Bellarine Rail Trail

The trail stretches across the Bellarine Peninsula from South Geelong station through Leopold, Drysdale, and Mannerim to the seaside town of Queenscliff, surrounded by Corio Bay to the north, Port Phillip to the east, and Bass Strait to the south. The route passes through the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung people, crossing gently undulating farmland and vineyards that characterise the peninsula.

Queenscliff sits at the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay known as The Rip, one of the most treacherous shipping channels in Australia, which made it strategically vital enough to justify a military fort and the railway to supply it. The peninsula has transformed from pastoral farmland into a popular wine and tourism region within easy reach of both Geelong and Melbourne.

The first 22 kilometres from South Geelong to Drysdale features smooth sealed asphalt ideal for road bikes, while the remaining 13 kilometres to Queenscliff transitions to compacted gravel on the original rail corridor. The terrain is gently undulating with no significant hills, following railway grades across open farmland with views to Corio Bay and the You Yangs.

The landscape shifts from Geelong's suburban fringe through productive farmland and vineyards to the coastal character of Queenscliff, with its historic limestone buildings and views across the bay. The heritage Q Train restaurant operates on the preserved section of track between Drysdale and Queenscliff, occasionally sharing the corridor with trail users.

The railway was commissioned in September 1878 and opened on 21 May 1879, justified less by civilian traffic than by military necessity—Fort Queenscliff was established in 1860 to defend the entrance to Port Phillip Bay from potential Russian invasion during the Crimean-era anxieties. The line carried troops, supplies, and holiday-makers for over a century, with Queenscliff becoming a popular seaside resort for Melburnians arriving by train and ferry.

Passenger services ended progressively and the corridor was developed as a rail trail, while the Bellarine Railway preservation society saved the Drysdale-Queenscliff section for heritage train operations. The Q Train now offers fine dining experiences on restored carriages, running several times weekly along the same tracks where military supplies once rolled.