A highlight of any trip to Geelong is a stroll along cosmopolitan Pakington Street. Either end of the three-kilometre-long thoroughfare has its own distinctive heartbeat, from the northern end’s High Street-style shopping and cafes, to the upmarket boutiques and cool crafts at the ‘river’ end.

Pakington Street, Geelong West

At the north end of 'Pako', as the locals call it – and the start of any day at all, really – is the award-winning King of the Castle, serving Padre Coffee and sandwiches, wraps and treats made using ingredients sourced predominantly from local suppliers.

Pakington Street has always been a melting pot of the diverse communities that surround it, playing host to an annual multicultural street party in February, Pako Festa, which is not to be missed.

The same diversity is represented in the many upmarket lunch and dinner options, from Singaporean-inspired BAAH-LAH! Dining to the multi-award-winning Tulip restaurant, featuring an impressive modern Australian menu.

Or, for something delightfully different, stop in at Australia’s first licensed cheese train, Splatters, where you’ll pay by the plate for cheesy treats that arrive on a conveyor belt.

Pakington Street, Newtown

Smaller than its Geelong West counterpart, but no less mighty, is the ‘river’ end of Pako – so named because it’s so close to the tranquil Barwon River that you can grab a coffee at one of the many cafés and be riverside before you’ve taken more than a few sips.

Surrounded by some of Geelong’s most upmarket streets, the vibe here is village-like, yet highly fashionable with a number of upmarket boutiques.

Browse Boom Gallery, one of the precinct's most long-standing inhabitants, displays works sourced from local, national and international artists, highlighting Geelong's rising status as a thriving hub for cutting-edge design.