Geelong

Introduction

0205GeelongForeshore

© cssc

Geelong is Victoria's second largest city and the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. Situated on Corio Bay, the port city is located just an hour southwest of Melbourne.

While Geelong is often seen as a quick stop on the way to the Great Ocean Road, it does reward travellers who hang around for a longer stay. The city has a charming waterfront area, a range of museums and nice parks. Considering its proximity to Melbourne, Geelong is also ideal for day trips or weekends away from the busy Victorian capital.

Geelong is also home to the Geelong Cats, an Australian Rules Football team who won the 2007 AFL premiership.

Sights and Activities

• Geelong Waterfront - features some historic bollards, a swimming pool and good walking areas.
• National Wool Museum - Geelong was once the hub of the wool industry and this museum, the largest of its kind in Australia, is a tribute to history of wool in Australia.
• Geelong Botanic Gardens are the oldest botanic gardens in Australia.
• Ford Discovery Centre - a museum for the Ford Motor Company.
• Geelong Art Gallery houses a good collection of Australian works of art through the ages, wih paintings in its collection from the likes of John Brack, Charles Blackman and Frederick McCubbin. (Location: Little Malop St. Phone:03 5229 3645)

Events and Festivals

Grasshopper Festival

The Grasshopper Festival is held during the first weekend in October each year. A one-day festival, Grasshopper features rock/indie/hip-hop/electro music across three stages. Tickets are generally released in stages and gradually increase in price the closer it is to the event. For those travelling to Grasshopper from Melbourne, a free shuttle bus is usually run from the main Geelong train station. Find out more information on this and other Outdoor music festivals in Victoria (Australia).

Getting There

By Plane

Victoria's second largest airport is Avalon Airport, which is 15 minutes by car from Geelong. Budget airline Jetstar is the main airline servicing Avalon Airport. Flights into the airport are often listed as flights to Melbourne, as the airport is a budget alternative to Tullamarine.

See the By Car and By Bus sections for details on how to get to Geelong from Avalon Airport.

By Train

Geelong station is located only 500 metres from the town's centre.

From Melbourne:
There are regular train trips throughout the day from Melbourne to Geelong (and vice versa). The service is operated by V/Line and takes about 65 minutes.

If you're travelling during peak time (services arriving in Melbourne before 9am or departing Melbourne between 4pm and 6pm), a one-way ticket will cost $9.20 (AUD). In off peak, one-way tickets are $6.40.^[1] If you are planning a day trip, a good option is an off-peak return fare, costing $12.80. Your ticket is also valid as a Metcard, so you can use it on trams and buses in Melbourne as well as town buses in Geelong.

All services from/to Melbourne originate/terminate at Southern Cross Station on Spencer Street in the CBD.

The Overland, runs between Adelaide and Melbourne 3 times a week and stops at Geelong North Shore along the way.

By Car

From Melbourne:
The main road between Melbourne and Geelong is the Princess Freeway. It should take under an hour to reach Geelong from downtown Melbourne.

From Avalon Airport:
Driving from Avalon Airport to Geelong is simple, as the airport is situated on the Princess Freeway, which is the main road connecting Geelong and Melbourne. At the airport, turn left and follow the signs to Geelong. The trip takes about 15 minutes.

By Bus

From Avalon Airport:
The bus service from Avalon Airport to Geelong is operated by Avalon Airport Shuttle and meets all incoming and outgoing flights. It costs around $17 (one-way) and must be pre-booked.

From Tullamarine Airport
Gull Airport Service operates 15 services a day from Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport. Drop oft points include Corio Village & Geelong Railway Station.

Regional
There are regional V/Line services linking Geelong with Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Ballarat, Port Fairy, Heywood, Mount Gambier, Hamilton and Casterton.

Getting Around

By Public Transport

Bus is the main form of public transportation available in Geelong. There are two main companies providing services;

• Benders Busways - phone: (03) 5278 5955
• McHarry's Buslines - phone: (03) 5223 2111

Eat

• Wharf Shed Cafe - A large restaurant offering casual waterfront dining. They have outdoor terraces ideal for relaxed meals and drinks during warmer weather. Small range of beers on tap. Address: 15 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong, VIC 3220‎, Phone: 5221 6645, Hours: Monday to Friday: 11:00am until late Weekends and Public Holidays: 9:00am until late
• Edge Geelong - A stylish restaurant/bar located on the waterfront with good food and atmosphere. If you're lucky you might see the former AFL star owner and his football star mates. Address: 6-8 Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong VIC, Phone: 5222 2666, Hours: Monday to Thursday: 9am - 11pm. Friday: 9am - 1am. Saturday: 8am - 1am. Sunday: 8am - 11pm.
• Black Bull Restaurant - Conveniently located in the heart of Geelong. It offers quick $10 lunches from Monday to Friday and dinners, with private dining and set menu options, every night of the week. There's an exciting menu to suit all palates with tapas, racion, mains and desserts. The wine list complements the menu with new local, European and Spanish additions, not to forget Black Bull's famous Spanish Sangria! Address: 48 Moorabool Street, Geelong

Drink

• Lamby's - Set in the rustic 1872 CJ Dennys Lascelles wool store building which houses the National Wool Museum, it's perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner or for a special occasion. Address: 26 Moorabool Street (corner Moorabool & Brougham Streets), Phone: 03 5223 2536

Sleep

Budget

• National Hotel provides backpacker accommodation. Location: 191 Moorabool Street. Ph: (03) 5229 1211

Motels

• Best Western Geelong Motor Inn & Serviced Apartments, Princess Highway

• Admiralty Motor Inn (Motel), 66 McKillop Street

• Corio Bay Motel, 292 Princess Highway, Corio

• Sphinx Hotel Motel, 2 Thompsons Road, Geelong North

• Abbotswood Motor Inn, 310 High Street, Belmont

• Aberdeen Motor Inn, 9 Aberdeen Street

• Colonial Lodge Motel, 57 Fyans Street

• Ripple Side Park Motor Inn, Cnr of Bell Parade and Princes Highway, Geelong North

• Golden Palms Motel, 234 Torquay Road, Grovedale

• Kardinia Park Motel, 422-A Latrobe Terrace, Newtown

• Parkwood Motel & Apartments, Ballarat Road, Geelong North

Mid-Range

• Mercure Geelong, Gheringhap Street

• Aaron Lee Waterfront Apartments, 30 Western Beach

• Barwon Valley Lodge, 99 Barrabool Road, Belmont

• Chifley on the Esplanade, 13 The Esplanade

• Comfort Inn Eastern Sands, 1 Bellarine Street

• Quest Geelong, 16-18 The Esplanade

• Comfort Inn Bay City Geelong, 231-235 Malop Street

• Comfort Inn Parkside, 68 High Street, Belmont

• Ebony Quill Cottages, 620 Princess Highway

• Nireeda Apartments, 1 Clare Street

Upscale

• The Haymarket Boutique Hotel, 244 Moorabool Street

• Four Points by Sheraton, 10-14 Eastern Beach Road

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés are very common in the larger Australian cities and popular tourist destinations. However, once you leave the major population centres, you might have trouble finding somewhere to log on. Free wifi is getting more and more common (either with or without a code) in places like restaurants, some bars and coffee places and hotels. Sometimes a fee is required.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Australia is on a GSM 900/1800 network, so if you have an unlocked phone that works on those frequencies, you will be able to buy a prepaid SIM-card and stick into your phone when you're in Australia. You will receive a new Australian phone number with the SIM-card.

To dial out of Australia use the prefix 0011, followed by the calling code of the country you are trying to reach, followed by the area code of the city/town (without the 0!) and finally the phone number.

Within Australia, it is necessary to add an area code to the phone numbers if you are calling from outside the area. Below are Australia's area codes:

• 02 - New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory (Sydney, Canberra)
• 03 - Victoria & Tasmania (Melbourne, Hobart)
• 07 - Queensland (Brisbane)
• 08 - Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory (Perth, Adelaide, Darwin)

000 is the emergency telephone number in Australia, but the international GSM mobile emergency telephone number 112 also works on mobile phones.

Post

Australia Post is the government's postal service. Most suburbs will have at least one post office. Opening times are mostly from around 8:00 or 9:00am to 5:00pm though larger ones keep longer hours sometimes. A standard letter or postcard sent within Australia will cost $0.60. Internationally, it costs $1.70 to send postcards anywhere in the world. Letters cost $1.85 to send within the Asia Pacific region and $2.60 to anywhere else in the world.^[2]. It is also possible to send things as parcels or by express mail. You can also use use private courier companies like TNT, UPS or DHL as they are competitive and reliable.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website