In a league of their own

Whether your interest is dragonboat racing or darts, archery or athletics, you will find it in Geelong. The city has 600 sport and recreation clubs, with at least 1200 in the whole Barwon region, according to local community sports organisation Leisure Networks. Its acting chief executive, Caroline Jordan, says Leisure Networks tries to increase opportunities for people to be more active through sport and recreation.

“We are trying to reduce barriers for people who would like to participate but struggle to get on board with sport,” she says. “Our sports access program is about providing support to young people who can’t afford to get involved in sport. A wealth of sport and recreation opportunities exist out there, from traditional football and netball to things such as underwater hockey, equestrian activities, water polo and canoeing.”

The general manager infrastructure and recreation for the City of Greater Geelong, Dean Frost, says the City has invested heavily to ensure Geelong’s local sporting clubs are of a high standard. As well as the strong network of sporting clubs, the Geelong region also boasts a number of world-class facilities, such as the Geelong Baseball Centre at Waurn Ponds, which includes international- standard and artificial-turf diamonds, and the Geelong Arena, which provides a venue for local basketball as well as hosting a range of national and international sporting events.

Local football teams have the good fortune to play regularly at Skilled Stadium, home of the Geelong Football Club. “Many people don’t realise that as well as the Cats’ home games, the ground also hosts more than 50 community football matches a year, including the Geelong Football League finals,” Mr Frost says.

For swimmers, a number of pools are available the region. Kardinia Pool is the key one with two 50-metre pools used for highlevel competition as well as providing a place for local swimmers to train and compete. Mr Frost says one of the advantages of living close to the bay is that the natural features of the area lend themselves to activities such as cycling and triathlons. “We are very pleased to be hosting the 2010 UCI Road World Cycling Championships,” he said. The council is investing in new cycling infrastructure, including a cycling criterion track.”

The chief executive of Geelong Football Club, Brian Cook, appreciates the range of activities available in the area, both for himself and because it makes it easier to attract players to the club. He moved from Perth 10 years ago to join the Cats. Since then he has lived in Geelong, Ocean Grove and now Anglesea, where he enjoys being close to both the surf and the Otway forests.

Once it might have been hard to attract players to Geelong but, Mr Cook says, not any more. “Things are really moving here – with the waterfront, Deakin University’s expansion into the medical area and the special events in Geelong, like sailing week [Skandia Geelong Week] and the triathlon season, there is really a lot of activity going on,” he says. “It’s a really dynamic city.”

Away from organised sports, the region offers plenty of opportunities to explore the natural environment. Bruce Jackson and Marita Kennedy of Otway Ecotours take groups platypus-spotting at Lake Elizabeth, near Forrest, run guided walks and hire out mountain bikes.

The dawn and dusk platypus tours by canoe take about four hours and are almost sure to include at least one sighting. “We have a 95 per cent success rate and usually see more than one individual,” Ms Kennedy says. “The dawn tour is the best time as we usually see three or four platypus feeding while we paddle from one end of the lake to the other. Dawn on the lake is stunning.”

After communing with nature, visitors can use up some energy by exploring the many mountain bike trails around Forrest. The Department of Sustainability and Environment, Parks Victoria and Colac Otway Shire have developed a network of trails. Michael Cosgriff, economic development officer with Colac Otway, says the 15 tracks range from easy to very difficult. They are gaining recognition in the mountain-bike world with a couple of international events held in the area. Last year more than 1200 competitors, including many from overseas, took part in the Otway Odyssey mountain bike marathon over a 100-kilometre course from Apollo Bay to Forrest. Another big event, the Kona 24-hour endurance race, was held last November.

For those not interested in racing, the Beechy Rail Trail provides a more sedate ride. It follows the rail line from Beech Forest to Colac and, like the popular Bellarine rail trail from Geelong to Queenscliff, it is a track that people can do in sections, such as from Beech Forest to Gellibrand.