queenscliff
Athelstane House
Restaurant
Casual dining in a historic guesthouse.
Salt Lounge
Bar
A dapper cocktail bar in the loft of an art gallery.
Queenscliff Vintage Market
Antiques, collectables, memorabilia and bric-a-brac come together at this Queenscliff offshoot to the Geelong Vintage Market. The crackle of music on vinyl fills the space and sets the mood for exploring the eclectic jumble of objects from eras past. Secondhand books, vinyl and DVDs can be found among retro kitchenware, embroidered doilies and vintage garden tools. The building was originally Eddies Emporium – a variety shop that stocked just about anything. The theme continues today with the original branding still intact on the shop’s front.
The Blues Train
Since taking its debut trip in 1994, the Blues Train, founded by music industry veteran Hugo T Armstrong, has become a popular live music event for anyone enamoured by delta blues, down-home blues and most other sub-genres you could shake a harmonica at. The appeal is much broader than the blues itself though: how many other steam-train journeys offer raucous live music and hearty food on the fly? Each event starts and ends at the historic Queenscliff Station. It’s a five-hour train ride that includes bar service, a buffet dinner, four 30-minute performances from local blues artists and a journey along the historic Bellarine Railway, which is maintained by volunteers from the Geelong Steam Preservation Society.