Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHTS
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS
These expansive gardens are the inner city's favourite picnic destination, jogging route and snuggling spot for
loved-up couples. Bordering Farm Cove, east of the Sydney Opera House, the gardens were established in 1816
and feature plant life from Australia and around the world. They include the site of the colony's first paltry veget-
able patch, but their history goes back much further than that; long before the convicts arrived this was an initi-
ation ground for the Cadigal people.
Plants
Highlights include the
rose garden
, the
rainforest walk
, the
succulent garden
and a rare
Wollemi pine
(an ancient tree only discovered in 1994 in a remote pocket of the Blue
Mountains.
The
Sydney Tropical Centre
( 9231 8104; adult/child/family $5.50/3.30/11; 10am-4pm)
com-
prises the interconnecting Arc and Pyramid glasshouses - a great place to warm up on a
wintry morning. The Arc has a rampant collection of climbers from the world's rainforests;
the Pyramid houses Australian species.
Walks & Tours
Free 1½-hour guided walks depart at 10.30am daily from the information booth outside the
Garden Shop. From March to November there's also an additional hour-long tour at 1pm
on weekdays.
Book ahead for an
Aboriginal Heritage Tour
( 9231 8134; adult/child $33/17; tours 10am
Fri),
which covers local history, traditional plant uses and bush-food tastings. You can also
download self-guided tours from the RBG website.
The park's paths are mostly wheelchair accessible. Estimated walking times on signs are
pessimistic (if a sign says something is five minutes away, bank on two). If you're all
walked out, take a ride on the
Choochoo Express
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.choochoo.com.au
;
adult/child $10/5; 11am-4pm)
, a trackless train that departs from Queen El-
izabeth II Gate (nearest the Opera House) every half an hour.
Government House
