Australia is a country that has many picturesque cities and locations that are ideal for travel lovers. Many of these offer the best travel experiences that you can enjoy with your whole family. Among them, the famous city of ‘Geelong’ can be a perfect travel destination due to its gorgeous countryside and coastline. Being situated on the bay of Corio, it is just around 75 km away from the bustling city of Melbourne. The name of the city is derived from the word ‘Jillong’ which is what the native aborigines used to call it. This area was first discovered by the commander of the ship ‘Lady Nelson’, John Murray.
A Brief History
Even though John Murray gets the credit for initially discovering Geelong, it was not until 1836 that the area became an official settlement. This was thanks to James Strachan, David Fisher and George Russell, all of whom were European settlers. In the 1850’s the city had a rapid growth due to the infamous gold rush as it was in direct route to the goldfields of Ballarat. The town hall and Geelong hospital were built during these times which have now become very important heritage sites of the town which you can visit and enjoy. Even after the gold rush days were over, the city of Geelong was able to maintain its steady growth and was able to gain the title as ‘the second largest city’ in the Victoria region.
The Modernization of the City
Through various industrial developments such as waterworks, industrial companies and even their very own power station, the ‘Gateway City’ of Australia has become a vibrant city that encompasses many modern aspects. It has many restaurants that provide scrumptious meals as well so you should definitely try them out when you are visiting the city. Research the best restaurants Geelong to get an idea of the many restaurants around the city so that you can pick the best one, according to your preferences. Many of these are situated in the waterfront area thus they are known to have spectacular views too. If you are planning to enjoy the night life of Geelong then these restaurants will be must-visit-locations for sure. The likes of the Maritime Museum, National Wool Museum and the Ford Discovery Centre should also not be missed when you are visiting Geelong as they provide good insights to the city’s rich history as well.
Nature at Its Best
The city is also home to many waterfront walks, botanical gardens and even waterfalls that will allow you to truly experience the best of nature. As the name suggests, it also acts as a gateway to the renowned great ocean road which usually includes Bells Beach and famous activities such as whale watching. The Geelong area is also home to places like the granite peaks of You Yang and the Zoo of Werribee which are also known to be great places to visit.
Not only these but the various wineries, and festivals hosted in this city throughout the year surely makes Geelong, one of the best cities to visit if you want to experience the true flavours of Australia.