School holidays have started, and if you’re dreaming of that international getaway, here’s how to get a taste of overseas right in our own backyard.
Victoria
A cyclist’s guide to Geelong for less than $100
Get on your bike and head to Geelong for a day of decadence, adventure and beauty by the bay – all for less than $100.
Geelong is a city skyrocketing in popularity much thanks to its relaxed lifestyle, burgeoning hospitality scene, community-minded attitude, proximity to the Bellarine Peninsula and Barwon Heads, as well as only being a short drive on the freeway from Melbourne.
With so much to see and do, it can be difficult to narrow down where to spend your time. RACV Members also save on a range of attractions and experiences in Geelong, making choices even harder.
Thankfully, making your way through everything Geelong has to offer doesn’t need to blow the budget. It’s possible to have a day out in the city by the bay for less than $100, with so many affordable, and sometimes free, things to do.
We’ve put together a guide for a fun day out in Geelong, using your bicycle to get around, with arevo - a free journey planner app made by Victorians for Victorians.
A day in Geelong for less than $100
Make your way to Geelong
Cost: $24-32
Firstly, you’ll need to make your way down to Geelong either bringing your bicycle with you on a V/Line train or hiring a bicycle rental once you arrive.
The cost of your train ticket will be between $12-16 one way from Southern Cross Station, so allow $32 to include your return ticket.
Once you’re on your set of wheels, the benefit of using arevo to make your way around Geelong via bicycle is that the app has a comprehensive biking route system made in consultation with avid bicycle riders.
The app offers cyclists a chance to avoid main roads and choose scenic routes, all while still getting you to your destination in the most efficient way possible.
Geelong Waterfront
Cost: Free
From Geelong Station, jump on your bicycle for approximately 2.2km, or 8 minutes until you reach the Geelong Waterfront.
This piece of paradise has been an integral part of Geelong’s economic and social fabric for more than 150 years, offering breathtaking views, some amazing local cafes and boutique stores, as well as hours of fun walking through the beaches, jetties and gardens.
The Geelong Bay Walk allows you to easily ride between different bayside areas along the foreshore and experience several of Geelong’s park attractions, including Limeburners Point and Rippleside Park - which is much more cyclist-friendly in the earlier hours of the day, and as the evening winds down due to reduced crowds.
Grab a coffee along the way and sit in the gardens if you feel so inclined, adding about $4 to the day.
Geelong Botanic Gardens
Cost: Approximately $20
From the Geelong Waterfront, a short 4-minute bicycle ride will get you to the Geelong Botanic Gardens, where entry is free, for some lunch.
The Geelong Botanic Gardens has an amazing plant collection from all around the world, offering smells and colours to stimulate your senses as you relax in the lawns in one of Geelong’s best kept secrets.
You can even grab lunch from The Tea House inside the gardens, costing about $20.
After you’ve had some lunch, head deeper into the Botanic Gardens and relax on one of the many lawns and individual gardens within, like the Conifer Lawn, Oak Lawn, Flag Lawn and Walnut Lawn.
Next, arevo can help you find your way to your next stop – Geelong Vintage Market.
Geelong Vintage Market
Cost: Free
About a 20-minute bicycle ride along the harbour past Eastern Beach and Deakin University is Geelong Vintage Market, where you’ll find a mixture of collectables, different wares, and retro items for sale.
Don’t worry about bicycle parking, arevo can help you find the safest place to park it while you’re browsing the markets.
Open seven days a week, rummage through the market to find vinyl records, antique jewellery, paintings, upcycled timber creations, movie memorabilia, art deco furniture and much more.
You could spend your whole day here and still not get through the entire market, but after a few hours, you’ll be ready to wind down the day at Little Creatures Brewery.
Some local attractions along the Geelong Waterfront. Image: Getty
Little Creatures Brewery
Cost: $35
Head back towards Eastern Beach and towards Barwon Valley Golf Club for about 25 minutes via bicycle to Little Creatures Brewery where you can see the day out with an early dinner before heading back to Melbourne.
With a generous menu, the Little Creatures Brewery has something for everyone. As one of Victoria’s most successful and recognised beer brands, there is locally brewed pale ale, XPA and IPA on offer to enjoy with dinner or take home.
If you are continuing your cycling journey, make sure those beers are take-aways.
From here, it’s a 12-minute bicycle ride back to Geelong Station where you’ll jump back on the V/Line and head back to Southern Cross Station, Melbourne.
There’s so much to explore
By now, you will have spent just over $80, excluding the cost of a rental bike if you require one. Use your remaining budget to enjoy more of Geelong’s growing list of attractions like MoPA: Museum of Play and Art, or Eastern Beach Reserve, next time you’re in the city by the bay.
So go on, get out there and enjoy biking around Geelong for less than $100 with the help of arevo – Geelong can’t wait to see you there.
