local and arterial roads are much faster.

By train[edit]

The Geelong V/Line rail service is a regional train service from Melbourne.

See[edit]

There are many parks and museums in Geelong.

Greater Geelong is also home to the start of the Great Ocean Road (specifically the Surf Coast Highway section).

Do[edit]

The Geelong region is strong at AFL (Australian rules football) with the local team being the Geelong Cats. Although many of Geelong Cats' games are played in Melbourne, there are several home games played throughout the Greater Geelong region.

Eat[edit]

Drink[edit]

Go next[edit]

Routes through Greater Geelong
END ← Waurn Ponds ←  S  N  LaraMelbourne


This region travel guide to Greater Geelong is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.