Explore Beyond Your Event
By Bree Pagliuso|
There’s a whole world waiting just beyond the doors at Nyaal Banyul Convention and Event Centre.
Here, delegates can move from a waterfront venue straight into a region brimming with stories, flavours, and adventures. For many, Geelong and The Bellarine are still a discovery; a place where vines meet the sea, where the bay greets you at sunrise, and where culture stretches back thousands of years.
For organisers, it’s a chance to give your delegates more than an event. It’s an invitation to explore somewhere new, to meet the people who shape this region, and to carry home a story they couldn’t have found anywhere else.
Here are five experiences that can turn your event into a journey.
1. Discover Wadawurrung Country
This land has been cared for by Wadawurrung People for thousands of years. On a cultural walk along the Geelong waterfront or in the You Yangs, Traditional Owners guide delegates through language, stories, and knowledge of the plants, animals, and waterways. It’s a chance to see the world through different eyes, to slow down and feel the living culture of this place.
Add to your event: A one- to two-hour welcome or reflection activity for groups of up to 30.
2. Across the water
From the Geelong waterfront, delegates can hop aboard and see the region from the water. Out on Port Phillip Bay, dolphins swim alongside the bow, seals bask on rocky outcrops, and seabirds wheel overhead. Guided by local marine experts, it’s part sightseeing, part storytelling, an easy way to showcase the natural beauty and wildlife of our region. With the city skyline on one side and the Bellarine coast on the other, the views are as memorable as the encounters.
Book: Port Phillip Ferries (private charters) or Sea All Dolphin Swims in Queenscliff
Add to your event: A half-day large group activity, ideal for 30–100 delegates, as a breakout or evening networking experience.
3. Paddle the Bay
Geelong’s waterfront is a playground for the water curious. Delegates can swap their conference gear for bare feet and onto a stand-up paddleboard or kayak. With friendly guides leading the way, they’ll glide across Corio Bay, past Eastern Beach, taking in the city from a new perspective. It’s calm, restorative, and a little adventurous, the kind of shared memory that bonds a group.
Book: Sea Earth Adventures
Add to your event: A one- to two-hour morning or afternoon breakout for groups of 10–20.
4. Makers of the Bellarine
The Bellarine Peninsula is home to people whose lives are shaped by craft. Delegates might meet a winemaker among the vines, tasting wine while hearing how the season shaped the harvest. Or sit with a whisky distiller, listening to stories of patience and pride while sampling small-batch spirits. These aren’t just tastings, they’re windows into lives lived close to the land and sea.
Book: Geelong Wine Tours or For the Love of Grape
Add to your event: A half- or full-day tour, ideal as a reward program or post-conference leisure.
5. Harvest Experience Cooking School
In Drysdale, just a short drive from Geelong, delegates can step into a kitchen studio surrounded by orchards and gardens. At Harvest Experience Cooking School, they’ll pick ingredients from the garden, roll up their sleeves, and learn hands-on techniques in classes like seasonal cooking, cheese making, or even a mystery ingredient challenge. With groups capped at six, the atmosphere is relaxed and intimate. The reward? Sitting down together to enjoy the restaurant-quality meal they’ve just cooked, paired with Bellarine wines and, if the weather’s kind, sunshine in the courtyard.
Book: Harvest Experience Cooking School or call 0411 235 279
Add to your event: A half-day culinary experience, ideal for small leadership groups or intimate incentive add-ons (min. 5, max. 6 guests).
6. Wellness by the Water
At dawn, Corio Bay is still and quiet. The horizon glows, the gulls stir, and mats unfurl on the grass at Eastern Beach. Delegates can breathe, stretch, and flow through a gentle yoga sequence, or walk the promenade in mindful silence. With the sound of water and the salt air, it’s a way to arrive centred and ready for the day ahead.
Book: Good Folk Yoga or Ebb & Flow Wellness
Add to your event: A 45–60-minute early morning session for groups of 10–25.
7. Making it Part of Your Event
Each of these experiences can be built into your program with the help of our planning team. Your dedicated event organiser at Nyaal Banyul can suggest the right fit for your delegates and connect you with trusted local partners.
What begins at Nyaal Banyul extends into a destination waiting to be discovered, from the bay to the vineyards, the gardens to the stories of this region.