
Getting Around Ballarat 2026: Roads, Public Transport and Train Connections
A general explainer on how people move around Ballarat and its region, from the Western Highway and city buses to the Ballarat Line rail link with Melbourne.
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All sport stories from Ballarat.

A general explainer on how people move around Ballarat and its region, from the Western Highway and city buses to the Ballarat Line rail link with Melbourne.

From NBL1 basketball to netball, AFL and cycling, women's sport in Ballarat is thriving and genuinely welcoming to players and fans at every level.

Dowling Forest Raceway has a long and proud place in Ballarat's sporting identity, and its harness racing meetings remain a genuine community occasion for locals and visitors alike.

When September arrives and the AFL finals begin, Ballarat comes alive with footy fever, and there are plenty of great spots around the city to soak up every moment together.

The forests and bush trails surrounding Ballarat make the city one of central Victoria's most rewarding destinations for mountain bikers and gravel riders of every level.

Ballarat's swimming community is welcoming and well-resourced, with competitive clubs, development squads and quality indoor pools serving swimmers of all ages.

Ballarat is one of Australia's great cycling cities, home to world-class courses, active clubs and the prestigious Australian Road National Championships each January.

From tiny tots running their first straight at Llanberris Reserve to masters athletes competing at state level, Ballarat's athletics community is active, welcoming and well-organised.

From after-school junior programs to NBL1 elite competition, basketball in Ballarat offers something for every age and skill level.

Fast, social and open to all fitness levels, touch football is one of Ballarat's most accessible team sports, with competitions running through multiple seasons each year.

Netball is one of Ballarat's most popular team sports, with a strong local association, thriving junior competitions and senior leagues running throughout the year.

Ballarat's bowling clubs are among the city's friendliest sporting institutions, offering something for everyone from first-time rollers to seasoned pennant competitors.

Ballarat's cricket community is warm, well-organised and actively looking for the next generation of players through its thriving junior programs.

Ballarat's sporting community is committed to inclusion, with programmes across football, athletics, swimming and more welcoming participants of every ability.

Ballarat is one of Victoria's great football cities, and getting your child started in junior AFL through the Ballarat Football Netball League is straightforward and enormously rewarding.

Lake Wendouree hosted rowing at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and remains one of Australia's finest flatwater venues, with active clubs welcoming newcomers of all ages.

The Ballarat Sports and Events Centre and its centrepiece Selkirk Stadium offer world-class indoor sport right in the city, and they are well worth exploring.

Ballarat's flat foreshore paths, bush trails and community fun runs make it one of regional Victoria's most rewarding cities for runners of every level.

From the January cycling nationals to the winter AFL season and the summer cricket and athletics circuit, Ballarat delivers live sport in every month of the calendar.

The Ballarat Rush bring high-level women's basketball to Selkirk Stadium each season, and supporting them is one of the most exciting things you can do as a sports fan in the city.

Whether you're a first-timer picking up a racquet or a seasoned player chasing a competitive hit, Ballarat's tennis scene has a court and a competition ready for you.

Ballarat is genuine Bulldogs territory, and catching AFL action at Mars Stadium is one of the great regional football experiences in Victoria.
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