Overview
Choose from tranquil bay beaches on one side of the peninsula and wild ocean waters on the other. Swim with dolphins in the bay, listen to the birds sing in local wetlands and encounter iconic wildlife in a region that is a feeding ground for many native animals, marine life and migratory birds.
Beaches and bays
Join the happy throng on the sand up and down the peninsula in summertime or visit in the cooler months for a stroll along the coast. Geelong's Eastern Beach has been a favourite meeting place for generations while the calm bay beaches from Portarlington to St Leonards are great for families. Surfers can head oceanside to Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove for bigger waves.
Join a tour and hit the waters of Port Phillip Bay to visit the local seal colony near the famous Chinamans Hat pontoon and witness the bay's resident dolphins at play.
Bush trails
For a true bush experience, cruise out to the You Yangs. Take in the impressive landscape of granite peaks, native shrubs and towering gums. Keep an eye out for koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, brush-tail possums, echidnas, lizards and more.
Witness wildflowers in full bloom and see sleepy koalas in the trees at the Brisbane Ranges National Park. Walk the Rainbow Bird Trail to see orchids and diverse native birdlife or just traverse the rivers, gorges and bushland at your own pace.
Wetlands and woodlands
Explore the coastal woodland at Edwards Point Nature Conservation Reserve. Make your way through coastal tea-tri, down to the beach front, where flocks of ibis and pelicans fish for their lunch.
The Begola Wetlands offers great walking tracks for bird spotters. Its name, Begola, is a Wathaurong word for 'place of many frogs', which also reflects the vast number of frog species found in the reserve.
