Wellington Point is a coastal suburb on the eastern side of Brisbane, Australia. Here’s how to spend a day in this peaceful waterfront neighbourhood.

Wellington Point Recreation Reserve

If you drive all the way to the tip of Wellington Point you’ll reach the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve. This is one of my favourite spots in Brisbane. You’ll find 360° views out to the ocean, plenty of shade from the large trees, an extensive playground for the kids, a small beach area for crab-spotting and King Island in the background.

Bring your picnic blanket and find a shady spot under the trees while the kids play in the playground. Or sit on one of the many benches dotted around and watch the world go by.

It’s a really peaceful, beautiful spot. The beaches of Brisbane are not in the same league as the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast, but they are certainly charming in their own right.

If you walk around the headland you’ll see people fishing off the pier. Walk out to the end of the pier for glorious views of the sun sparkling off the water and North Stradbroke Island in the background.

North Stradbroke Island is a great place for a weekend away. Read more about that here.

Parking at Wellington Point is plentiful but it does get busy on the weekends.

Walk To King Island

From the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve you can walk all the way to King Island. This walk is one of the more iconic walks in Brisbane, so be sure to add it to your Brisbane bucket list if you haven’t already.

Looking for more things to add to your Brisbane bucket list? Start here!

Accessible only at low tide, you can walk across the exposed sandbar all the way to King Island, which is completely cut off at high tide. It’s a flat walk of 2km return. Along the walk you’ll see lots of shells and crabs and enjoy beautiful ocean views on both sides.

The island itself is tiny but you’ll feel like you have it all to yourself. Once you reach the island you can walk around it and enjoy more of the peaceful views.

Although you’re walking on sand, and plenty of people do this walk barefoot, I would recommend wearing shoes. Some of the shells and stones can be sharp, and on the island there’s a path that goes through the trees, which you probably won’t want to do barefoot.

Check the tide times here before you go and allow yourself plenty of time to get back. There are no facilities at all on the island so you do not want to be stranded there for hours while you wait for low tide.

Speaking of tides, did you know there’s an island in England called Holy Island, where 200 people live and thousands visit every day. This island is also only accessible during low tide, cutting off its residents for several hours every day! Read more about Holy Island here and my trip report of our day on Holy island here.

You can take your dog on the King Island walk, but keep them on a leash.

Wellington Point Village

Wellington Point village has a thriving high street with cafes and small shops. A lot of effort has gone into the streetscape of the village centre, with plants, pelican sculptures and a village green creating a shady and pleasant place to walk along or stop for a coffee in one of the many cafes.

For The Brits

As a British expat myself, I can’t fail to mention the British influence in the Wellington Point area. Home to lots of Brits – unsurprisingly given what a nice suburb it is – you’ll find British-Indian curry restaurants such as Punjabi Curry Club and Jaipur Palace on the high street.

Speaking of curries, have you heard about Curry Club? We are a team of self-declared curry experts searching for the best Indian restaurants in Brisbane and beyond! Check us out on Instagram @curryclubreviews.

And then there’s the somewhat iconic Chumley Warners in nearby Birkdale. Iconic because most British people in Brisbane have been there and will tell you about it. Chumley Warners is a British fish and chip complete with mushy peas, battered cod and classic chip shop chips smothered in salt and vinegar. Even more exciting for us Brits is that Chumley Warners has a small onsite grocery store selling British crisps, chocolate, and pantry staples such as Birds custard powder, Daddies brown sauce, Vimto and Angel Delight. The products are expensive, but still cheaper than a flight to England!

Getting To Wellington Point

Located 25kms from the centre of Brisbane, and about a 40 minute drive, a car will be the easiest way to get to Wellington Point. To get to the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve and King Island you’ll drive past Wellington Point village and onto the narrow strip of land to the headland.

There are also buses that run to Wellington Point – check translink for the timetables.

Further Afield

There’s a lot more to explore in Brisbane, and further afield to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Perhaps you’d like to try Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, or a theme park on the Gold Coast? I have plenty more ideas here.

Where To Stay

Brisbane has plenty of accommodation options, from large hotels to holiday rental houses. Start here if you’re looking for accommodation in Brisbane.