Whether it’s cheese and biccies on a grassy hill that you envision or perhaps sandwiches by the beach, these picnic places will have something to satisfy everyone’s inner yogi bear.
Picnics have long been a romantic date favourite, with at least one picnic scene featured in most cult-classic rom coms and it’s for good reason that they’ve made a resurgence in popularity. With a totally customisable menu curated by you for you and your date, picnicking will forever be a favourite with fussy and adventurous eaters alike.
Picnics are the perfect cost-effective way to indulge in your favourite snacks, and some local locations even mean you can have a drink but do be sure to double check the local laws before popping the champers. Grab a blanket, a basket and get ready to impress your date this V-day.
Need for inspo? Check out the best date nights in Geelong that aren’t dinner and a movie.
Queenscliff Beach
Soak up the last of the warm weather this Valentines with a beachside picnic down at Queenscliff. With white sandy beaches sheltered by trees, the beach provides ample shade and shelter from the sun and wind. As if the promise of a near perfect location isn’t enough Queenscliff beach is known for its ultra still, turquoise waters, perfect for a cool off post snacking.
If sitting on sand for your date day sounds like a living nightmare, never fear, for a two minute walk from the water sits grassy parkland equipped with picnic tables for your picnicking pleasure.
Calm beaches, sheltered sand and the promise of a picnic table if you so desire, need I say more.
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Geelong Botanic Gardens
If the beach isn’t white your scene but you’re still looking to give that special someone a picnic location they won’t forget, the Botanic Gardens is for you.
Not only is there ample grassy seating, there is plenty of shade available if you’re prone to sunburn. A pre-picnic stroll through the gardens will give you a chance to peruse the available spots and choose your top location. If you supply the snacks, the drinks can be taken care of by The Teahouse Café nestled within the gardens, bring your cheese, pastries, and deli meats, and grab a coffee or tea on arrival to the gardens.
There has even been an expansion of the grassland and greenery means there’s even more space to gather with your girls or impress your tinder date this Valentine’s day. Bring your favourite rug and some cash for coffee and settle yourself in for a picture-perfect picnic.
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Eastern Beach
A true staple for locals and tourists alike the iconic Eastern Beach is the pinnacle of picnicking for Geelong and its surrounds. With ample picnic spots to choose from you can soak in the sun with waterside views and end your picnic with a Ferris Wheel ride. Eastern beach provided picnic goers with all the staples of an excellent V-day picnic; clear calm water, rolling green hills and of course the opportunity to snag a table or even a rotunda if you beat the crowds.
Eastern Beach has been a long-time picnic favourite in Geelong, and it’s got good reason, an ideal spot if your daytime date includes bringing alone the kids for some V-day fun with playgrounds and water areas suitable for the littlies.
Eastern beach is the perfect family fun day location, and (bonus) if you’re there during daylight hours you can have yourself a cheeky, but totally legal, alcoholic beverage.
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Balyang Sanctuary
If birdwatching and boardwalks are more your style, Balyang Sanctuary is the perfect picnic spot for you.
The idyllic location boasts grasslands, gumtrees and wetlands making it the perfect trifecta for nature lovers in the region. Bring your cheese and crackers waterside and spend the afternoon watching hoards of ducks, or perhaps choose a spot at a picnic table on the grassland and soak in the bird calls from afar.
Finish your picnic lunch with a walk around the sanctuary, boardwalks and bridges ensure your post-picnic nature walk can be completed with ease.
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Johnstone Park
An often-overlooked gem of Geelong, Johnstone Park is an epic picnic location just a few minutes’ walk from the CBD.
With rolling green hills, palm trees and walking paths to pick your perfect location, being in Johnstone Park makes you almost forget you’re in central Geelong. Set slightly below the city the park is perfectly sheltered from the wind so that nothing can get in the way of your romantic day.
The other huge bonus for Johnstone Park is that it’s just across the road from the ever-iconic Augustus Gelatery, ensuring that you and your date can finish off your savoury snacking with a sweet treat just a quick road-cross away.
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Torquay Foreshore
If you’re a quintessential beach baby like a lot of locals are, Torquay Foreshore might be the spot for you. An easy-breezy 25-minute drive out of Geelong, Torquay Beach offers tables, grassy hills, and beautiful beaches (oh my!) sure to impress anybody who likes to feel a bit of sand in between their toes.
If packing a picnic lunch isn’t for you, there are ample restaurants along the Esplanade that you can grab a quick bite from. If its lounging on the grass with a pho from Pholklore, or perhaps feeling the sand beneath your feet with a bagel from Beach House, Torquay promises to have something for everyone.
Finish your picnic with a refreshing swim and voila, you’ve planned a totally effortless but hugely impressive picnic date day.
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Buckley Falls
If waterfalls are your vibe but driving down the Great Ocean Road isn’t for you, Buckley Falls is a perfect picnic location.
This picturesque location nestled out the back of Highton shows off some of the best that the Barwon River has to offer. Picture rocky waterfalls, Lilypad’s to die for and a viewing platform that showcases the best of Buckley Falls this location is perfect for anyone looking for something more than your standard beachside/nature sanctuary location. You can even for-go your picnic blanket at Buckley Falls but do be prepared to picnic perched on a rock rather than a grassy hillside.
Never fear though, the views and birdlife at Buckley Falls makes the Rockside picnic balancing act more than worth it.
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