- Duration
- ~260 km loop by car, 9–10 hours (≈ 6 h 26 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- drive, walk
- Start
- Fort Queenscliff tour
- Finish
- Gelato Messina Geelong
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday: public fort tours run Monday and Friday at 11 am, weekends at 11 am and 1:45 pm. Monday is Mussel Monday at the Portarlington Grand Hotel. Leave at 8:45 am. The bay wind is cold even in spring
- Budget per adult
- Fort Queenscliff tour: adult A$25, child A$10, family A$55. Geelong carousel A$6 a ride (pavilion entry free). Lunch, cider and gelato extra (October 2026)Prices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
By car: West Gate Fwy and Princes Fwy (M1) to Geelong, then the Bellarine Hwy to Queenscliff, ~106 km, about 1 h 40 min; back from Geelong ~74 km, 1 h 10 min. The driver only sips at the cider tasting: Victoria's limit is 0.05. Without a car the full loop doesn't work in a day, but half does: Port Phillip Ferries from Docklands to Portarlington (weekends 10:40 to 11:50, back 17:00 to 18:10, adult A$27.50 one way plus a temporary 8% fuel levy), or the V/Line Geelong line to Geelong and a 15-minute walk to the waterfront
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Fort Queenscliff tour~1 h 45 min at the stop
A 19th-century coastal artillery fort guarding the entrance to Port Phillip: ammunition magazines dug under the cliffs of Shortland's Bluff and gun emplacements overlooking the treacherous Rip.
Worth knowing: It is one of the largest and best-preserved forts in Australia.
Tip: Guided only, about 1.5 hours: Mon and Fri at 11 am, weekends at 11 am and 1:45 pm, and the gates lock on the dot. It is an active Defence site: adults need photo ID, and international visitors need a hard-copy passport.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 23 min · 22.8 km
- Lunch
2. Portarlington Grand Hotel~1 h 15 min at the stop
An 1888 hotel in Portarlington, the town famous for its mussels (it hosts a Mussel Festival every January). A restaurant with wood fires burning all day, an atrium and a lawn.
Tip: The restaurant does lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday (book online); Monday and Tuesday it is the Atrium menu, walk-in only. Mondays are Mussel Monday: mussels for A$22.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 21 min · 20.5 km
- Snack
3. Flying Brick Cider Co~45 min at the stop
A cider house on the Bellarine Hwy with a contemporary menu of local produce: a tasting paddle of ciders, Bellarine wines, beer and coffee on the veranda or the big lawn.
Tip: Lunch daily 11 am–5 pm, last food orders 4 pm; book the veranda ahead. Leashed dogs welcome on the lawn. The driver should only sip.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 19 min · 16.2 km
- For kids
4. The Carousel, Geelong Waterfront~30 min at the stop
A hand-carved wooden Armitage-Herschell carousel built around 1892 and once steam-driven: 36 horses and two ornate chariots in a glass pavilion by the water.
Worth knowing: Only about 200 Armitage-Herschell carousels like it still operate worldwide.
Tip: Daily 10 am–5 pm, A$6 a ride for kids and adults, concession A$5. Pavilion entry is free. Cunningham Pier Playground is right next door.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.25 km
5. Geelong Bollards, Waterfront Bollards Trail~35 min at the stop
More than 100 painted timber figures by artist Jan Mitchell along the foreshore: founders, pioneers and colourful locals, each with its own slice of Geelong history.
Tip: The short Waterfront Bollards Trail takes about 30 minutes. A book about the bollards is sold at the carousel.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 10 min · 0.8 km
- Snack
6. Gelato Messina Geelong~20 min at the stop
A Geelong branch of the well-known Australian gelateria Gelato Messina: a standing list of classic flavours plus rotating specials announced on its website. A good finish before the drive home.
Tip: 100 Little Malop St, open daily from 12 noon to 10:30 pm (Fri and Sat to 11 pm). Closed in the morning, which is why Geelong comes last.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.