The restaurant

Michael Demagistris made waves onMasterChef:The Professionals in 2013,and he’s making waves again as the executive chef of Tarra Queenscliff,a restaurant situated in the dramatic new ferry terminal. If you’ve already been touring the Bellarine with an Esky,you’ll recognise Ket Baker’s breads and Lard Ass butter from Ocean Grove on the menu. The charcuterie plate,all cured inhouse,is a thing of beauty,as is the smoked salmon tartlet served on a bed of seashells,while the baked scallops arrive garnished with pearls of tangy finger lime. Accessorise with a glass of local hero Oakdene Vineyard’s sparkling brut,and watch incoming ferries from Sorrento for an afternoon well spent. See tarra.com.au

The drink

For an instant throwback to Asian travels,take a sip of FarmDog Brewing’s hand-bottled pandan. Like most Bellarine cellar doors,FarmDog keeps it in the family,as distiller Maddy McGlashan of McGlashan Estate joins her vigneron father,Russell,in the estate in Wallington to create a range of infused gins including a Christmassy pumpkin-pie gin. The property includes four eco villas overlooking the vineyards,which produce its cool-climate chardonnays,pinot noirs and sparkling whites. See farmdogbrewing.com.au

The bar

Parked beside the cellar door of Terindah Estate,a W-class tram is resplendent in its signature green and gold livery. Tram 911 was retired from life in Melbourne,and in 2020 was snapped up by Terindah’s late owner,Peter Slattery,to be restored by Bendigo Tramways. The tram,named Peter’s Odyssey,is now a bar open on weekends from 12 to 5pm serving lobster rolls and local mussels,cheese platters and charcuterie with the estate’s wines and views of Corio Bay and the rocky ridges of the You Yangs (walk-ins only). See terindahestate.com

The wildlife experience

Port Phillip is home to three types of dolphins,including the critically endangered Burranan. Officially,there are just three pods in Victoria,who are happy to play when they’re not hunting,say Sea All Dolphin Swims’ crew. In that case,the bay’s resident seals are always ready to step in. An all-boy gang of Australian fur seals,some weighing up to 350 kilograms,have made their home on Chinaman’s Hat,a shipping channel marker nicknamed “the Taj Mahal for seals”. Without any ladies present to fuel aggression among the group,they happily roll and flip around with wetsuit-clad swimmers. See dolphinswims.com.au

The lake

There are 10,000 ducks,pelicans and swans on Lake Connewarre,and,at the other end of the scale,possible sightings of the near-extinct orange-bellied parrot. Paddler and environmentalist Jay Martin takes kayaking tours out on the lake,including night tours,with special sessions on the solstices and even a fancy-dress Halloween paddle. Seeoutsideadventures.com.au

The Esky filler

The Bellarine bristles with farm gates;one of the best is the Bellarine Smokehouse on the grounds of the Bellarine Estate winery. Sarah (fish boss) Fenton and Jason (chief smoker) Smith use salt,smoke and time to create a range of smoked fish,salt and local olive oil. The must-buy product is their smoked salmon pate,a little tub of fabulousness that you can taste in their unassuming shed store. Local,coastal ti-tree ensures a taste of the Bellarine in all their products. Shop also for Teddy&the Fox gin from the next-door neighbours at Bellarine Distillery. Open seven days. See bellarinesmokehouse.com

One more thing

Follow the Barwon Bluff trail from Barwon Heads for eye-stretching views over Zeally Bay and Bass Strait. Apart from the wooden staircases leading up to the bluff,most of it is easy-going on boardwalks. Take a seat for reflection and that coffee you bought from the blue,weatherboard Jetty Road Kiosk which,in another life,was Diver Dan’s boat shed inSeaChange,which was filmed here in the late ’90s.

The writer was a guest of Visit Geelong&The Bellarine. Seevisitgeelongbellarine.com.au