🦜🌊Bellarine Wetlands & Coastal Frolic — Ferry ⛴️ Day Trip and Walk - 16 km
Sat, Oct 3, 11:15 PMFrom Eat, Drink and Dance Melbourne
🌊 **Bellarine Peninsula Wetlands & Coastal Frolic Day Trip -16km** — Singles 30+
Featuring the 10:40 am Sunday Ferry from Docklands to Portarlington
**Location**: Portarlington to S.Leonards on the Bellarine Peninsula with wetlands, beaches and shipwrecks included
**Meeting poin**t: Best to arrive at the ferry terminal at around 10.15/10.30. Meet inside the waiting room.
**Max**: 12 people
Singles only please, no married or seperated individuals
The walk will be broken up into two main sections with a luxurious lunch break between the walks.
- A 5km wetlands and wildlife loop around Portarlington and then yummy lunch.
- An 11km coastal walk to St.Leonards from Portarlington
***Of course if you're feeling lazy after the wetlands loop you can either catch the ferry back to Melbourne or the bus to Geelong/Melbourne***!
If you’ve been craving a day that feels like a mini‑holiday — the kind where you meet new people, breathe fresh sea air, and maybe flirt a little under the early‑spring sunshine — this one’s for you. We’re catching the 10:40 am Sunday ferry from Docklands, gliding across the bay to Portarlington for a full coastal adventure with a fun, relaxed group of singles 30+.
**Please note. Refer to group policy around waitlists, and no shows**
The ferry ride itself is part of the charm: gentle waves, big windows, and that moment when Melbourne slowly disappears behind you and the Bellarine Peninsula appears ahead like a postcard. It’s the perfect social warm‑up — not too long, not too short, just enough time to settle in and start chatting.
**🌿 Point Richards Wetlands — Birdlife, Boardwalks & Coastal Calm**
**Once** we arrive, we’ll wander into the Point Richards Wetlands, a peaceful nature reserve that feels like stepping into another world. This place is a hotspot for extensive birdlife, and they put on a show:
- Black swans gliding across the water like they’re hosting a royal procession
- Spoonbills sweeping the shallows with their oversized beaks
- Herons standing perfectly still, plotting whatever herons plot
- Egrets flashing bright white wings against the reeds
- Migratory birds dropping in like they’re on their own singles retreat
- Pelicans doing their slow‑motion runway strut along the shoreline
It’s calm, beautiful, and surprisingly social — wetlands have a way of slowing everyone down and opening up conversation.
We’ll do a shortened loop here, enough to enjoy the boardwalks, the saltmarsh, and the wildlife without turning the day into a marathon.
🍽️ **Portarlington — Lunch, Laughs & Local Flavour**
**After** the wetlands, we’ll drift back into Portarlington for a pub or café stop. This town punches above its weight when it comes to food:
- Grand Hotel — classic pub meals, big portions, cold drinks
- Arlo Wine Bar — pasta, wine, and a slightly cheeky “we could stay here all afternoon” vibe
- Portarlington Bakehouse — quick, comforting, reliable
- Pier‑side fish & chips — casual, salty, perfect
Whether you want something hearty, something light, or something that pairs well with a glass of wine, Portarlington has you covered.
🌊 **The Coastal Walk — Beaches, Shipwrecks & Sea Creatures**
**After** lunch, we begin the beautiful foreshore walk toward Indented Head and St Leonards — a long, scenic stretch of coastline that feels tailor‑made for social walking.
Along the way you’ll see:
- Turquoise shallows that look almost tropical
- Long, open beaches perfect for relaxed pacing
- Quiet coves where the water barely ripples
- The Ozone shipwreck, rising from the water like a rusted ghost
- Foreshore reserves dotted with native plants
- Stingrays gliding in the shallows if the water is clear
- Crabs scuttling across the sand like they’re late for a meeting
- Pelicans supervising the coastline with their usual attitude
- Views across the bay all the way to the You Yangs
It’s flat, easy, and endlessly scenic — the kind of walk where conversations flow naturally and the kilometres disappear without anyone noticing.
🍟 **St Leonards — Fish & Chips, Pub Time & Cheeky Extras**
**We** finish at St Leonards Jetty, a peaceful seaside village with just enough charm to make you want to linger.
Food options here include:
- Fish & chips by the water — salty, crispy, perfect after a long walk
- St Leonards Hotel — relaxed pub energy, outdoor seating, great for a cheeky drink
If the group chemistry is flowing, there’s always room for a cheeky early dinner, a “just one more drink,” or a slow wander along the jetty before we head home. Nothing formal, nothing pressured — just the natural extension of a good day with good people.
🚍 **The Journey Home** — Bus, Train & Daylight Saving Magic
From St Leonards, we hop onto the Route 60 bus to Geelong, then glide back to Melbourne on the train. And because daylight saving begins today, we’ll almost certainly arrive back in Melbourne in daylight — that warm, golden early‑evening glow that makes everything feel softer, friendlier, and a little more romantic.
For Nervous Nellie's
Departure options
Ferry: Leaves Port Arlington; 5pm
**⚠️Note:** If *you went to catch the ferry back you need to pre book your ticket*
*Arrives* Docklands 6.10pm
Bus/Train: Leaves St.Leonards
- 3.02pm
- 4.18pm
- 5.34pm
Arrives Southern Cross Station 2.5 hours after leaving St.Leonards
Forr impatient people you can catch the bus back to the last ferry, takes under 30 minutes from St. Leonards to Port Arlington. Probably best to catch the 3pm bus but you should be able to make it catching the 4.18
**⚠️ Important Ferry Note**
The ferry can fill quickly, so please book your 10:40 am Sunday ferry several days in advance. I’ll send out a reminder before the event.
If you don’t secure a ticket, you’ll need to make your own way to Portarlington to join the walk.
**⚠️Group Rules & Event Etiquette ⚠️**
**These** are basic, commonsense standards that keep events safe, smooth, and enjoyable for everyone.
**💘Flirtation Guidelines**
**This** is a social event, not a pressure cooker.Don’t be pushy about phone numbers — let the moment offer itself
Don't send unsolicited messages, get in person permission first
If the vibe is mutual, go for it
Become a regular — I’ll be testing this format over 3–4 events
You’ll likely see the same lovely humans again at future singles nights/events or Eat Drink Dance “open” events
The goal is to build a small, recurring ecosystem where people feel comfortable, familiar, and relaxed enough to be themselves.
**👟Fitness Requirements**
**Walking**: 3–4 km/hr. Moderate fitness. enough to walk 15 km with limited stops
We walk at a relaxed pace. Please ensure you meet the fitness level for the event. If the group is forced to wait excessively, you may be asked to leave the event.
⛹️ **Pace: Too Fast or Too Slow**
**Small** social events rely on staying together. If you prefer a very different pace, consider going solo, joining a faster/slower group, or choosing events that match your fitness.
**👩💼Time Constraints**
If you’re on a tight schedule, this may not be the right event. Social activities rarely run exactly on time.
**👥Waitlist & Gender Ratios**
**To** keep things balanced and comfortable:
Event capped at 12 people to test interest, if my star signs are in favour I may increase this to 20
Generally guys admitted only after a woman registers (to maintain ratios) at my discretion. Group regulars get priority access.
Women can be a little flaky (we love them anyway), so I may accept 1–2 extra.
**🧭The Creep Code**
**A** refined social compass keeps the vibe safe, fun, and drama‑free
So: No married/Seperated individuals or those already coupled up (generally) unless I know you.
No Tinder Swindler‑style mingler
**Guys**: Please Take Special Note
Must have a clear face photo (no sunglasses, no blurry shadows, no “mysterious man in witness protection”
Don't send unsolicited messages, that's creep gold.
**⚠️Don't obscure your identity in other words**
**No** wide shots taken from a distance where you can't be identified
No yacht/car/jet flexing — if your profile screams “crypto‑adjacent”, you will be gently declined
If you are declined, update your profile photo to something less creepy and more classy
**Girls**: No restrictions — privacy and safety first
**⚠️CRITICAL EXPECTATIONS⚠️**
**😢No**‑**Shows**
No‑shows block waitlisted people from attending and disrupt small-group events
***Remove yourself more than 24 hours before the event, cancellations within 24 hour of the evevt when there is a waitlist will result in group removal and likely blocked
People on the waitlist require more than 24 hours notice that they have been approved to attend.. Flaking within this time period prevents waitlist people from attending
No‑shows will be removed from the group and likely blocked.
*Last‑minute cancellations (“flaking”) may also result in group removal, especially when there is a waitlist
👀 **Attending Without Being on the Going Lis**
This is a security issue
Do NOT turn up unannounced
If you’re not on the Going list and haven’t arranged it with the organiser beforehand, you will be asked to leave. Event check‑ins are performed
⏰ **Late Arrival**
**If** you’re late, the group will not wait
You willl be marked as a No‑Show and removed from the group
Messages will not be monitored after the event start
It’s your responsibility to communicate and catch up before the evevt starts—this may not be possible for some events as the organiser is busy organising
**🎲Second Chances**
**If** something goes wrong, communicate with the organiser. Silence + poor behaviour = removal. Communication + accountability = second chances. As the organiser is busy organising this may be impossible during the event
🚩**Disclaimer: No Liability & Organiser Indemnity**
By participating in this event, you acknowledge and accept full personal responsibility for your own safety, wellbeing, and belongings. The organiser assumes no liability for injury, loss, or damage incurred during the activity. Participation is entirely at your own risk
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