Wangaratta to Geelong road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Wangaratta to Geelong drive: Melbourne to Werribee

The quickest route to Geelong doesn’t go into Melbourne city centre. It cuts across south of Melbourne Airport along the M80. The motorway passes Brimbank Park, heads through Sunshine, then joins the Princes Freeway.

The drive then passes through Melbourne’s south-western suburbia. The biggest chunk of this is Werribee.

On the outskirts of Werribee, it’s only a short detour to the River Walk Village water park and the Cocoroc Historic Township open air museum.

But the most interesting potential stop here is the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

Melbourne to Bells Beach drive: Werribee to Geelong

There are wetlands to the east of the freeway after leaving Werribee. The Little River Bird Hide is a pleasant spot to observe the bird life. But the most attractive mini-detours are to the west of the highway.

The You Yangs Regional Park offers wildlife and walking trails through a series of granite ridges, while the Serendip Sanctuary provides close-up encounters with native Aussie wildlife.

The Freeway then skirts the southern edge of Lara, home to the Lara Museum and the cactus displays at the Roraima Nursery. Avalon Airport is on the eastern side of the freeway.

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.

There are plenty of things to do in Geelong. These include the National Wool Museum, helicopter rides, the Baywalk Bollards on Geelong Waterfront and the Boom Gallery.

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.