VISIT GEELONG
Welcome to Geelong – Victoria’s second-largest city where the Wadawurrung people are the Traditional Owners of the land.
The city of Geelong – or Djilang, which means a ‘tongue of land’ in Wadawurrung language – is where the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race starts and finishes.
Geelong and the Bellarine combine charming coastal villages with a lively and evolving waterfront precinct. The must-see region transforms into a cycling mecca during the Victorian summer.
Here you can dine at award-winning restaurants, explore hip laneways, head out to nearby vineyards and breweries and enjoy the best family water play experiences in the state.
Watch the races
Line the start and finishing straight along Eastern Beach Road or watch the action from the Steampacket Gardens live site where big screens, food and drink stalls and all the festivities will be in full swing. Further inland, when the men’s and women’s UCI WorldTour classics re-enter
Geelong, the teams tackle the punchy Challambra Climb – first made famous in the 2010 UCI Road Worlds. Join the local street parties along Challambra Crescent or take up a position at the Challambra King and Queen of the Mountain live site.
The fastest point in the race comes with the Scenic Road decent where riders touch 85km/h before coming into Queens Park. Then, watch for the bunch sprint finish along the waterfront that will test the teams right to the end.
Things to do
Geelong is one of Victoria’s top food and wine destinations with more than a dozen new restaurants and cafés opening in the past year. Chefs from Australia’s best restaurants have settled in this sparkling city by the bay, working their magic on the region’s incredible produce and wine – 60 wineries are scattered across the Moorabool Valley and The Bellarine.
Geelong has brilliant precincts for enjoying a meal, drink, creativity, culture and shopping. Little Malop Street is in the heart of town with multicultural food offerings, coffee nooks, hidden bars and the new Geelong Arts Centre.
At the waterfront you can dine with views across Corio Bay, have a drink at a rooftop bar, swim in the enclosed sea bath and ride the Giant Sky Wheel. To the west, Pakington Street has outstanding restaurants, bars and retail; and make a stop at the Fyansford Paper Mill precinct to enjoy wine and the arts by the Barwon River. At Federal Mills in north Geelong you’ll find an impeccably restored woollen mill which now houses a restaurant, bakery, gin distillery and vintage market.
If it’s adventure and wildlife you’re seeking, the You Yangs and Brisbane Ranges have endless kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails.
For more things to see and do, head to the Visit Geelong and The Bellarine website.
Places to ride
The 35km Bellarine Rail Trail takes you from South Geelong to Queenscliff. The moderate grade ride is the perfect way to discover the Bellarine Peninsula.
Cycling along the Barwon River in Geelong makes for an easy hit out with family and friends. And, for intermediate road riders, the waterfront precinct is a great place to start and finish circuits to
North Geelong and back. Or loop down to Bells Beach and back via Moriac and Barrabool. See Great Ocean Rides for maps and details.
Where to stay
Novotel Geelong – Sitting pretty on Geelong’s esplanade with views of the bay and a new restaurant Tempo Kitchen & Bar.
Vue Apartments – Freshly refurbished accommodation with an Eastern Beach outlook.
R Hotel Geelong – Self-contained apartments a stone’s throw from the waterfront. The historical building (circa 1850) has been meticulously restored.
Eden Oak – Enjoy the treed outlook from these rooms and apartments in the Geelong Botanic Gardens precinct.
Holiday Inn & Suites – New hotel in central Geelong. It’s restaurant, Maestro, is run by celebrity chef Adrian Richardson.
Quest Geelong Central – New hotel also in central Geelong with a rooftop deck.
Warehouse Apartments Geelong – Boutique rustic apartments in the centre of Geelong.
Rydges Geelong – Located just a few blocks from the waterfront.
Mt Duneed Estate accommodation pods – sleep among the vines at one of the region’s most famous vineyards. Some of the eight pods have outdoor baths. A 20-minute drive from the CBD.
For simple transport tips, check out our Getting There page.
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