How to stretch your stay in Geelong and the Bellarine — and why you'd want to
The cooler weather may have arrived at Portarlington, but the upcoming National Celtic Folk Festival is sure to heat things up. Over the June long weekend, the charming seaside town will come alive with music, markets, session bars and warming open fires in celebration of all things Celtic. The annual event brings an energy like no other — and it's just one of many reasons to visit Geelong and the Bellarine this winter.
For the epicureans, the Tastes of Greater Geelong festival will showcase the very best of the region's hospitality scene. The month-long event, which runs from June 20 to July 20, will see venues throughout Greater Geelong excite your tastebuds with special menus, bespoke tasting trails and pop-up restaurants.
Come August 30, art enthusiasts will want to make their way to the esteemed Geelong Gallery, which will play host to the Archibald Prize 2025 exhibition until November 9.
If music by the sea is more your vibe, head a little further south to the Queenscliff Music Festival. Taking place over three days from November 28 to November 30, this beloved coastal event will transform the Bellarine into a thriving hub of live gigs, local food and family friendly fun.
Whether you're in town for the culture or the coast, one thing's for sure — you won't want to simply pass through. From the buzzing cityscapes to the unforgettable scenery, Geelong and the Bellarine offer plenty of ways to turn your day trip into a full-blown escape. Here's how.
Flavours worth travelling for
An easy hour's drive southwest from Melbourne, Geelong and the Bellarine are home to some of the best dining experiences in the country. You'll need more than a day to sample the goods, but you can make a decent start in Little Malop Street thanks to its treasure trove of laidback cafes, bustling bars and top-notch brunch spots.
Get your caffeine fix from Cartel Coffee Roasters, stock up on fresh pastries and wood-fired sourdough at Paddock Bakery, then indulge in some pre-dinner tipples on the leafy rooftop at The Arborist.
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The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Iranian superstar unleashes joyful frenzy
I had a little glimpse of what it would be like to be a god. From my box in Chatswood's Concert Hall, high above the front edge of the stage, I gazed down on a seething mass of humanity in what was effectively a mosh-pit, only with seating getting the way. The excitement of these people was as explosive as the music. Mohsen Sharifian's folkloric music comes from the southern Iranian coast on the Persian Gulf, and for the local Iranian community Sharifian has the star power of Elvis, Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift rolled into one. He has done what Goran Bregovic did for Balkan music: locate it within the universal dance beat of a thumping bass drum – here an electronic wallop triggered by Morteza Palizdan's foot – and take it to the world. From Harbour to Harbour 2 is the second incarnation of a project in which Sharifian's band, Lian, is joined by didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton and his mother, singer Aunty Delmae Barton. The concept, however, was better than the execution, as where I was sitting the bottom-end sound was sludgy, and the didgeridoo's nuances were largely lost. Barton and Aunty Delmae only topped and tailed a generous show that started 35 minutes late, while we, in a new low for concert presentation, watched ads on a big screen. The rest embodied the instant party that's a Lian performance, with people dancing from the moment the band launched into the raucous Eshkeleh, and only stopping when Sharifian addressed us. He's a virtuoso player of the ney-anban, an Iranian bagpipe with a sound that's shriller and even more transfixing than the Celtic version. His band also contains a second ney-anban player, his daughter Liana, whose main solo incorporated a dissonance that sliced through one like shards of glass, and whose instrument was adorned with a string of pom-poms, so when she twirled while playing, these gracefully arced around her. From the moment the band's formidable density – having three hand-drummers, an oud player and an electric bassist – fully kicked in, you understood why such a piercing instrument is demanded. Sharifian also sings, although the primary vocalist was the impressive Aka Safavi, who also had to scale this wall of sound, and did so more as a seasoned professional than as the natural charismatic that is Sharifian. The lyrics, meanwhile, sometimes drew on Omar Khayyam's poetry. More than anything this concert was the sound of joy: a joy that engulfed a room more used to hosting polite applause with rumps firmly glued to seats. Intermittently the mood could change to the pensive beauty of Reza Kashi's oud, but that pounding ersatz bass drum, intent on stoving in one's ribcage, was not to be denied, and soon enough we were back in a musical frenzy, with the ecstatic response it engendered. It was just a shame the sound was so muddy.
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