Being only minutes from the centre of Melbourne and under an hour’s drive from Geelong, the beautiful heritage seaport of Williamstown is a must for anyone visiting the region.
Williamstown is rich in colonial and maritime history. The beautiful historic streetscapes with lovely restored buildings take you back to a time when the hustle and bustle of the waterfront was the main focus of the town.
One of the best ways to see Williamstown is from the water, and the water taxi ferry service between Melbourne and Williamstown is one of the best and cheapest ways to experience things from a water perspective. The ferry stops at Docklands and up the Yarra River with easy reach of the Southern Cross Station and city.
To explore the town, all you need is your walking shoes, the township is best viewed on foot, visit the small specialty stores and then kick back and relax in one of the many alfresco dining options. You can sample some of the freshest seafood or a wide range of international specialties including Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese and of course the bistro at the pub is another favourite.
For those wanting to stretch the legs a bit more, and can get themselves away from the cafe scene, there are many beautiful nature walks along the waterfront and foreshore reserves. These walks take in many of the historic features of Williamstown and offer the chance to see some of the wetlands and amazing birdlife that come to the area.
To the east of the township is a rather interesting building, the Titanic. This old pub has been transformed into a themed restaurant based on the Titanic Ocean Liner. It is quite amazing and the show is well worth it, making a novel and enjoyable night out.
On the third Sunday of every month under the leafy trees on the water’s edge of Commonwealth Reserve there is the Williamstown Craft Market. This market has been running for over 25 years and has an amazing 100 plus stores of arts and crafts and all things handmade and home grown. There’s music food and fun for all.
The beautiful Williamstown Botanical Gardens on the corner of Osborne Street and Giffard Streets were established in 1860 and have some lovely Victorian style gardens. These gardens are very popular with wedding photographers.
At the end of March each year Williamstown comes alive with the Williamstown Festival that is held at Commonwealth Reserve. The festival attracts a wide range of entertainers including buskers and street performers. There are artists, markets, amusements and several exhibitions. The fun stretches to the water with quite a few water based activities. Much of the event is free and offers a wealth of fun for the whole family.
Located virtually under the West Gate Bridge is Scienceworks; a scientific arm of Museum Victoria. Here people are treated to a technological and scientific display with many hands on and interactive things to push, play and plug. Popular with children, it is hours of fun and very busy particularly on school holidays and weekends.
