Update: Good news! The Geelong book is now available in all good bookstores, newsagents, Tourist Information Centres in the regions covered by the book and through online bookstores. It retails for $29.99. If you are interested in being a stockist, please get in touch with me by leaving a comment. Here’s the cover so you can see what to look out for. I’m very happy with how it turned out, and really enjoyed walking it, so hope you’ll enjoy it, too.
Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine and the Brisbane Ranges, JP Mundy (2012), Woodslane Press
In August 2011, I started working on my next walks guidebook, which will cover more than 40 walks in and around Greater Geelong, the rugged Brisbane ranges, across the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula and along the Surf Coast. I have fallen in love with this area after holidaying frequently on the Bellarine over the past few years, and last year, being lucky enough to complete the 5 day, 100km+ and truly world class Great Ocean Walk. This next book should be out by Christmas 2012 and will again be published by Woodslane and available in good bookstores, some local cafes and online.
Some of these walks are less than an hour’s drive/train from Melbourne, and most are wonderful for a day or weekend out, or are perfect for those based in Geelong, holidaying on the Bellarine or spending a few days touring this beautiful part of Victoria. They will appeal to walkers of Melbourne’s Best Bush, Bay and City Walks and will be between 4 and 10 kilometres long, and easily doable for almost everyone. I will be following this with another guide on Best Walks of the Great Ocean Road. I was originally planning to combine them, but when I started researching and walking, it was clear there were just too many fabulous walks to combine in one book!
Getting out and walking really opens up this beautiful land and its natural and human stories – it’s also incredibly good for the heart and soul. I hope you’ll find a walk from amidst the book that will lift your spirits and get you out and about this wonderful region. Hopefully you will find some familiar ones, and others brand new for you to explore – I know for sure there are lots of other great walks out there I haven’t been able to include, but hopefully this will give you a taster and encourage you to get out and explore further afield! Here is the outline of the walks I will be including, along with links to any relevant blog entries:
Chapter 1 – Greater Geelong
Waterfront Geelong
Heritage Geelong
Eastern Park & the Botanical Gardens
Limeburners’ Kilns
Point Henry Wildlife Reserve
Queens Park & Buckley Falls
Barwon River Reserves
Deakin University
Hovells Creek Reserve
Kirk Point
Inverleigh Flora & Fauna Reserve
Leigh River Walk
2. The Bellarine Peninsula
Clifton Springs
Portarlington-Point Richards
Drysdale to Queenscliffe Rail Trail
Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve
Queenscliffe Marina & Township
Queenscliffe Daytrip: Millionaire’s Walk, Sorrento
Point Lonsdale to Swan Bay Circuit
The Rip & Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse
Ocean Grove Nature Reserve
Barwon Heads to Ocean Grove
The Bluff
Connewarre Game Reserve
Black Rock to Breamlea
Pt Impossible
3. Surf Coast
Surf Coast Walk
Point Danger to Jan Juc
Jan Juc to Bells Beach Clifftop Walk
Ironbark Basin & Jarosite Headland
Pt Addis Koorie Cultural Walk
4. Brisbane Ranges and Surrounds
The Burchell track
Anakie Gorge
Falconer’s Lookout, Werribee Gorge
Steiglitz Gold Heritage Loop
Lara Lakelands Reserve
Serendip Sanctuary
You Yangs East West Track
You Yangs Branding Yard Trail
You Yangs Big Rock Walk
[…] Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine & the Brisbane Ranges […]
Cant wait to buy one and discover lots of lovely new hidden treasures! j
Thanks Janine – hope you enjoy it. Maybe we’ll do one with the kids and with some of your favourite … camping … thrown in! J
[…] also got to knock off a walk that was featured in Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine & the Brisbane Ranges. I wont be discussing the walk itself, although it was really […]
[…] also got to knock off a walk that was featured in Best Walks of Geelong, the Bellarine & the Brisbane Ranges. I wont be discussing the walk itself, although it was really […]
Julie it appears this book is now out of stock and out of print. Can I still obtain it somehow? Is there an updated version or new release to come out soon?. I would love to read it and do some of the walks.
Hi Scott – thanks for getting in touch, and sorry not to get back to you earlier – it has just been sent for the 2nd print. If you are happy to send me your details privately (juliepmundy(at)gmail(dot)com), I can send you a copy once I have received mine, or at least let you know when they are in stock. Also, if you let me know where you are, I can advise who is stocking them – eg Pt Lonsdale and Queenscliff newsagencies still have stock I believe. Thanks, J
I would love a copy. It would be interesting to see how many i can do in my wheelchair.
Where can i find them?
Hi we are going to Geelong for 2 weeks overchristmas an New Year soi will look out for the book to help me pick places to hike and see.
Pam
HI Pam – did you find the book? Which were your favourite walks? So much to explore aroudn Geelong!
Hi AJ – You should be bale to get them at any of the Geelong libraries, many of the newsagents or bookshops in Geelong or the Bellarine towns, or on line. I do identify those which have suitable surfaces for wheelchairs or strollers – a number of them are. Le the know how you get on!
Hi Julie,
Just wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed your Melbourne and Bellarine walking books – I’ve completed quite a lot of them already. The maps are very clear (much clearer than some other walking books) and so far I haven’t got lost!
If you’re planning to write more walking books, how about a book on Gippsland/Phillip Island/Bass Coast? I’ve done quite a few walks from the brochures produced by Bass & Gippsland shires. Port Albert and the surrounding towns are really peaceful and lovely.
Thanks,
Catherine
Hi Catherine – thanks so much for taking the time to write and providing your feedback – it’s rally wonderful to know the books are hitting the mark! And even more important glad to know you have not gotten lost!!! Have you done any of the walks in teh new Great Ocean Road book? Great suggestion re Gippsland and the Bass Coast, and I will have a chat to the publishers about it. I am also keen to do one on the Mornington Peninsula, so that I can balance out both sides of the Bay!
The coming year though, I am just about to start work on turning the Melbourne book into two – one focussing on the City, Parks and Bush, and another on the Coast, Rivers and Lakes, so between the two books there will be around 35-40 new walks. We hope the first of these will be out mid year, so if you have suggestions for new walks to include, or have done any of the walks recently and found some things have changed – let me know – I’ll be re-walking all of them in the coming months.
Thanks so much Catherine. Happy walking and watch out for snakes now it’s starting to warm up. Jx
Hi Julie
I visited my local library to ask then get your book ‘Best Walks around Geelong et al’ and were very willing until they found it was out of print. Would you know of anywhere who are still stocking your book?
But on the good side the library did have your ‘Best Walks Victoria Ed1’ and had your Ed2 on order.
Thank you for walking thee trails & sharing them with us
Cheers, Jo
Hi Jo – thanks for your lovely message. I do still have some copies here if you would be interested in buying one of the geelong books. You can send me your postal details etc to juliepmundy(at)gmail(dot)com – not sure where you are but otherwise I do know the Geelong libraries stock quite a few copies so you should be able to order them internally perhaps? Great news re the new Melbourne water book! And the new grampians one comes out in December! Glad you are enjoying the books – I love writing and walking them!
Hi Julie, I’m very interested in purchasing ‘Best walks of Geelong, Bellarine & Brisbane Ranges’
My son & his young family have just moved & now live in Highton…
If I could get a copy sent to me, or could you tell me where I can buy it.
Many thanks
Tricia Sheehan
Hi Tricia
Lovely to hear from you! If you can no longer find it online, please send me an email to juliepmundy(at)gmail(dot)com and I can arrange to post you out one this week. It will be a great way for your son’s family to explore and get to know the area!
Look forward to hearing from you.
J
Hi – I’m coming to Australia (from Canada) late November and planning to spend a good week outside Melbourne. I’ve just discovered your blog. -Your ‘Best walks of Geelong, Bellarine & Brisbane Ranges’ looks perfect but it doesn’t seem to be available on Amazon (either Canada or US) . Do you have any idea how I could get it? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca – lovely to hear from you – hope you’ll have a lovely time in Oz! You might be interested in the Best Walks of the Great Ocean Road too if you are heading down that way. The Geelong one is currently out of stock, though I do have a couple of cartons left and could post one to you (or send it to an address in Australia if you know where you will be staying, to keep the postage down for you). The Great Ocean Road one you can buy from any of the online Australian bookshops, such as Dymocks. I don’t think the publishers (Woodslane Press) have an Amazon or other offshore sales outlet given the focus of their walking books is specific to Australia. If you are interested in me organising to send one to you, please contact me via juliepmundy(at)gmail(dot)com and I will be happy to help. Kind regards, Julie