Parks & Gardens

Whether it’s a stately preserved garden or native landscape, there are many parks and gardens dotted throughout Geelong and The Bellarine.

Pay one a visit and be sure to breathe in deep – the air doesn’t get fresher than this.

Set on 200 acres, the Geelong Botanic Gardens were established in 1851 and to this day are a lush oasis, only 1.5 kilometres from the CBD.

Be sure to stop by the Conservatory which houses a collection of weird and wonderful plants from around the world – including the Corpse Flower which blooms every 7 to 10 years (and the first one bloomed in 2024).

With a café onsite and bollards dotted throughout, it’s the perfect spot to BYO picnic, have a stroll or even a wedding.

If you'd like a closer look at the gardens, free tours run twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Before Johnstone Park became what it is today, a creek ran through the area providing a water source for Wadawurrung people.

Now the park is a go-to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, with ample space to lay out a picnic rug, bring the family and relax.

It’s also home to the Kurrajong Seed Pod sculpture, a piece of public art that was created by Viktor Cebergs in 2000.

It plays host to an array of annual events, like the Carols, Geelong Beer Festival and is conveniently close to Geelong Train Station.

Spread over six acres, the Victoria State Rose Garden is an internationally acclaimed garden set on the prestigious grounds of Werribee Park. With more than 5,000 roses on display, it’s a magnificent sight and a must-visit when in bloom from November to April.

The garden has been designed in the shape of a five-petalled Tudor Rose with pathways acting as a stem which leads to a leaf and rosebud.

The leaf was planted to commemorate the Centenary of Federation and contains beds of Australian roses. The rosebud is made of English roses bred by David Austin.

Ocean Grove Nature Reserve is a network of gentle grade paths within the largest parcel of non-coastal indigenous vegetation left on The Bellarine - a remnant of the environment prior to European settlement. Similar but coastal, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve in Swan Bay protects some of the last coastal woodland on The Bellarine and is home to many indigenous plants and animals.

Both provide great settings to appreciate the native plants that once flourished on Wadawurrung Country.