When it comes to packing for a long weekend on the Bellarine, the most important thing to remember might not fit easily in the back of your car. Forget to bring your bike and you’re missing the real joy of a break on this beautiful peninsula.

Cycling

You don’t really need to bring the car at all: hop on the train from Melbourne and then pick up the Bellarine Rail Trail at South Geelong for a 32km ride down to Queenscliff, a genteel seaside town with broad streets, weatherboard houses and stunning surroundings. The second half of the trail, from Drysdale onwards, runs alongside a vintage train track and is largely flat with just a couple of inclines between Geelong and Queenscliff. I set out to ride just the second half as a round trip and found myself wishing I’d committed to the whole thing. There are views across fields and water, everything is well signposted and there’s plenty of shade if the sun is out. Hanging over a gate and drinking in the surroundings, it could for a moment be 1879, the year the line opened. When the train comes puffing round the corner towards you, a great plume of smoke rising from its chimney, it's pretty special.

There’s another track that takes you from Queenscliff to Port Lonsdale, a quintessential seaside village with its beach and lighthouse. At 5.5km, it’s a great length for a walk.

The rail trail is perfect for kids or riders keen to keep away from traffic – although there are a few junctions to cross along the way – but if you want to add other trips to your weekend, you’ll need to venture on to the roads. The coastal rides here are stunning with relatively few climbs. Take the Great Ocean Road past Port Lonsdale and Ocean Grove to Barwon Heads and you’ll be in good company: this picturesque town on the water is home to the Tour de France winner Cadel Evans.

The steam train

The Bellarine Railway is a vintage steam train that operates along 16km of track between Queenscliff and Drysdale on weekends and during holidays. A trip will cost you $20/$15 single and $30/$20 return, with trains running from late morning to early afternoon at the weekends. (It also takes bikes, if you need a lift back from the trail.)

Alternatively you can clamber aboard on a Saturday evening when it turns into the Blues Train, with four carriages featuring four different bands. As passengers make their way up the line and back, they swap carriages at each station – by the time you return to Queenscliff, you'll have experienced four intimate gigs upon a slowly puffing steam train laden with booze and revellers. Some carriages have dancefloors, others are more sedate affairs.

I had a couple of magical moments on board: a young performer who played his guitar flat, with a slide, was raw and compelling – the sun was setting out the window behind him as we sat on the edges of our vintage seats. But it does all head dangerously towards drunk wedding territory as the night progresses – and worse, drunk wedding with a moving dancefloor and no way of leaving. But if the blues is your thing, buy tickets with a group of friends and get stuck right in.

Fruit picking

Cycle out to Drysdale, then head for Tuckerberry Hill, where armed with a bucket or two, you can pick your own fruit: when I was there blueberries and strawberries were in season, while figs and lemons were starting to ripen. The farm is open all year. It’s a lovely place to wander and gently gather, the fruit’s reasonably priced and there’s a good produce shop on site too, stuffed with delicious veggies for if you’re self-catering or heading back to the city. A café serves coffee and lunch – not all of it with a berry twist.

Shopping

Barwon Heads has more than its fair share of charming home and womenswear boutiques, with just enough variety between them. I like Kiitos which stocks Marimekko – lots of fabric, homewares and clothing – and Salt Water sandals. The village is a good place for an amble and a browse, with plenty of spots for coffee and a something and, of course, incredible walks close by.

Decidedly less spendy but equally enticing is Queenscliff’s fantastic secondhand book shop. Barwon Booksellers is housed in a heritage-listed former Wesleyan church and has an excellent selection of reasonably priced titles. It took quite a lot of willpower to walk away with just two books.

Eating

On a weekend morning you’ll spot Piknik – a garage in Swan Bay now transformed into a friendly cafe – by the crowds descending for a brilliant breakfast. Scrambled eggs are creamy and moreish, mushrooms flavourful and the coffee first rate. The team behind the cafe began by selling preserves made from foraged fruit; you can find pots of the good stuff available to buy in the café. It’s got a charming feel to it – this is not a contrived pop-up venture but a really smart use of an empty local building by a great local business. I could have happily settled down with a paper post-breakfast and stayed for lunch.

Breakfast is also delicious at Athelstane House, a charming B&B in Queenscliff with a lovely, relaxed feel. Pancakes, stacked with banana, bacon and maple syrup, are not the most health-giving start to the day ... but they are the tastiest.

The bar menu is solid at the the Vue Grand Hotel – and the posh menu looks interesting and is recommended by others – but the real reason for heading here for lunch can be found out the back of the hotel, where you’ll step into the most idyllic courtyard, all verdant greenery and old, elegant masonry. Take a book, order a glass of something delicious and settle into a shady spot for the afternoon – perhaps stirring yourself for a wander down to the road to the Queenscliff outpost of Richmond’s Fritz’s Gelato.

• Guardian Australia travelled with Victoria Tourism and stayed at Big4 Beacon Resort