Around the Bay in a Day

Thursday, March 20, 2014 – 5:45 p.m. Mt. Waverly time

By Teressa Jackson

Wednesday’s program was a trip “Around the Bay in a Day”. We began our journey with a trip down the highway to Geelong. In Geelong, we enjoyed the scenery of the waterfront while munching on some biscuits (cookies), blueberry muffins, and coffee. I was especially taken by the charm of the Baywalk Bollards, which were created by local artist Jan Mitchell. The painted sculptures represent local history and identities.

After Geelong, we continued our journey to Queenscliff, where we grabbed a portable lunch from Rolling Pin Bakery, home of “Australia’s Best Pies”. I enjoyed a vegetarian pastie that was filled with a spiced mix of potatoes, carrots, and celery; and a Bundaberg ginger beer. Armed with our fortifications, our group boarded the Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferry for a 40-minute cruise from the Bellarine Peninsula to the Mornington Peninsula. Although they are often seen on this trip, the dolphins were apparently engaged elsewhere. It was still a lovely way to spend a lunch hour, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

We disembarked at Sorrento and drove through the lively and beautiful town to a gorgeous beach area. I couldn’t resist feeling some sand between my toes, and got a bit of a surprise when the powerful surf splashed me. It was well worth it, though. After a brief time there, we drove to Fort Nepean, where we took a short hike to another beautiful beach.

Before heading back to the city, we headed up to the highest peak on the peninsula, Arthur’s Seat. There were some spectacular views, and some haze… that turned out to be one of Australia’s pesky fires. We never learned the source, but certainly smelled it!

View more photos from the day and stay up-to-date with all our latest at our Facebook page:www.facebook.com/gse2014.