Free Guided Walk at Sydney Botanical Garden

Free Guided Walk at Sydney Botanical Garden

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Posted 2019-01-22 by Jonathan Phoonfollow
First opened in 1816, the Sydney Botanical Garden, close to Sydney's Circular Quay is a great place for visitors wanting a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. The place is very large and can be overwhelming for a first-time visitor, so we decided to join a free guided walk to get an introduction to the plants and grounds.



The free guided walks depart from the Information Centre beside the Garden Shop at 10.30am every day, with an additional tour starting at 1pm from 1 March - 30 November. Be aware, however, that the tours will not run if the temperature is forecasted to be 35 degrees and above. Each tour is about 1.5 hours and no booking is required for groups of up to 5 people. There is no fixed format or agenda for the guided walks. They are run by volunteers and what you see and hear on the day reflects the interest and knowledge of the guide.



Plants, of course, are the main focus. We visited areas devoted to a specific group of plants, including the Pioneer Memorial Gardens which focuses on plants that were present when the first pioneers were in Australia, and the Succulent Garden, which fittingly has succulents taking the starring roles. One of the most notable plants in the garden is the Wollemi Pine - its most recent known fossil record is about 2 million years ago. Eagle-eyed observers may also be able to catch sight of the various animals living in the gardens, such as the Eastern Water Dragon.







Our guided walk ended at The Calyx. First opened in 2016, The Calyx is one of the more interesting event venues in the Botanic Gardens. It has a green wall, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere, featuring a display made entirely from plants. During our visit, the theme of the display was carnivorous plants. The event was appropriately named Plants with Bite.







If you need a bite to eat before or after the walk, the Botanic Garden Café is just around the corner from the Information Centre. We had Scone and Apple Turnover and particularly enjoyed the scone because it was fluffy with a delectable buttery taste and was partnered well by the accompanying jam and light cream.





We found the free guided walk to be very informative. If you are not able to or do not wish to walk for 1.5 hours, you can make use of the Choo Choo Express (at a small cost) to get around the gardens. Passengers on the Express are free to hop on and off at any of the four stops scattered throughout the Garden.





#child_friendly
#circular_quay
#family
#free
#gardens
#outdoor
#city
#things_to_see
#walks
%wnsydney
180369 - 2023-06-15 23:37:12

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