The defining feature of the Geelong waterfront is the line of 104 painted bollards — old timber pier piles cut and shaped into life-sized figures from the city's history. They start at Limeburners Point and run westward along Eastern Beach, past the Cunningham Pier and the carousel, all the way to the Western Beach Boat Ramp.
Pick up the free guide from the visitor information centre on the waterfront to identify the characters: 19th-century swimmers, the local footballers, the Italian and Greek fishermen, the Wathaurong people who were the original inhabitants of the bay. Walking the full sequence takes about 45 minutes one way, with plenty of cafe stops along the route.