Bellarine Peninsula
As mentioned in the previous post, we went to Queenscliff for the weekend. The caravan park was actually at Point Lonsdale, roughly the same distance to both towns.
We were blessed with some wonderful warm weather, especially on Saturday, which was most unusual for this time of year. The picture shows Kathleen and Dude leaving a water slide at Adventure Land.
It was my first visit to the Bellarine Peninsula, and here are some personal impressions:
The walking and cycling tracks are excellent. There’s a rail trail between Queenscliff and Geelong. The surface is gravel, and we didn’t have time to ride it, but the prospect is alluring.
There’s an excellent multi-purpose, fully sealed path that runs along the foreshore from Point Lonsdale most of the way to Queenscliff.
We spent many hours walking and riding along there. It puts our local track to shame (although an upgrade is promised).
Point Lonsdale has some nice cafes and eateries. With the kids there we stuck to fish and chips, but the beach setting was perfect for an outdoor treat complete with seagulls for baby entertainment.
Queenscliff is quaint and largely unspoilt. I thought the commercial facilities were fairly poor though, especially for a tourist town that must get as many visitors as Bright. For example, I only found one bank with an ATM (Bendigo) and couldn’t find a petrol station. The IGA supermarkets were small and poorly stocked.
Some family highlights were Adventure Land near Leopold. This cost $20 a head for entry, with unlimited access to the rides and activities. It’s not quite a Gold Coast theme park, but close enough for country kids! I even went down the aptly named “Tunnel of Terror” water slide. Dude enjoyed the archery and the babies had a train ride and merry-go-round.
We took Dude rock climbing in Geelong at an indoor facility with proper instruction and full safety equipment. And given the lovely weather we spent several hours on the beach.
We enjoyed a drive to Portarlington and St Leonard’s. Both are pleasant villages and presumably ideal for a “Sea Change” (the TV series was filmed there).
On Sunday we attended the christening of my cousin’s twins at St Margaret’s in Geelong. The babies are six months younger than ours, and it was nice to catch up with many relatives I hadn’t seen for a while.
The big kids have now gone to their grandparents for a few days. So it’s just Juliet and me with the little ones.
These articles might be of interest:
