Ramble through the rainforests at
Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens. Situated on the western outskirts of the city, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens is home to a variety of flora and fauna which can be seen by following any or all of the four self-guided walks on offer.
The
White Arrow Trail leaves from the Information Centre and will take around 60 minutes to traverse. For this walk, you start at the Frangipani and make your way to the African Baobab Tree taking in the beautifully named Cigar Box Cedar, Lobster Claw and Ponytail Plant along the way.
For people walking with children, the
Hide and Seek Children's Trail provides kids with the opportunity to learn about the plant and animal inhabitants of the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens. This trail starts at the Jpapanese Gardens and moves through the exotic rainforest.
Another option for rainforest adventures is the
Australian Plant Communities Trail which takes between 60 to 90 minutes to cover the 27 hectares of native Australian plants in the subtropical and tropical rainforest sections.
To discover how plants can be used for food, medicine and weaponry, try the
Aboriginal Plant Trail which weaves its way around the Australian rainforest section of the gardens. Each plant in this section has a purpose such as the Spear Tree, whose bark could be made into fishing nets and the trunk provided wood for fishing spears.
Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens can be accessed by car,
bus or ferry and is open daily. Plenty of toilets, picnic shelters, shady picnic spots and drinking fountains are found in the grounds. Alternatively lunch can be purchased from the
Lakeside Gardens Cafe.
Images of Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens
Japanese Garden
Frangipanis at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens
Waterfall at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens
