A break away hit

No longer the place tourists bypass on the way to the Great Ocean Road, Geelong is a fun, hip destination in its own right, plus a gateway to the indulgent Bellarine Peninsula.

- SUSAN HORSBURGH

As the sun rises over Geelong’s Eastern Beach, I stroll along the esplanade, crossing paths with a clown, a mayor and a bevy of bathing beauties, all before breakfast. The two-hour-long Bollard Trail might be old news to locals – the quirky 100-plus painted-pylon sculptures of historic Geelong figures have stood sentry along the shoreline for three decades – but to newcomers they’re a delightful introduction to the bayside city’s colourful past.

No longer a manufacturing powerhouse, Geelong has reinvented itself. The factories have shut down, but Victoria’s second city is booming as Melburnians flock to the Bellarine Peninsula, lured by cheaper homes, beaches and a more relaxed pace of life. With the “Gee-changers” have come funky bars and eateries, creating cosmopolitan pockets and more tourist appeal, making G-Town and surrounds an excellent weekend getaway.

Historic & happening

Despite the facelift, Geelong hasn’t forgotten its past. Take North Geelong’s Federal Mills, near the Spirit of Tasmania’s new home base (services start on October 23): the red-brick boiler house that once powered the woollen mills where World War I military uniforms were made has found new life as 1915. It’s a split-level restaurant with sensational Mediterranean-inspired food (don’t miss the ancient-grain salad) and a major wow factor, thanks to its soaring vaulted ceiling and century-old curios. Next door at Anther Distillery you can meet the 300-litre still, “Arnie”, and taste the Geelong Dry Gin, flavoured with salt bush foraged from the nearby shoreline.