West Melbourne and Beyond

Newport Lakes Reserve

Newport Lakes Reserve Melbourne

I was definitely surprised when I came upon Newport Lakes Reserve. If you live around Newport or grew up in the area it probably comes as no surprise but for the uninitiated this is a nature gem right out of nowhere.

Newport Lakes Reserve is kind of broken in two halves. In one half you have a manicured decorative garden in some ways a very minitiature version of the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne CBD. The other half is a seeming hidden wildlife nature area that seems incredibly out of place. Its like a nature area surrounded by urban banalia that is hard to believe even exists.

Newport Lakes Reserve is now a haven for quite a lot for birdlife that now makes this area their home. As a consequence of this some conservation areas within the park are totally dog free. Please pay attention to the signs.

While its appears like you are in a semi-pristine nature area, Newport Lakes is actually a bushland oasis created from a former bluestone quarry and rubbish tip site. In many ways its better not knowing this history and imagining it as a true wildlife area. A positive aspect is I guess that with effort a nature area can be rehabilitated.

Newport Lakes Reserve is great for families as there are public toilets, playgrounds, picnic areas, recreation area for dogs off-lead or for kicking a footy ball and quite a few short walks either around the lakes themselves or more of a perimeter walk if you want a bit more exercise. For an adult the walks are pretty short so they are not to challenging and even for children nothing is particuarly difficult.

On the lake walks there are some small decorative mosaics that may be a point of interest if that is your type of thing.

There is a nice stepping stone crossing made of large bluestone and basalt rocks that splits the south and north lakes.

Overall Newport Lakes Reserve can be regarded as a hidden gem. A diamond in the rough so to speak. If I hadn't seen the reserve in person it would be hard to believe that such stunning pictures could be taken in the middle of suburbia. To those people in nearby suburbs who haven't been here they should take some time out to make the trip.

Location

Newport Lakes Reserve is about 1km, or a 15 minute walk, west from Newport Station along Mason Street, Newport.

Information from external websites

Newport Lakes Reserve Park Visitor Guide

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