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Win a $2148 getaway to experience the best of The Bellarine

Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
Here’s your chance to indulge in the ultimate escape on The Bellarine.

Entries close at 11.59pm AEDT on 8 February 2026

Escape on the ultimate adults-only luxury getaway to The Bellarine, just 90 minutes from Melbourne – worth up to $2148!

Read the general competition terms and conditions before you enter.

What’s included?

The Royal Queenscliff stands proudly in the heart of Queenscliff, its grand Victorian façade exuding timeless sophistication — a highlight of the Geelong Bellarine Giveaway.
Make The Royal Queenscliff your luxurious home away from home.
  • The Royal Queenscliff $790 voucher – equivalent to a two-night stay in The Rosetti or The Barrett Rooms (non-peak rates)
  • Lon Retreat $500 voucher – put towards a treatment or massage at Lon Spa
  • Bellarine Smokehouse + Provedore $300 voucher
  • The Q Train $308 voucher – a five-course Q Class Dining experience for two adults (beverages not included)
  • Searoad Ferries $250 voucher

About the prize

Warm and inviting, Bellarine Smokehouse + Provedore showcases the region’s finest artisanal produce. An essential taste experience in the Geelong Bellarine Giveaway.
Taste the best of The Bellarine at Bellarine Smokehouse + Provedore.

Enjoy the ultimate luxurious adult’s getaway on The Bellarine, just 90 minutes from Melbourne. Cruise into the quaint maritime town of Queenscliff with your car via SEAROAD FERRIES; the 40-minute trip from Sorrento lets you skip the long drive and savour bay views, dolphin sightings and a glass from the licensed cafe. Taste the best of The Bellarine on THE Q TRAIN, Australia’s premier rail restaurant that passes stunning coastlines, farmland and nature reserves. Continue sampling the region’s quality produce with a stop to pick up some artisan goods at BELLARINE SMOKEHOUSE + PROVEDORE, with everything from local cheeses and handcrafted sauces to smoked fish and pâtés made in-house. Next up, head to LON SPA, winner of Best Spa Australasia in the 2024 Spa and Wellness Awards.

The Royal Queenscliff’s balcony embodies the serene beauty of the Geelong Bellarine Giveaway escape.
Don’t miss your chance to win this unforgettable Bellarine escape.

Enjoy a treatment of your choice, ranging from massages and mineral soaks to 24K gold age-defying facials, while relaxing at this private and luxurious retreat.

Find your base at the recently refurbished THE ROYAL QUEENSCLIFF for a two-night stay. This opulent three-storey beauty offers adult-only accommodation, tropical garden courtyards and elegant salons. The interior features vibrant modern art, antique furniture and exotic heirlooms. For a truly memorable stay, experiencing some of the best The Bellarine has to offer, this is a competition you’ll want to put your name down for.

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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.