Top 5 Things to do in Geelong.

Tuesday 17^th April 2012
Geelong, Victoria’s second city, is seventy five kilometres south west of Melbourne.

And some people say they're a
bit backward in Geelong?

In a nation where more than two thirds of its twenty million inhabitants squash themselves into the eight state capital cities, the City of Geelong is like a breath of fresh air. Its streets are notably more spacious, its homes not piled on top of one another, its traffic eases merrily along uninterrupted, and its expansive sea front bounces with locals taking in the magnificent views of Corio Bay.

There is a four kilometre promenade, a long golden sandy beach, an art deco bathing pavilion, an eclectic selection of cafes and bars, and an impressive Botanical Garden.  If this was a seaside town in England, it would be heralded by most, loved by many, and enjoy a steady influx of day-trippers taking delight in its offerings all year long.

Here in Victoria though, it’s a city that Melbournians like to turn their noses up to.

There are two principal reasons for that, and they are the two most recognisable symbols of this second city; the first is the US motor company Ford, which has been the basis of its manufacturing sector since 1925, and the second is the AFL Footy Club, the Geelong Cats, who have been by far the most successful club in Australia over the past four or five years. 

The manufacturing success of Geelong through the middle of the twentieth century, driven largely by Ford, was responsible for putting the city on the map. At the same time, it scarred it with an ugly industrial landscape, increasingly decaying and oft derelict factories, and a skyline of smoke filled chimneys. It’s this image that Melbournians have embedded in their minds, and an image that the local government has worked hard to overcome, finally reaching fruition in the late nineties with the completion of the waterfront redevelopment, and overall gentrification of the centre.

Genius. Ford and the
Cats team up for Geelong.

And then there are the absolutely purring Geelong Cats. Geelongites are absolutely crazy about their Cats, and I mean one hundred percent certified plain crazy. Take the Geordie passion about the ‘Toon, combine it with a big dollop of Indian love of the little master Sachin, and throw in the devotion of a New York Yankee fan, and you might just about get close to the fervour, intensity and frenzy of the Cats fans. And this really drives Melbournians crazy. Melbourne is the home of the AFL, its heart beat and its birthplace. Half of the AFL’s elite eighteen teams are based in the city. To have the uncultured industrial, small town hicks of Geelong winning the AFL three times in the past five years really hasn’t gone down too well. Especially in Collingwood.

And so Geelong remains a city adored by the locals, and ignored by pretty much everyone else. Which is fine by me. I found myself here on Tuesday for a job interview, and as I sat in a quiet hillside park overlooking the bay, and enjoying my lunch, I thought I would like to keep it all to myself anyway.

Geelong’s Top Five:

1) The Waterfront: the promenade, the pier, the beach, the harbour, the festivals, the parks, the historical carousel, it’s got everything a seaside town should have, and much, much more. If you do only one thing in Geelong, make it a long stroll along the front.

2) Outdoor Sculptures: it won’t take you long to come across a painted bollard in Geelong. There are over one hundred of them depicting notable characters of Geelong’s history (from footballers and politicians to lifesavers and fishermen) all handcrafted by the late Jan Mitchell and all guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. There is also a brilliant shark fin ensemble on the floor near the carousel overlooking the ocean...

3) Pakington Street: its Geelong’s finest cosmopolitan, cafe lined shopping strip, and whilst it can’t compete with the alleyways and lanes of Melbourne, it’s a fine destination for lunch and a glass of wine, and home to the trendier stores in town. It’s in West Geelong.  

4) Outer Circuit Bike Ride: a thirty three kilometre bike ride that circles the city and shows a side of it that you never knew existed. Without doubt the highlight is the southern section, which hugs the Barwon River for ten kilometres or so, before entering the south of the city at Eastern Park, and cycling north along the seafront. It’s mostly flat, and takes about three hours at a leisurely pace.

5) Art Deco Bathing Pavilion: whether you’re brave enough to go for a splash won’t stop you enjoying this magnificent sea pavilion. It’s a 1930’s shark proof fun filled pool, more than one hundred meters wide at its biggest and featuring slides, diving boards, lap pools and more, and a completely separate kid’s area on the beach. It’s encircled by a wooden boardwalk so you can take it all in, without ever putting the shark proof theory of the pool to the test. And it's all free.

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Where you will find Geelong: