OFFICIAL VISITOR GUIDE Werribee, Point Cook & Surrounds KIDS ARE FREE! WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO * An African Adventure Experience an African adventure on over 200 hectares of beautiful natural surrounds. Get on board for a guided safari across the unique open range savannah and spot rhinos, giraffes and zebras! Come face to face with a pride of lions, visit one of the world’s largest gorilla exhibits, see cheeky monkeys at play and discover a family of hippos in their wetland home. Welcome to CONTENTS POINT COOK & SURROUNDS 4 Getting here A region bursting with personality and unique experiences, at the gateway to the famous Great Ocean Road within an 6 Werribee Visitor easy 30-minute drive of Melbourne. Information Centre 8 GetWerribee in the zone We’ll wow you with our world-class attractions – discover 14 On a road to somewhere them clustered in the Werribee Park Precinct and along the Bay West Driving Trail. We’ll intrigue you with pioneering 16 Adventures in aviation aviation history, energise you in natural environments and 18 Nature at her glorious best charm you with our hidden secrets. 22 Delve into the past Relax, settle in and experience it all. 23 Discover arts and soul 26 Come out and play 27 It’s all about you What I enjoy about Werribee“ is the feel of the town. 28 Shop style and substance We can be at Pacific Werribee with all the shops and feel like we’re in a large city, wander into Watton Street for the cafés 30 Food, glorious food and shops and we’re in a country town. Driving to Werribee South, 31 It's a happening thing we’re in the country and then we’re at the beach! We have it all. 33 A slice of country paradise Julie - Information Centre Volunteer 34 Suggested itineraries 38 Why not stay the night? " 43 Oh, the places you'll go! 50 Services and information experience 51 Visiting Victoria’s Parks 30 zoo.org.au/werribee 55 Maps *Children under 16 receive FREE entry on weekends, Victorian Public Holidays and Victorian Government School Holidays. 8 TOUCHDOWN, AVALON AIRPORT Fly to Wyndham… Via Avalon Airport Getting to Werribee is a breeze! Whether your choice is road or rail we are perfectly located halfway between Victoria’s two largest cities, Melbourne and Geelong. BYGetting CAR BY AIR Take the Princes Freeway from Melbourne CBD Werribee is an easy drive from Melbourne or Geelong to arrive in an easy 30-40 minutes. (30 minutes) and Avalon airports (15 minutes). Collect a rental car at the airport or for airport BY TRAIN transfers refer: www.melbournesunbus.com.au or Here www.cheaptours.com.au Check Metro, V/Line and Regional Rail timetables for regular services from Melbourne and Geelong. Connect to taxis and buses at the station. Refer to DAY TOURS Public Transport Victoria (PTV) guides for details. Relax and join a small group/personalised tour of the region. www.cheaptoursmelbourne.com.au BY SHUTTLE BUS Book a seat on the regular Werribee Park Shuttle service from central Melbourne to Werribee Park Tourism Precinct, Werribee South foreshore, easy-breezy RAAF Museum and Point Cook Coastal Park. Whether you’re flying into Wyndham Refer: www.squirescoaches.com.au convenient or onto the next adventure Avalon Airport accessible is the easy way to go. A quick 25 minute AVALON AIRPORT TRANSFERS 03 9689 7999 www.sitacoaches.com.au drive up a congestion-free highway, parking CHEAP TOURS MELBOURNE 0408 257 011 www.cheaptoursmelbourne.com.au out the front, no queues... In fact enjoy a beverage and free internet while you charge SQUIRES COACHES 03 9748 5094 www.squirescoaches.com.au all your portable devices right by the gate! PTV 1800 800 007 www.ptv.vic.gov.au avalonairport.com.au V/LINE 1800 800 007 www.vline.com.au 4 experiencewyndham.com.au WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO helpful friendly heart-filled B spiritedr The cosmopolitan “feel of Watton Street, seeing the older Italian gentlemen enjoying their morning coffees. LOCAL Elaine - Information Centre Volunteer PEOPLE, " LOCAL Werribee Visitor KNOWLEDGE Information Centre Make this your first stop. Tap into our volunteers’ local knowledge; discover what’s Werribee Park Precinct, on, what’s new and what’s for you. K Road, Werribee (located at entry to Werribee Pick up maps and brochures, passes, tips and Wandering amongst“ the Norfolk Pines Open Range Zoo) tricks to make your experience here the best it of Werribee South foreshore, looking out can be. over the glassy bay. Di - Visitor Services T: 03 8734 6006 E: [email protected] DID YOU KNOW? Chatting with the passionate volunteers at the W: experiencewyndham.com.au The spirit of volunteering runs deep in our region. B-24 Liberator shed about the historic planes #experiencewyndham You’ll find volunteers at the heart of every major in various stages of restoration. attraction in the region. They offer a wealth of Barb - Information Centre Volunteer wisdom and love to share their stories and snippets with visitors. " we're here to help 6 experiencewyndham.com.au 7 WERRIBEE PARK MANSION WERRIBEE PARK PRECINCT " Kids love to get hands-on in the Victorian Era Children’s Room, trying on clothes, riding Get in the the rocking horse, writing on slate boards. Helen - Parks Victoria Your go-to place for the region’s top experiences. Werribee Park Precinct " is a hub of world-class attractions clustered in a single locale. Where elseZ can you experienceone a morning wandering through a grand mansion, an afternoon safari across the savannah and a night in a luxury hotel? And that’s just day one. Come see it all. back in time BRIMMING WITH STORIES Ever wondered how well-to-do pastoralists lived? Or their servants and offspring? Step into their world at historic Werribee Park Mansion. Stories brim in every nook and cranny – tales of 10-year-old scullery maids, of grown men toting hunting trophies home from Africa. Delve into all the drama with an audio tour. Dare the kids to hunt for history on a Junior Rangers challenge. Run rings around the parterre garden or board the Little Red Train for a jaunty ride through formal gardens. Then stretch out with a picnic on the Great Lawn and decide if you’re up for ghostly night theatre fun. story-filled lawn-lazing fulfilling 8 experiencewyndham.com.au 9 eye-popping kscent-sational inspirational TAKE ME TO THE RIVER Wild wallabies leaping. Birds BEYOND THE MANSION swooping. A random platypus sighting. Wicked views of the There’s more, much more. Bluestone K Road Cliffs. Such are the outbuildings, a line-up of time-worn carriages legends of Werribee River Park, and the intriguing Ha Ha Wall. Times have a new urban park fringing the changed. The Karen refugee community now Werribee Park Precinct. tend the veggie gardens, an environmental group works from the original homestead and a Strap on comfy shoes for VICTORIA STATE kilometres of shared paths community group restores the heritage orchard. ROSE GARDEN Explore them all then meander back through snaking along the river. the contemporary sculpture walk. Bet you can’t go by the giant picture frame without snapping a photo! GOLF GAME CHANGER DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES Ever teed off to the sound of lions roaring for their Five thousand rose bushes in one planting? breakfast? The Werribee Park Golf Club offers a The Victoria State Rose Garden’s blooming championship-length course, some of the best river riot of colour and fragrance will get up your " views you’ll ever see and, yes, a unique soundtrack nose in the nicest way. provided by the nearby zoo. If lawn-lazing with live music and a glass of award-winning wine is your thing, head to Shadowfax Winery, the closest winery to I love a walk around the rose garden followed Melbourne’s CBD. by the mansion garden and then a drive to the red cliffs on K Road. Then it’s Watton Street for a cuppa and lemon meringue at Mondells Patisserie. " STAY IN STYLE Pam - Information Centre Volunteer It’s all about you at the Mansion Hotel and Spa at Werribee Park, the ultimate in luxury Our wines are simple. We believe in letting Just Joey is my favourite rose; the fruit do the talking. accommodation. Settle in, relish fine dining its scent is amazing. info at Joseph’s Restaurant and feed your soul Matthew - Shadowfax Winery Jim - Parks Victoria LOCAL PEOPLE, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE in the full-featured day spa. For a special treat, Werribee Information Centre 03 8734 6006 experiencewyndham.com.au #experiencewyndham sit down to a grand High Tea. " " 10 experiencewyndham.com.au 11 WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO charming You’re not likely to see an Orange-bellied Parrot in the wild – there are fewer than wild 50 left – but you can eyeball one at Werribee Open Range Zoo. kimagine You can meet Albus the Maremma dog and the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot he’s helping conserve. And you can dive into an African adventure, riding the safari bus across the open Savannah. Big cats, chest-beating gorillas, towering giraffes, quirky meerkats and tiny frogs – you’ll find creatures great and small here. Plus an army of behind-the-scenes humans – keepers, vets and volunteers who love to share their critter stories. Why not plan to stay the night amongst it all? Book a Slumber Safari, a unique African- inspired glamping experience like no other. Incredible memory-making for families, couples and groups. THE SPORT OF KINGS Poke around charming historic horse stables, cheer on an Olympic qualifier or attend one of many regular eventing, dressage and polo events at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre.