The 8 best things to do in Geelong and The Bellarine for families

Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
hero media
From fairground rides for little ones to indoor rock climbing for bigger kids, and wildlife encounters fit for all ages, Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula has plenty to offer even the pickiest of family members.

1. Barrabool Maze Estate, Geelong

Get the kids off their devices and into the fresh country air at this Greater Geelong destination. Occupying 1.6 hectares, Barrabool Maze Estate’s principal attraction is, of course, its maze, but there are also gardens full of cacti and succulents to tour, as well as a cafe to relax in with a flat white and a wodge of cake.

Barrabool Maze, Geelong, VIC, Australia
Try to get out of the Barrabool Maze. (Image: Tourism Geelong)

2. Museum of Play and Art (MoPA), Geelong

A museum built solely to encourage play and creativity among the already inquisitive minds of kids aged one to seven, Geelong’s MoPA is unlike much else on offer in Victoria. Featuring immersive exhibits and interactive art experiences, the museum’s aim is to help engage and educate little ones through play-based learning: think glitter-doused millennial pink water play exhibits, soft play ‘mosh pits’ and more.

Museum of Play and Art, Geelong, VIC, Australia
A museum built solely to encourage play and creativity among the already inquisitive minds of kids. (Image: Melissa Lau)

3. Adventure Park Geelong

If you’re looking for a family-friendly outing that can easily chew up the better part of a day while exhausting energetic little ones, make a beeline for Victoria’s biggest water theme park. The crowd-pleasing Adventure Park Geelong gives equal billing to water rides, fairground rides and activities, and the entrance fee provides access to all three.

huge slides at Adventure Park Geelong
During summer, kids can enjoy corkscrew waterslides more than seven storeys high.

Come summer, the kids can enjoy corkscrew waterslides more than seven storeys high, a meandering lazy river, a waterpark replete with dozens of jets, a Ferris wheel, tea cup ride, small-scale spinning roller coaster and two mini golf courses. If you’re making a day of it, consider renting one of the cabanas or sunbed pods, which offer a little retreat from the mayhem.

Family Cabana, Adventure Park, Geelong, VIC, Australia
Rent one of the cabanas, which offer a little retreat from the mayhem.

In winter the venue offers something a little different. With the water park rides shut for the season, visitors can instead explore a winter wonderland with a vast Christmas lights display, activities including UV face painting, fire twirling and ice sculpting shows, and a snow play zone. Even the food and drink offering is winter themed: think roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate for the kids, and spiced cider or mulled wine for the grown-ups.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

4. The Carousel, Geelong

Enjoy a dose of good old-fashioned childhood nostalgia at The Carousel . Housed within a glass pavilion on the city’s waterfront, this sensitively restored hand-carved wooden carousel dates all the way back to the 1890s, and is one of only 200 in operation globally. The fairground ride features two chariots and 36 horses, 24 of which are original. There’s also a mobility lift, enabling wheelchair users to enjoy the vintage fairground ride too.

The Carousel, Geelong Waterfront, VIC, Australia
Housed within a glass pavilion on the city’s waterfront, this sensitively restored hand-carved wooden carousel dates all the way back to the 1890s. (Image: Visit Victoria)

While the carousel now runs on electric power, the original twin-cylinder steam engine that used to power it stands proudly on display and is operated on a regular basis. An attraction in itself, it’s believed to be the only one of its kind in Australia, and possibly one of only five in the world.

The Carousel - Geelong Waterfront, VIC, Australia
You’re sure to enjoy a dose of good old-fashioned childhood nostalgia. (Image: Visit Victoria)

5. Fairy Park, Anakie

Little ones with a penchant for fairy tales will enjoy this self-described ‘medieval wonderland’, home to fairies, elves, hippogriffs and dragons. Set amid the rolling green landscapes of Anakie, a 30-minute drive north-west of Geelong, Fairy Park affords visitors 360-degree views of the local countryside, all the way out to the Corio Bay, from its summit. There are 22 animated fairy tales to explore, as well as an adventure playground, model train set and train museum. Set aside at least 90 minutes to see it all.

Castle, Fairy Park, Geelong, VIC, Australia
Little ones with a penchant for fairy tales will enjoy this ‘medieval wonderland’.

6. The Rock Adventure Centre, Geelong

indoor rock climbing at The Rock Adventure Centre, Geelong
Take your sporty kids to the vertical playground at The Rock Adventure Centre.

The perfect training ground for rambunctious or sporty kids aged five and up, The Rock Adventure Centre in Geelong is a vertical playground that will wear out minds as well as bodies. Here you’ll find more than 100 climbs across 25 walls, some up to 12 metres high, ensuring that novices, experts and everyone in between will feel appropriately challenged. Watch on as the kids tackle one of the two auto belays or bond while belaying them yourself. It also houses a huge bouldering cave (with a fully padded floor) that features more than 500m² of problems to solve and physical limits to test.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

7. The Range at Curlewis, Geelong

Carve out some time for a pitstop at this Geelong driving range where you can thwack a few balls with the family while chewing the fat – no golfing experience necessary. Even teens and tweens who would rather have their noses in phones can be lured into teeing off here, with the bays boasting Toptracer Range screens that allow for a real-time deep dive into your shots.

The Range at Curlewis, Geelong, VIC, Australia
No golfing experience necessary when you visit The Range at Curlewis.

8. Sea All Dolphin Swims, Queenscliff

Frolic with wild Burrunan dolphins and Australian fur seals to create some core family memories on a half-day tour with Sea All Dolphin Swims .

Sea All Dolphin Swims, Queenscliff, Geelong, VIC, Australia
Create some core family memories on a half-day tour with Sea All Dolphin Swims. (Image: Visit Victoria)

On the Dolphin & Seal Swim, you’ll spend close to four hours on the sheltered aquamarine waters of Port Phillip Bay; keep an eye peeled for bird and marine life and plunge in to get a closer look. There’s no minimum age, and thanks to the buoyancy of the operator’s thick wetsuits you don’t even need to be able to swim to have a crack. Best of all, you’re in the safe hands of a friendly, patient and experienced crew.

Dolphin & Seal Swim, Port Philip Bay, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Plunge in to get a closer look at the seals. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If your little ones get nervous at the prospect of diving into open water, try the shorter 90-minute Wildlife Sightseeing Tour instead. You’ll eye all kinds of creatures without even getting your feet wet.

Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
View profile and articles
The Queenscliff Hotel at Sunset
Geelong

Victoria’s abandoned seaside hotel to reopen as a luxe boutique with a bathhouse

After seven years sitting dormant, one of Victoria’s grandest coastal hotels is back – and it’s more glamorous than ever.

Read more
dolphins playing in The Bellarine
Geelong

8 experiences that prove The Bellarine is the ultimate multi-gen getaway

No matter your age and no matter your interests, Victoria’s coastal Bellarine region makes for a memorable getaway for the whole family.

Read more
inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
Geelong

This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

Read more
Geelong
Geelong

Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated. 

Read more
hero media

Good food, beautiful nature & history: your guide to a long weekend in West Gippsland

(Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
    Continue
    From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.

    Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.

    Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.

    But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences.  Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.

    Getting there

    Messmates Dining west gippsland
    Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)

    Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.

    Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.

    Visit historic villages

    Walhalla historic township
    Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.

    European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.

    The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township , a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.

    Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.

    Alpine Trout Farm west gippsland
    Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.

    Back in Warragul , the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.

    In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.

    Walks, waterfalls and wild places

    Toorongo Falls in west gippsland
    Stroll Toorongo Falls Reserve. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.

    One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve . A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.

    Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.

    Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail , which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.

    Taste the best eats of West Gippsland

    Hogget Kitchen west gippsland
    Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.

    For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.

    Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.

    Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.

    For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter.  Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.

    Time your visit with the Truffle Festival

    Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival , running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.

    Start planning your long weekend in West Gippsland at visitgippsland.com.au .