Many people choose to spend their entire summer holidays on the Bellarine Peninsula.
But this place is also terrific for short getaways.
Day Trip
Not long enough!
But if you insist, the Bellarine Peninsula is an easy day trip from Melbourne (or Ballarat), but leave home early because there is a heap to pack in.
Depending on where you’re coming from, it’s roughly an hour’s drive from the CBD to Geelong (check the traffic conditions).
From there, it’s about 30 minutes to most places on the peninsula, including the many cellar doors that await.
You would also have time to enjoy a leisurely lunch and walk it off with a beach stroll or take in some of the Bellarine Rail Trail or Ocean Grove Nature Reserve.
Perhaps an educational tour (Fort Queenscliff, Portarlington Mill) in the afternoon before heading back home or staying for dinner.
Weekend
Get in the car as early as you can on Friday afternoon and head straight to Ocean Grove.
With a good run on the roads, it should take about an hour and a half.
Depending on what time of year it is, you should have enough time to wander on the beach. Main beach, Collendina or Raafs are your options and all three are good options.
After that, take your pick for dinner and drinks on The Terrace or one of the nearby restaurants or wineries before settling in for the night in a tent, cabin, motel or holiday house.
The following morning head to the revitalised town of Portarlington to check out the old mill, but stop at Drysdale first for a coffee and breakfast.
The 10km drive between Portarlington and St Leonards is as scenic as it gets with gorgeous bay views.
If it’s nice out, stop in at the St Leonards Hotel for lunch and sit in the beer garden while enjoying the sun.
In the afternoon, head to some of the Bellarine’s best wineries.
If you’re not totally worn out, drive to Queenscliff to see the fort and then across to Point Lonsdale for the beach and the lighthouse.
Tonight you can order in or head out again. It’s never more than 20 minutes from Ocean Grove to anywhere on the peninsula.
The next day, you check out more of the wineries before heading to Barwon Heads for coffee and a late lunch and a walk along 13th Beach.
If you have kids and the wineries aren’t an option, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve is a great place to wander and maybe spy an echidna or wallaby. Minigolf, Adventure Park and Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary are terrific for the littlies.
Long Weekend
Apart from all of the above, and taking longer to explore each place, other options for a slightly longer stay are a night out on the Blues Train, a Sunday train ride with the kids on one of Bellarine Railway’s regular Day Out With Thomas.
If it’s warm outside, Adventure Park will entertain you and/or the kids for hours. Splash about in this acclaimed water theme park.
Saturday mornings are great for markets, whether it’s a farmer’s or a craft market. Pretty much every town on the Bellarine has one at some stage.
Curlewis, Barwon Heads and Thirteenth Beach golf clubs are world-class and if you bring your sticks, it’s well worth getting out if you’re into golf.
Dolphin and seal watching on a boat tour from Queenscliff will thrill the entire family, while there are heaps of fishing charters that will take you out in search of your bag limit. Diving is popular here. There are several sites and a purpose-built wreck off Ocean Grove.
You can always time your visit around one of the many world-class festivals, but book accommodation and tickets (especially to the Queenscliff Music Festival) very early.
Something as simple as fish and chips on the beach anywhere on the peninsula is inexpensive, but fun.
