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> Discover Victoria > Places to see > Geelong
Indulge your senses at this relaxed waterside city.
 The Geelong Waterfront precinct has undergone a
magnificent revival in the past few years, and now features plenty of great
restaurants, accommodation and walkways to capture the most beautiful part of
the city.
It’s a
fabulous place to chill out, enjoy some comfort food and soak in the
ambience.
Geelong is a great spot to take the
family, and you can easily spend a morning enjoying the famous display of
colourful statues carved from old wooden bollards along the Geelong
waterfront, or take a spin on the 1892 hand-carved wooden carousel.
You can also explore the Eastern Beach precinct - with its swimming pools,
picnic and barbecue areas – and the Geelong Botanic Gardens, which are almost
160 years old.
 Car nuts and amateurs alike will
find plenty to enthral at the Ford Discovery Centre.
At the National Wool Museum,
you can explore the journey of wool from the sheep’s back to the clothes
rack, through a range of interactive and interesting displays.
Bargain-hunters and antique-lovers will find plenty to lighten the wallet on Moorabool Street, and fashionistas can check out the boutiques in the new Westfield centre,
and on Ryrie Street and Pakington Street in the western suburb of Newtown.
Geelong has more than its fair share of famous Australian icons, and is the
home of actress Portia de Rossi, the first store in the Coles supermarket
empire, and many sporting names such as Gary Ablett.
If you have a few extra days, you can venture further afield – and explore
the rest of the region at the top of the magnificent Great Ocean Road.
How to
get there
Geelong is approximately 65 minutes by
train from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.
Along the way, you can take in the scenery of Melbourne’s suburbs and the
south-western region of Victoria.
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View timetable information
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Use Plan your
Journey (help) on the top left hand side
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Find out where to buy tickets
Fares –
effective 1 January 2009
Great
value return train fares Melbourne <> Geelong
Free
travel on trams, trains and buses
Your
V/Line ticket is also a Metcard.
This means you can use your ticket to travel on metropolitan Melbourne trams, trains and buses at no extra cost. You can also use the ticket to travel
on Geelong town buses.
Please
note: since peak times are busy, we encourage
families to travel in off peak times if possible.
Transport
in Geelong
Geelong Station
Geelong station is a quick 500 metre walk from the town centre. The station
includes disabled
access, a public telephone, accessible toilets, baby change area, food kiosk,
air‑conditioned waiting room, and bicycle and luggage lockers. There is also a taxi rank at the
station.
Local buses
Local buses frequently depart Geelong station.
Regional coaches
V/Line coach services link Geelong with Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Ballarat,
Port Fairy, Heywood, Mount Gambier, Hamilton and Casterton.
Suggested
weekend itinerary
Saturday
Take a
stroll along the Geelong Waterfront, soak up the ambience of Eastern Beach and the famous bollards along the walkway. Perhaps even take a dip in the art
deco pool at Eastern Beach.
Visit the Ford Discovery Centre
to marvel at the original, replica and restored cars, and let the kids discover
the inner workings of engines, fuel injection systems and how cars are
designed with clay models.
After 1pm, spend an hour or two at the National Wool Museum,
and let the kids run wild with the interactive displays and bales of wool.
Sunday:
Take a
spin on the historic Carousel, feed the seagulls and grab a coffee at one of
the waterfront cafes.
Wander
up to the Geelong Botanic Gardens, and check out the modern display of
succulents and cacti.
In the afternoon, stop by the Geelong Gaol to see the
former home of some of Australia’s toughest and most notorious prisoners.
Squeeze in an hour at the Geelong Art Gallery,
and check out the famous Australian landscapes by Frederick McCubbin.
More information
To
find out more about Geelong, visit these websites:
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Visit Victoria
·
Visit Geelong
·
Events in Geelong
Call us on 136 196 (+61 3 9697 2076 from
overseas)
with any V/Line enquiries.
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