The Spirit of Tasmania sails from Spirit of Tasmania Quay, 136 Corio Quay Road, North Geelong, about 10 minutes' drive from the CBD. Check-in opens 1.5 to 2.5 hours before departure and closes 45 minutes before. Parking at the terminal is free. Without a car, use North Shore station, a booked transfer or a taxi.
The Spirit of Tasmania leaves Geelong from Spirit of Tasmania Quay, 136 Corio Quay Road, North Geelong. The terminal is on the bay north of the city, about 10 minutes’ drive from the CBD by the operator’s estimate. Check-in opens 1.5 to 2.5 hours before departure and closes 45 minutes before, strictly. Parking is free. Without a car, take the train to North Shore station, book a transfer from Geelong station, or catch a taxi.
This guide is independent. For bookings, timetables and changes, use the operator’s site at spiritoftasmania.com.au or call 1800 634 906 (10 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday).
Checked October 2026.
| Address | 136 Corio Quay Road, North Geelong |
| Sailings from Geelong since | 23 October 2022 (before that, Station Pier, Port Melbourne) |
| Route | Geelong to Devonport, Tasmania |
| Crossing time | 9.5 to 11.5 hours, per the operator |
| Check-in | Opens 1.5 to 2.5 hours before departure, closes 45 minutes before |
| Vehicle gates open | 2.5 hours before departure |
| Boarding | Starts about 1.5 hours before departure |
| Parking | Free for cars, campervans, motorcycles and freight vehicles |
| Facilities | Lounge, Anchors Rest cafe, children’s play area, free Wi-Fi, device charging, accessible facilities, pet zone nearby |
For about 37 years the ships left from Station Pier in Port Melbourne. TT-Line, which runs the Spirit, announced the move in April 2020, citing congestion at Port Melbourne (worst when cruise ships were in) and boarding queues of up to two and a half hours. It also expected the new site to draw more passengers from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and regional Victoria, who no longer have to drive into Melbourne. The last Melbourne sailing left on the evening of 22 October 2022, and the first sailing from Geelong to Devonport left the new terminal on 23 October 2022.
The site covers 12 hectares at Corio Quay, with a marshalling area for 600 cars and more than 6,000 m² of undercover passenger parking. Freight has its own entrance, which keeps trucks out of the car queue.
Two new ships, Spirit of Tasmania IV and V, are replacing the current pair. Tickets went on sale for travel on the new ships from 31 October 2026, and each carries up to 1,800 passengers against about 1,400 on the old ships. As of mid-October 2026 we could not confirm a final first-sailing date, so check your booking.
At the other end, the Devonport terminal moves to 112 Wright Street, East Devonport, from 24 October 2026. Day sailings run between September and April, and departure times shift when they do. The live schedule is on the operator’s site.
From Melbourne, take the Princes Freeway (M1) towards Geelong and follow the signs. TT-Line put the site 55 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD when it announced the move. From central Geelong it is about 10 minutes. There is a drop-off and pick-up zone at the front of the terminal. The operator has warned of roadworks affecting the terminal entry from Corio Quay Road, so check the state’s road updates before you leave.
Vehicles cannot enter until 2.5 hours before departure. Driving down from Melbourne on sailing day, allow for traffic on the West Gate as well as the 45-minute cutoff.
Geelong-line V/Line trains from Southern Cross stop at North Shore, the nearest station at 1.4 km from the terminal by the operator’s figure, and North Geelong, about 2 km away. Visit Geelong & the Bellarine puts the walk from North Geelong at about 20 minutes. Train fares are half price until 1 January 2027. See Melbourne to Geelong for train times.
The operator’s partner, MyBus Geelong, runs transfers between the terminal and Geelong station. Book at least 48 hours ahead on 1300 169 287. We could not find a published fare. Taxis (13cabs, Silvertop) and Uber also serve the terminal.
From Melbourne Airport, the Gull bus runs to Geelong station in about 65 to 70 minutes; then take a taxi or transfer. From Avalon, a taxi to Geelong costs about $40 to $50. Our guides to Melbourne Airport to Geelong and Avalon Airport to Geelong have the detail.
If you are meeting a passenger, use the drop-off and pick-up area at the front of the terminal or the free public parking area for visitors. For walk-off passengers, MyBus runs back to Geelong station (book 48 hours ahead), or North Shore and North Geelong stations have V/Line trains towards Melbourne. Drivers coming off the ship are about 10 minutes from central Geelong and about 25 minutes more from Torquay.
No hotel we profile is in North Geelong. The two closest we measured are below; the CBD hotels further south, such as Rydges and Holiday Inn & Suites, add another kilometre or so. All of them work if you have a car or a taxi booked.
| Hotel | Straight line to the terminal | Parking per night |
|---|---|---|
| Quest Geelong, The Esplanade South | About 3.5 km | Daily fee, amount not published |
| Crowne Plaza Geelong | About 4.1 km | Valet, about $45 a day |
Checked October 2026.
For a night sailing, spend the day in town and drive up after an early dinner. For an early check-in, a CBD hotel with parking such as Rydges takes the stress out of the morning. Foot passengers do best near Geelong station (the Crowne Plaza is about 6 minutes’ walk from it), where the MyBus transfer runs. The operator’s own page points to caravan parks and campgrounds nearby and along the Surf Coast. Our where to stay in Geelong guide compares every hotel.
Arriving off the ship or waiting for an evening sailing, the Geelong waterfront is about 4 km south. With a car, Torquay and the start of the Great Ocean Road are about 25 minutes from central Geelong, and the nearest Bellarine Peninsula towns are about the same. The Geelong map shows how it all fits together.
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A dawn balloon flight that meets at the Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong and drifts over the city, the bay, the Barwon River and the Barrabool Hills, with breakfast afterwards.
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A guided look round the working Little Creatures brewery in an old 1920s wool mill in South Geelong, finishing with a tasting paddle.
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Starts with a walk past the Baywalk Bollards on the Geelong waterfront, then Point Lonsdale lighthouse, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry across the bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.
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Snorkel at Popes Eye and with the young fur seals at Chinaman's Hat, then go looking for dolphins in Port Phillip Heads, with an optional bus transfer from Geelong Station.
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Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Updated
From Spirit of Tasmania Quay, 136 Corio Quay Road, North Geelong. It is on the bay north of the city centre, about 4 km in a straight line from Geelong station and the waterfront, and the operator puts it about 10 minutes' drive from the CBD. Follow the directional signs on the main roads. It is not at Station Pier in Port Melbourne any more.
In October 2022. The last Melbourne sailing left Station Pier, Port Melbourne, on the evening of 22 October 2022, and the first Geelong to Devonport sailing left the new terminal on 23 October 2022. The ships had been based at Station Pier for about 37 years. The operator moved to escape congestion at Port Melbourne, where boarding queues had reached two and a half hours.
Check-in opens 1.5 to 2.5 hours before departure and closes 45 minutes before. The operator calls the 45-minute cutoff strict, and late arrivals can be refused. If you are driving on, the terminal gates do not let vehicles in until 2.5 hours before departure, so arriving very early just means waiting outside. Boarding starts about 1.5 hours before sailing.
Take a V/Line train to North Shore station, which the operator puts 1.4 km from the terminal, or North Geelong, about 2 km away. Otherwise book a MyBus Geelong transfer from Geelong station at least 48 hours ahead on 1300 169 287, or use a taxi or Uber. Train and bus fares in Victoria are half price until 1 January 2027.
There is no big hotel next to the terminal. The closest options we measured are in the city: Quest Geelong on The Esplanade South is about 3.5 km away in a straight line, and the Crowne Plaza about 4 km. For an early check-in with a car, pick a CBD hotel with parking, such as Rydges Geelong at about $27 a night.
Stay on the waterfront at the Crowne Plaza or Novotel if you have no car and want the bay at the door.
The quickest way from Melbourne to Geelong is the V/Line train from Southern Cross: about 59 to 62 minutes, every 20 minutes off-peak and at weekends.
Geelong sits on the south shore of Corio Bay.
From Geelong, the Great Ocean Road starts 21 km away in Torquay.