East Point Reserve
East Point Reserve
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
314 reviews
Excellent
176
Very good
122
Average
14
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Simon M
18 contributions
Nov 2022
My partner and I lived nearby and, every week, would discover new wonders. Besides Lake Alexander, the most conspicuous view you will initially observe is the beach, surrounding Fanny Bay, overlooking the quiet city in the distance. But, East Point is teaming with so many other highlights. One highlight the remarkable path called the Mangrove Boardwalk, in which, at high tide, you are literally standing on water, in the ocean, surrounded by the mangroves, peering into the ocean. Another highlight are the walking tracks, commencing near the renowned restaurant, Pee Wees, that penetrate into the forest, and allow you to observe wallabies, lizards, and huge nests, created by the orange-footed bush fowl. A third highlight, a bit farther from Pee Wees, are the lookouts at Dudley point. You might even find your way to the bottom of these cliffs and dip into the harbour. If you can access an e-scooter or bike, you can even skim around the edge of this pack, watching the waves crashing in the cliff faces that surround the reserve. Right at the end of this road, on the beach, are some remarkable rocks that fill with water and small marine life during high tide.
Written December 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorraine L
Tarwin Lower, Australia3,584 contributions
Jul 2021
Such a picturesque area with great spots for swimming and fishing. There are many grassed areas that are perfect for a picnic. We also visited Lake Alexander on the other side of the road and this is another great spot for families for picnicking and swimming.
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan P
Shoalhaven, Australia9 contributions
Jun 2022
I very much enjoyed a lap of the park, so much so that I turned around and went back the way I came (the view is always different in the opposite direction). Total 12 km from the entrance gate. Would be nice to take a thermos and have morning tea at any one of the great points of interest. Great views of Darwin from here. Also saw quite a few wallabies in the quieter section.
Written July 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian R
Adelaide, Australia269 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
A large open space with walking trails and paths. This is a wonderful area to go for a stroll and just take in the atmosphere. Surround by water there was a nice breeze and just a fantastic spot to sit and do nothing
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ronp1954
Langford, Australia789 contributions
Aug 2022
What to say, it is a reserve after all. We went there for afternoon tea (bring your own) ab=nd found it quite nice and relaxing. A bit dry but what else would you expect in Darwin temperatures. Managed to see some of the wildlife, but our dog was disappointed as she was not allowed to have a run here.
Written September 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ryan B
Launceston, Australia30 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
East Point Reserve is a rather large area, so any one review is unlikely to cover all it's points.
It includes Lake Alexander, a shallow man-made shallow saltwater lake that has both a swimming area, and an area set asside for canoes, windsurfers and the like, as well as an excellent picnic ground.
It includes Dudley Point - a handful of picnic tables right next to a carpark, with quite nice views of the city across the bay. Also includes some WWII era ruins and information placard. More suited for those without that much time.
There's PeeWee's - a restaurant by the ocean, surrounded by the trees of the reserve. I've never eaten there, but it has a good reputation. Apparently one of the more classy - and pricy restaurants in Darwin.
For the walkers among you, there's a boardwalk through the monsoon forest. I havn't done this walk in years, but I think it's suitable for bikes as well.
There is the East Point Military Museum, which has it's own entry on TripAdvisor. It can be a bit pricy, but is well worth it. Just don't go on a hot day, as most of the exhibits are outdoors.
There are also the ruins of military installations next to the military museum, which are free to walk around. The massive concrete gun emplacement for one of the 9" naval guns is able to be entered, a handful of ammunition huts, and the concrete emplacements for where a number of smaller coastal defense guns used to be mounted.
For those willing to look for it, there is also an old concrete observation post built half into the cliff. This is best viewed from the beach, as unfortunately, the cliff has eroded over the years, leaving the concrete structure dangerously overhanging the cliff. What's left of the observation post will likely tumble down to the beach some time in the next few years. I think it's a huge shame there was no effort to prevent this, especially since I think it's the only example of an observation post in Darwin remaining.
It includes Lake Alexander, a shallow man-made shallow saltwater lake that has both a swimming area, and an area set asside for canoes, windsurfers and the like, as well as an excellent picnic ground.
It includes Dudley Point - a handful of picnic tables right next to a carpark, with quite nice views of the city across the bay. Also includes some WWII era ruins and information placard. More suited for those without that much time.
There's PeeWee's - a restaurant by the ocean, surrounded by the trees of the reserve. I've never eaten there, but it has a good reputation. Apparently one of the more classy - and pricy restaurants in Darwin.
For the walkers among you, there's a boardwalk through the monsoon forest. I havn't done this walk in years, but I think it's suitable for bikes as well.
There is the East Point Military Museum, which has it's own entry on TripAdvisor. It can be a bit pricy, but is well worth it. Just don't go on a hot day, as most of the exhibits are outdoors.
There are also the ruins of military installations next to the military museum, which are free to walk around. The massive concrete gun emplacement for one of the 9" naval guns is able to be entered, a handful of ammunition huts, and the concrete emplacements for where a number of smaller coastal defense guns used to be mounted.
For those willing to look for it, there is also an old concrete observation post built half into the cliff. This is best viewed from the beach, as unfortunately, the cliff has eroded over the years, leaving the concrete structure dangerously overhanging the cliff. What's left of the observation post will likely tumble down to the beach some time in the next few years. I think it's a huge shame there was no effort to prevent this, especially since I think it's the only example of an observation post in Darwin remaining.
Written August 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
diamond_wilson
Sydney, Australia59 contributions
Mar 2016
We took a drive out to East Point after visiting the Military Museum and I went crazy with photos! The rock formations of the cliff are to die for (if your into that sort of thing lol) and the water is typically tropical green blue and you can see the beautiful colour of the rocks through the waters edge. You can also see the city scape from here and endless horizon! We didn't explore too much but looks as though its a great spot for exercising as there is a big park land with walking / bike riding tracks. Potential picnic spot!
Written April 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheryl52Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia163 contributions
Feb 2020
Lovely spot to sit and enjoy the view over the harbour, even if the weather was not perfect. Lots of seating and good place to take the children to throw around a ball or play games.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carin Murphy
Sunshine Coast, Australia150 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
It was lovely to see Darwin from afar. The water was the most amazing colour. A lovely place to relax. We went back to watch the sunset...just gorgeous
Written June 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_glynndav9
Milton Keynes, UK37 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
While visiting family in the Darwin area I always look forward to our early morning cycle rides around East Point Reserve. No matter how many times you ride here there is always something different to see albeit the wildlife the changing tides or just a reminder of the history of the place. It is a fair size and best seen on foot or like me on a lazy bike ride.
Written September 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How much is entry and is it easy to get to by taxi or bus
Written February 24, 2018
The East Head reserve is free access. With lots of army buildings or relics of them. It is a long walk from anywhere. I dont know if there is a bus. We found buses a bit hit and miss and never went where we wanted. Taxis were also the luck of the draw. If you find a reliable one make sure you book it to the airport.
Written February 26, 2018
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