The Gold Coast Botanic Gardens were established in 2003. When I first visited in 2006 it was still in the developing stages. Since then I’ve visited many Botanic Gardens all round Australia, so it is time I went back to see how our own Botanic Garden compares.
I was disappointed. This is a lovely parkland with a large lake system and board walks crisscrossing them. But look closer and the water ways are clogged with the invasive Salvinia weed.
There were large grassed areas, ideal for picnics and play areas. It was the school holidays and families were enjoying the beautiful sunny day. Children were running, biking, riding scooters and having a great time.
Notice the Salvinia on this part of the lake? It could easily be mistaken for an extension of the lawn area.
Further round the water was clear of the weed and look at the reflections.
Swans, moorhens and ducks enjoyed this part of the lake system.
A few attractive sculptures of native animals and birds were dotted around.
Further round a sensory garden with raised beds was a riot of colour for sight, another had a herb bed for smell. But it all seemed a bit uncoördinated and also needed some maintenance. Maybe I am being a bit unfair as it is winter and not the best time to view gardens.
Tucked away at the back of the gardens I found the fountain… I did my best to take a decent photo, but I don’t think I succeeded. It was not very inspiring.
I found a bench (actually there were a lot of benches dotted around the lakes) and I sat for a while thinking about these gardens. Am I being biased by all the other gardens I have seen? Maybe. Somehow it just doesn’t seem to qualify for the “Botanic” tag. It is a lovely “park” and fits the criteria for that label. But there isn’t that extra attention to detail, not many plants and trees labelled, no unique areas of special plant collections. As for the café, oh dear… I didn’t even take a photo. It was squashed onto a narrow deck around the side of the small information building. Only 4 small tables and hardly any room to squeeze past each table. Thankfully I had brought along a thermos and sandwiches…
Despite being disappointed with how the gardens have developed it was still a pleasant days outing. I think I will come again in another season. October/November is the best time for sub-tropical gardens, before the heat of summer sets in.
I was expecting to be more impressed. I think maybe the council do not think giving money for a Botanic Garden is very high on their list of priorities.
Come over to visit “Restless Jo” she is our intrepid leader and inspires people from all over the globe to join her cyber walking group each week.
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Reblogged this on gypsy life.
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Loved all of these Pauline.. especially the Tree reflections.. would make a good subject to paint. 🙂
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I was expecting more from these gardens Sue, I have seen so many beautiful Botanic gardens around Australia. This one seemed more parklike than a botanic garden. I have started painting Sue and I see paintings every where… 🙂
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Happy Painting… 🙂 and I am sure you will find plenty subject matter within your photos 🙂
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I’m attempting to do one of the garden at the moment….
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I do hope you will share when its finished 🙂
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I’m still very much a beginner Sue, not ready for revealing to the blogosphere yet….
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:-).. Pauline you should see some of the squiggles put out there as Art.. I am sure your’s will be brilliant.. 🙂 x
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Thanks for the vote of confidence Sue.
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Thanks for the link Jo
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I know you said you were disappointed but if this is the winter version of the garden then the summer version must be spectacular.
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I think I was comparing it with all the other, long established botanic gardens and, yes, winter is never the best time in a garden so I will go again in spring, October, November are the best months for sub tropical gardens.
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Such an inspiring walk – wonderful captures… 🙂
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Thanks for joining me Drake… 🙂
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Wow Beautiful photos, if we had never been lucky enough to go there, then you have given us some great photos to view of it. Thanks
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Thank you for your encouraging comment.
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My pleasure
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The photos are beautiful but it is such a shame this place was less than impressive You’re right, the council should really put more money into a place that could be worth the visit and as ‘breathtaking’ as a lot of the botanic gardens in Australia.
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Your Flecker Botanical Gardens are what I consider one of the best. I think the council do not consider the gardens are a tourist attraction… But they could be…
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Beautiful photos, Pauline. Love the Koala Bear sculptures, and your surreal reflection capture. 🙂
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Thanks Sylvia. I still enjoyed taking the photos (I always do!!!)
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Well, I do rather enjoy being an ‘intrepid leader’, thanks Pauline 🙂 I love your boardwalk shot of Jack and those great shadows. And there was some hot pink flowers in there that I liked 🙂 And a beaut tree reflection too! But the weed was way beyond being poetic and I guess all those lawns didn’t have much wow factor. But everyone was happy, and I would be too with a sunny day spent there.
Many thanks for the link! Have a happy week 🙂
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You have put just the interpretation I did on the day Jo. If I was just going for a day out in the park, as many families were, it was perfect. Lots of room to run and play for the kids. Shady trees to sit under and boardwalks to explore. BUT I was expecting more from a “Botanic” garden…
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It does look more like a family park than a botanic garden but still a nice place to stroll!
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I did enjoy our day out Gilly. Plenty of photo opps…
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Hard for me to comment as I haven’t been here, but I know what you mean about being disappointed. Maybe that is what comes from visiting too many gardens? My bench mark is RHS Wisley in Surrey which I love for many reasons and many gardens don;t come up to scratch. I think a botanic garden should have well-defined areas and I like to see plant names too, though not all do this. I’m more annoyed when I pay to enter a garden and find it lacking, but I assume this one is free to enter? It does look like a lovely space though and obviously a draw for families to enjoy. Your reflections photo is a work-of-art. I’d love that to hang on my wall 🙂
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I don’t think I could ever visit too many gardens Jude. Every one is different and inspiring in different ways. I think the council maybe put the “botanic” tag on this one to attract people to it. It was free and an excellent park and it had a lot of families there enjoying it. The children seemed to especially enjoy racing around the boardwalks on bikes and scooters. So many excellent and different Botanic Gardens over here it is hard to pick a favourite but Cairns and Townsville are among 2 of mine.
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What is the Canberra one like? I didn’t get to it as the weather changed and we set off back to Sydney.
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Canberra has a beautiful Botanic Garden Jude. Here is the post I did about it… https://pommepal.wordpress.com/2014/09/21/im-totally-immersed-in-the-splendour-of-spring/
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Will pop over for a visit.
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well you certainly photographed them well, as every photo is lovely! i’m especially drawn to those stately trees – eucalyptus? and yes, perhaps the gardens were in a rest mode!
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Thanks Lisa, yes they were mostly eucalypts and I will go again later in the year. If I am here of course…
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