Nestled against the tranquil banks of Corio Bay, less than 50 miles from Melbourne, is Geelong, the 2nd largest city in Victoria. A community of about 175,000 residents, Geelong is a close-knit, proud community and one of the state's fastest growing. This will come as no surprise when you visit Geelong and see all that it has to offer. Make your Geelong accommodation your starting point for your visit to Victoria and you will be in a perfect position to see all of the state's greatest attractions.
While many of Victoria's attractions lie just outside of Geelong, you are going to want to see what the city of Geelong itself has to offer first. Make your first excursion down to the water's edge, where you can stroll along the famous "bollard walk." Not only are these sculptures (there are 104 in all) a pleasure to see, they give you a glimpse into the history of Geelong.
Of course, a group of Australian Rules football players figure prominently among the bollards. Geelong and Aussie Rules football are almost synonymous. Geelong helped found the Australian Rules Football Club and their team has traditionally been one of Australia's best.
Historical figures included on the walk along the beautifully landscaped walk include the Volunteer Rifle Band, a band that played regular performances in the Geelong Botanic Gardens starting in 1868 and Robert de Bruce Johnstone. Johnstone, who was mayor of the city from 1865 to 1867, is affectionately remembered as the "parks and gardens" mayor of the city for his role in establishing the Botanic Gardens, a sight you won't want to miss.
Torquay, on the edge of the Great Ocean Road not far from Geelong, is arguably Australia's premier surfing community. Torquay is the home of the Bells Beach surfing contest, which has an astonishing 50 year history. Back in the early 1980s, Simon Anderson made surfing history when he won the event on his newly designed "thruster" surfboard. That was the beginning of the "short board" surfing era. Also in Torquay is the world famous Surfworld Museum, the largest museum in the world devoted entirely to surfing and surf culture.
After you have visited Torquay, you will still have plenty of time to continue down the Great Ocean Road to Lorne. Often described as a mediterranean village on the Australian coast, this scenic town is one of Australia's favorite tourist destinations. Because Lorne is so easily accessed from Geelong, you won't want to miss out on seeing it.
The great thing about Geelong is its central location. You have seen some of the sights along the southern coast. Now it's time to head northeast and visit Melbourne. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and its largest city. Melbourne is a sprawling metropolis with innumerable fascinating things to see and do. Make Geelong your base and you have a relaxing home to return to at the end of your day.
Need a break away, find <a target="_new" href="http://www.bookitnow.com.au/accommodation/vic/great-ocean-road/geelong/1/">Geelong accommodation</a>, things to do and other travel related information about the area on <a target="_new" href="http://www.bookitnow.com.au/">'Book it Now'</a>. Or visit our <a target="_new" href="http://travelblog.bookitnow.com.au/">travel blog</a> for more Australian holiday ideas.
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