Food and family fun come together in this journey to Geelong and The Bellarine.

Starting a break with the ocean stretching out in every direction, truly shakes off any whiff of routine and puts you firmly into holiday territory. As a family, travel on the Spirit of Tasmania has an ease about it – you can take as much stuff as you can pack and the kids love the adventure of it all. After farewelling Devonport on the deck in the salty air, our kids quickly found the games area – computer games and climbing gym, while we enjoyed the live musician and a chat over a glass of Tasmanian sparkling wine.

DAY ONE: GEELONG SUNRISE

After rolling off the boat just before sunrise, our first stop was Pavilion Geelong, on the waterfront and, crucially, open early. It’s clearly a local hangout – post-cold water dip in the ocean baths, people were already queuing for coffee. We enjoyed the sunrise with pesto scrambled eggs and kids waffles. We stretched our legs along the Geelong Waterfront and out to the end of the pier – the historic bollards were a fun take on bringing the stories of local personalities to life.

It began to pour with rain, so the Federal Mills precinct was a perfectly timed next stop. The old red-brick woollen mills have been given new life, now home to businesses, cafés, and a brew­ery. The Popcultcha store was a standout – part shop, part gallery, it’s a pop culture haven and the kids were captivated. Having eaten so early in the day, we stopped at King of the Castle, an in­dustrial cafe at the top of eat street, Pakington Street, for burgers and pasta. After lunch, we checked into the waterfront Novotel Geelong, a great option for families and couples, and spent the afternoon in the indoor heated pool, sauna and gym.

Dinner that night was at The Black Sheep Gin Bar, tucked inside the historic National Wool Museum. The interior was superb – dark and moody, with the exposed timber beams of the old woolstore, modernised with wool carpets and beautiful lighting. The food was vibrant – the $75 pp ‘Feed Me’ menu was generous and great value – the gin and wine list extensive, and the atmo­sphere cosy.

DAY TWO: PLAYING IN THE CITY

Geelong knows how to do family fun. After the kids’ excitement over the hotel breakfast buffet, we started the day at LaserQuest, ducking, weaving and laughing through neon-lit rooms, followed by a few competitive rounds of bowling. It set a playful tone that carried through the day.

Having dined in the building the night before, the National Wool Museum gave us a different kind of energy. It’s hands-on and layered with history, showing just how much wool shaped the re­gion. A late lunch at Sailors Rest was relaxed – seafood, burgers, and an excellent kids menu. We lingered longer than planned, enjoying the views across the bay, before heading back to the Novotel for one more swim and an early night.

DAY THREE: THE BELLARINE BECKONS

An Asian-inspired breakfast at The Birch, in a cute white house at the bottom end of Pakington Street, was a highlight. Soba noodles and dumplings, sambal eggs, miso chicken ramen bowl – we’ve all been dreaming about these dishes since!

If you look at Port Phillip Bay on a map, The Bellarine is the area to the left. It’s home to wineries, little coastal hamlets and beautiful beaches. We detoured through Portarlington, stopping for coffee and a pier walk where fishing boats bobbed along­side pelicans. Exploring the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse and the pier, that services the treacherous heads of Port Phillip Bay, was fascinating, as was chatting with the local fishermen. By the time we reached Queenscliff, it was time for lunch at 360Q, a casual fine diner with marina views.

The Queenscliff Maritime Museum had the kids enthralled. From learning about the hectic ocean currents through the heads to stories of lighthouse keepers and their lives. We checked into BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Queenscliff – a spacious three-bedroom villa gave us room to spread out, while the kids zoomed around the park on pedal bikes and splashed in the pool.

If you ask the kids what their highlight was, it’s unexpected – dinner at Lombardys, a local pizza and pasta restaurant. The engaging owner had them feeling like they were the VIPs of the night, with plentiful pizza, icecream and stories.

DAY FOUR: THE HOME STRETCH

On our final morning, we enjoyed break­fast at the Queenscliff General Store, watching a steady stream of locals grab­bing a coffee after school drop off nearby. Afterwards, we strolled through the neighbourhood before heading towards Ocean Grove for a surf check and casual lunch at The Dunes. We did do a sneaky Aldi stop on the way to the terminal – to be told by staff that it’s becoming very common to see Tasmanians stocking up on special buys and long life snacks!

On the voyage home on the Spirit, the kids were still swapping highlights (Lom­bardys! LaserQuest!), and we realised that Geelong and The Bellarine had given us more than a holiday – it was a set of memories to return and add to.

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine, and Spirit of Tasmania.