Are you planning a Darwin trip these holidays? Make sure you leave time for a beachcombing session.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Casuarina Coastal Reserve has something for everyone and while we would never recommend a dip in the ocean off any Top End beach, it’s still a great place to wear the kids out after a long drive.
Casuarina Coastal Reserve protects about 1500ha of coast between Rapid Creek and Buffalo Creek. The 8km of beaches, sandstone cliffs, shady trees and stunning sunsets offer a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of a trip to the big smoke.
If you can, make sure that you take your bike, as there are shared walking and cycle paths from Rapid Creek to Dripstone Cliffs along with cycle paths beside main roads.
Dripstone Park is just inside the main entrance. It has shady grassed areas with plenty of room to run, a great playground, showers, toilets and gas barbecues – definitely a friendly spot for a few hours of family time away from the traffic. The beach is just over the dunes from there and at low tide, there is lots of space for sandcastle competitions or beachcombing for strange and wondrous objects.
If you’d like to end the day with a romantic sunset picnic, head for the Dripstone cliffs area. Let the sea breeze cool you while you enjoy fish and chips and watch the sun hit the sea in spectacular Top End style.
Lee Point beach at the end of Lee Point Road is also part of Casuarina Coastal Reserve. This enormous stretch of sand is perfect for an early morning run.
Keep an eye out for large flocks of migratory wading birds that frequent the area. They may all look the same, but a practised eye and a pair of binoculars will let you see the subtle and beautiful differences between them.
Lee Point beach is a great spot for dog walking but please keep your furry family members on a leash. Our feathered visitors will starve if they are chased away from their tea. These tiny birds will have flown an enormous distance before reaching our shores. They need to eat up big and rest before heading off again. Too much disturbance will mean that they don’t get enough tucker in before they need to follow their internal compass once more.
