Hidden gems of Geelong, the Otways and Bellarine Peninsula

THINK you know the best Geelong has to offer? From paddling with a platypus to an alley wine bar, here’s some lesser-known gems from the Otways to the Bellarine Peninsula.

Union Street Wine in Geelong is both a bar and a shop.

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WE have searched high and low to find those hidden gems of our great state.

Here’s the places you might not have heard of around Geelong, the Otways and Bellarine Peninsula that are worth seeking out.

PIKNIK

1195 Queenscliff Rd, Swan Bay. piknik.com.au

Piknik began as a market stall selling produce that had been “picked and nicked’’ from local farms.

This cafe and pantry, now housed in a converted Golden Fleece roadhouse, is a popular stop on the Bellarine taste trail.

Owners Denise and David Humphris have earned a following for their Allpress coffee, gluten-free baked muesli with fruit, and free-range eggs on Alchemy bakery casalinga, plus Piknik’s Saturday night dinners.

BOOM GALLERY

11 Rutland St, Newtown. boomgallery.com.au

In an old industrial area by the Barwon River in Geelong, Rutland St is touted as “progressive’’. That, in no small part, is due to Boom Gallery, an art and design space housed in a former woollen mill.

Established artists clamour to exhibit at Boom, while budding artists enrol in classes and workshops. And informed locals regard Boom’s cafe as one of the best in town.

Lake Elizabeth in the Otways, where you can meet some elusive wildlife. Bec Kilpatrick Photography

PADDLE WITH THE PLATYPUS

Great Otway National Park, Forrest. platypustours.net.au

Otway Eco Tours guide Bruce Jackson knows where to find the platypus, perhaps Australia’s most elusive native creature.

His newest dawn or dusk guided tour, Paddle with the Platypus, begins with a 1km Otways walk to Lake Elizabeth.

Paddle out in canoes and Jackson almost guarantees a platypus sighting.
Adults $85, children $50, family $300.

Get close to one of these guys.

UNION STREET WINE

8 Union St, Geelong. unionstreetwine.com.au

It’s down an alley behind a roller door. But the wine-savvy folk behind Union Street Wine will welcome you with open arms once you’ve tracked them down.

Owner Andy Leigh wants you to enjoy his brick-walled venue, snack on Mediterranean fare and savour top drops. Especially those from the Bellarine. Gotta rush? Buy a bottle.

Union is a wine bar and store in one.

Union Street Wine in Geelong.

ONE-DAY ESTATE

Curlewis Rd, Curlewis. onedayestate.com.au

One-day Estate — the Bellarine’s most unusual winery — is only open to the public on Sundays. But in this case, less is more.

One-day owner Sam Murray supplies live music, picnic rugs and grape-friendly fare — everything from curries and paella to cheese platters.

GLOW WORMS

Melba Gully Rd, Great Otway National Park. parkweb.vic.gov.au

Possums, wallabies and quolls ... there’s so much to see in Melba Gully when the sun goes down, but glow worms are the hidden gem in this corner of the Great Otway National Park (3km west of Lavers Hill).

The larvae of insects, the “worms” cluster on ledges along Madsen’s Track nature walk and twinkle in the gloom.

Rangers warn the lights will “go out’’ in the glare of torchlight. So, lower your beams, tread quietly and don’t touch.

Melba Gully State Forest: the place to go for glow-worms.

MOUNT ROTHWELL CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE

5 Mount Rothwell Rd, Little River. mtrothwell.com.au

A predator-proof fence has banished foxes, feral cats and other predators from the 453ha Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre for 10 years, so threatened Australian mammals are making a comeback.

Public tours of the sanctuary are available on the last Saturday of each month. Bookings essential. Mt Rothwell is also open for private and group tours.