Eastern Beach, Geelong

For St Patrick's Day we went down to Eastern Beach in Geelong. Geelong, Victoria's second largest city, the gate way to Bellarine Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road, is about 75 km from us here in Melbourne.

Eastern Beach, built in an Art Deco style during the 1930s, and was regenerated in the 90s. It has a beautiful shoreline with views toward Melbourne, and the You Yangs Mountains.

The many attractions here include; A children's glass enclosed swimming pool.

 

A children's play area.

 

A shark proof sea bath.

 

And my boys personal favourite; a hill!

 

The Swimming Enclosure is a half circle around 8 1/2 acres of sea water. It's large double platform wooden structure complete with shark proof fencing. The enclosure has floating islands, a diving board, and slides.

 

All over Geelong you will see colourful bollards created by artist Jan Mitchel. Jan was commissioned by the City of Greater Geelong to transform old timbers and piles from a city pier, demolished in the 1980s, into these beautiful and original works of art. They represent important people, and events from Geelong's colorful history.

Here are two characters from the 30s. Ian McDonald, the city surveyor who drew the plans for the sea baths, on the left, and Robert De Bruce Johnstone, getting poked by my boys, on the right.

Some lady bathers, we found them a little stiff!

We hope you had a great St Paddy's Day too!