Fairy Park, Anakie: Why visit this theme park near Geelong?

Fairy Park in Anakie, Victoria, is an old-fashioned take on a theme park. But there’s plenty to keep younger children entertained.

One of Victoria’s more unusual attractions, Fairy Park in Anakie claims to be the oldest themed park in Australia.

To call it a theme park would be stretching things somewhat. Fairy Park is not a place of rollercoasters and thrill rides. It’s a lot more quaint than that.

3 Geelong experiences to book in advance

A water bike tour along the coast.
A sunrise balloon flight – see the bay, hills and river from above.
Rent an electric picnic boat on the Waterfront.

What is Fairy Park, Anakie?

There are several sections to this theme park near Geelong, all roughly based on fairy tales. This theming is most prominent in Fairytale Land, with 22 hand-crafted animations that come to life at the push of a button.

The whole fairytale thing gets abandoned for a knights and castles vibe elsewhere in the park. The Camelot Adventure Playground is a perfect energy-burner for kids, and there’s a big model dragon at the top of Mt Anakie. The lookout on this extinct volcano offers excellent views over the surrounding countryside and Corio Bay.

The dragon at Fairy Park, Anakie, Victoria.

The castle on the hill, meanwhile, offers an even less themed model railway. This feels like it might be more aimed at the train geek dads than the kids.

Fairy Park’s opening hours are a little erratic. It is usually open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but also every day of the school holidays. Entry tickets cost $22 for adults and $12 for children. For more information, visit the attraction’s website.

Where is Fairy Park, Anakie?

Fairy Park is in Anakie, on the Geelong-Ballan Road. It’s close to the You Yangs, and not much of a diversion off the quickest route from Geelong to Ballarat. From Geelong, it should take you about half an hour to reach Fairy Park. From Melbourne, it’s just over an hour’s drive to the west.

If you want to double dose on the weirdly quaint theme park thing, Kryal Castle in Ballarat is about 45 minutes away.

The best places to stay in Geelong

The top Geelong accommodation options are:

For an affordably-priced, good quality motel: Parkside Motel.
For fabulous apartments near the beach: Vue Apartments Geelong.
For a family-friendly hotel with an indoor pool and balconies in each room: Novotel Geelong.
For a facility-packed holiday park: Tasman Holiday Parks Geelong.