Geelong Things to Do Tips by Marpessa

In recent years Geelong's Waterfront has been given a make-over and is now not only a prominent feature of Geelong, but a beautiful one too. Walking along Eastern Beach is a must for anyone coming to Geelong. From the Botanical Gardens to Cunningham Pier, past restaurants on the beach, luscious green lawns for having picnics on sunny days, the carousel - the view of the bay, with boats in the distance rocking gently on the water - makes for a perfect setting.

Plus down at Eastern Beach there is a public swimming pool right in front of the beach, or for people who prefer saltwater, go swimming in the bay. There is an enclosed area with a semi-circular boardwalk around it that is perfect to swim in.

Or if you just feel like taking in the views at Eastern Beach, there are steep hills to sit on that lead down to the beach, they give perfect views over the bay, especially on a clear day.

On New Years, Australia Day and Gala Day you will find the waterfront comes alive with parties, rides and music.

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Address: Eastern Beach
Directions: Waterfront Area

Geelong is a great place to look at the stars. There are no bright city lights to interfere with the view of the night sky.

The constellation to look for is the circumpolar Southern Cross (Crux). Circumpolar means it never rises or sets and is therefore visible all year round. Its brightest star is at the bottom of the cross and is called Acrux. Acrux is actually a double star. The Southern Cross is not visible in the northern hemisphere and therefore holds no Greek or Roman myth for its origin. Explorers would use the Southern Cross as a guide to point them south.

There is also Carina the Keel (as in the bottom of a ship). It was believed that Carina was originally part of a larger constellation known as Argo Navis which has since been split into four different constellations. Argo Navis was thought to be the ship which belonged to Menelaus - husband of Helen of Troy. Its brightest star 'Canopus' was the name of the pilot of Menelaus' fleet - it is also the second brightest star in the sky behind Sirius.

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Address: Look up!
Website: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/Constellations/south_constellations.html

Sky-diving! Skydive City is just 15 minutes south of Geelong and you jump over Torquay and Barwon Heads (Ocean views)

You can do a tandem sky-dive or take the Advanced Skydiving Program.

I haven't actually sky-dived myself (hope to one day). But my brother went sky-diving with Skydive City and said it was unbelievable.

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Phone: (03) 5254 1467
Address: Barwon Heads Airport, 1405 Barwon Heads Rd., 3227
Directions: See website for maps.
Website: www.skydivecity.com.au
Other Contact: skydive@theoffice.net.au

To be honest I only visited the Geelong art gallery for the first time a couple of weeks ago - I thought it would be small and have nothing good in it. I was wrong. The Geelong gallery has recently under gone a transformation, it is a beautiful gallery with an ecclectic range of paintings and artworks on display - from pieces from the Heidelberg school (Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin) to pieces by Peter Booth. Many portray Australia in its early days and in a few you can clearly see landmarks of Geelong that have not changed over the centuries. Definitely worth a visit!

Admission is free.

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Phone: (03) 5229 3645
Address: Little Malop St., Geelong
Directions: Opposite GPAC and in Johnstone Park.
Website: www.geelonggallery.org.au
Other Contact: geelart@geelonggallery.org.au

Along the walking tracks near Geelong's Waterfront there are 104 Bollards to be found. These bollards are colourful and inspired. They each represent an aspect of Geelong - mainly to do with our history, culture and heritage.

They were painted by a local artist - Jan Mitchell. And you will notice that they all (or one, if there are a couple together in a group) will have a rabbit on it.

*Also on the picture of the 'Nurse' bollard - her tin can says 'Mother Hubbards Cupboard'.

For more information visit one of Geelong's Tourist Information Centres (TICs).

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Address: Waterfront
Directions: Waterfront - Eatsern and Western Beaches.
Website: http://www.greatoceanroad.org/geelong/waterfront/bollardstrail.asp

Now, a 'wool' museum may not sound like a lot of fun - but this will give you some insight into Australian culture (both now and in the 19th Century) - this is not just a museum full of different types of yarn.

It was also a place we would always go to on a school trip and here's why: "The National Wool Museum is Australia's only comprehensive museum of wool, showcasing wool's enduring impact on Australia social and economic life. With a brief to explore the past, present and future of the Australian wool industry, the Museum acquires, documents, preserves, stores and exhibits objects and materials directly related to and which reflect significant developments in the Australian wool industry.

Appropriately located in a century old (1872) refurbished bluestone wool store, the Museum uses unique objects and innovative displays to tell the story of the Australian wool industry from early settlement to the present day." http://www.arts.vic.gov.au/arts/general/archive/postcards/NWM.htm

There is also a really good gift shop here with 'Australiana' products (plenty of wool products, but jewellery, toys and othet things as well). Within the gift shop area is also a tourist info point to find out more about Geelong and the surrounding area.

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Phone: 03 5227 0701
Address: Corner of Moorabool Street & Brougham Street
Directions: Located in Information Centre , The Bay End of Moorabool Street
Website: http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Johnstone Park is a nice park just to the west of the city centre. Now, it may not be as nice as the waterfront, but it is a nice park all the same. Beautiful green hills of grass, shady trees to sit beneath. Plus you are just near the Geelong Library, GPAC (Geelong Performing Arts Centre) and the Geelong Art Gallery.

Every year in Geelong 'Carols by Candlelight' is held in Johnstone Park on Christmas Eve. More for the younger crowd, but it's a lot of fun sitting there singing Christmas Carols out on a warm summers night. In fact it was at 'Carols by Candelight' in 2004 that my sister's fiance propsed to her (and she said yes)!

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Address: Johnstone Park, City Centre
Directions: Behind Geelong Art Gallery and Geelong City Library

Every year in mid-October for 4 days there is The Geelong Show. They have many different things going on at the show, from all things agricultural and pastoral (sheep-shearing, wood-chopping, horse-riding competitions), to cars and motor bikes, fashion shows, heaps of rides (from the Ferris Wheel to the Gravitron), stalls for arts and crafts and heaps of stalls with showbags, games, prizes to be won and of course so many food stalls with foods you know you shouldn't be eating (but what's a little indulgence?). There is also the excellent fireworks display (on the Saturday night) that gets better and better every year.

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Address: Geelong Showgrounds, Breakwater Road, East Geelong
Website: www.geelongshow.org.au