| CITY OVERVIEW
Stay in Geelong
|
Although more renowned for its
car making facilities (particularly Ford), Geelong is also the eastern gateway to
the famous views provided on the Great Ocean Road that traverses the Great Australian
Bight from Geelong to the South Australian border.
One attraction that is unique to Geelong is the Ford Discovery Centre on the Geelong waterfront at the corner of Brougham and Geringhap Streets, which provides a behind the scenes look at how cars are designed and manufactured today and an insight into the car (the Ford car that is) of the future. The National Wool Museum is also located nearby the Ford Discovery Centre on Brougham Street and provides all you wanted to know about the importance of wool to this country. To increase its tourism appeal, Geelong has followed the lead of many Australian cities in redeveloping its waterfront into an area of shops, eateries, exhibition spaces and other attractions. The Ford Discovery Centre is one of these new spaces. The self-proclaimed jewel of the waterfront area is 'historic' Eastern Beach, which contains ocean and enclosed swimming pools and a famous beach house. |
| GETTING THERE
Fly to Melbourne From USA
|
The best way to get to Geelong from Melbourne is by public transport. V/Line provides regular train services between Melbourne's Spencer Street Station and Geelong Station and South Geelong Station. The trip only takes just over an hour. Other than the main V/Line railway between Geelong and Melbourne, Geelong's public transit system is bus-based and gets you to most attractions from the Geelong Centre and railway station. |
| AFL GEELONG CATS Ticket information through AFL
|
The
Geelong Cats were one of the founding members of the VFL, having entered the
competition in 1897. The Geelong football club actually claims to go back
to 1859, just after the formation of the Melbourne football club. Geelong
took a while to win a competition (1925) but then won in 1931 and 1937.
Geelong had its best era in 1951 and 1952. Their last premiership success
was in 1963 – since then they have become renowned as a team that
doesn’t know how to win a Grand Final, having made the final game of the
year 5 times since 1963 without winning – four of those being between
1989 and 1995 behind the player nicknamed ‘God’ – Gary Ablett. |
| SKILLED STADIUM |
Skilled
Stadium (formerly Kardinia Park) hosts
the Cats and is located on Moorabool Street, Geelong South. The Stadium has
been the home of the Cats since 1941 and has a capacity of over 28,000.
Shell Stadium provides the Cats with one of the great home-ground
advantages in the AFL as it can prove to be one of the windiest and coldest
places in the League. You
can get to Geelong from Melbourne easily by public transport. V/Line runs
matchday services between South Geelong Station and Spencer Street Station
in Melbourne. Shell Stadium is a short walk from South Geelong station
west along Lonsdale Street. |
| HORSE
RACING
GEELONG RACECOURSE Tickets available at course |
Geelong
Racecourse is located off Breakwater Road
in Geelong South. Geelong is home to the Geelong Cup – one of the
traditional leadup races to the Melbourne Cup on a Wednesday in late
October (the 2002 winner Media Puzzle won the Melbourne Cup as well). Geelong Racecourse Station no longer operates on the main railway
line between Melbourne and Geelong/South Geelong so the best bet is to
take a taxi from Geelong City or the South Geelong train station. |
