Best of Geelong
Bellarine Peninsula Guide: Wineries, Beaches and the Queenscliff Ferry
The Bellarine Peninsula fans out southwest of Geelong into Port Phillip Bay, offering a very different experience to the surf coast on the other side of the city. Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads are the main beach towns, with Barwon Heads the smaller and more relaxed of the two. Queenscliff, at the tip of the peninsula, is a heritage Victorian town with hotels, galleries and the ferry service across the entrance of Port Phillip to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. The Bellarine also has an emerging wine region, with cellar doors concentrated around Marcus Hill and Wallington. The Bellarine Rail Trail, a 35-kilometre cycling and walking path on a converted rail corridor, connects Geelong to Queenscliff.
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Queenscliff
A heritage Victorian seaside town at the Bellarine's tip, with restored hotels, the Queenscliff-Sorrento ferry crossing and the Bellarine Railway steam train.
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Point Lonsdale
A lighthouse village with a relaxed character, cliff-top walking tracks and views across the Rip to the Mornington Peninsula.
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Bellarine Wine Trail
A growing cool-climate wine region with over 30 cellar doors along the peninsula, producing outstanding chardonnay, pinot gris and shiraz.
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Portarlington
A calm bay town popular with families for its sheltered swimming beach, fresh mussel aquaculture and a direct ferry to Docklands in Melbourne.
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Drysdale
The Bellarine's inland hub, with the heritage Bellarine Railway steam train and a growing restaurant and wine bar strip in the village centre.
More Best of Geelong
- Weekend Getaways from Geelong: Great Ocean Road, Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast
- Great Ocean Road from Geelong: What to See on the World's Scenic Coastal Drive
- Where to Stay in Geelong: Accommodation Guide for Visitors
- Geelong Waterfront: Dining, Art and Eastern Beach
- Best Restaurants and Cafes in Geelong: Where to Eat in Victoria's Second City
- Free Things to Do in Geelong: Art, Coast and Parks