Australian Botanic Garden

The Australian Botanic Garden, at Mt Annan, south west of Sydney, has plantings designed to display the diversity of the Australian flora.

The Water Garden, Aust. Botanic Garden - Mt Annan

While there we also visited the Australian PlantBank (photos below) which is located within the Garden. With an estimated 50 per cent of the world’s plant species under threat of extinction, PlantBank aims at safeguarding our plants from an uncertain future. It houses thermal efficient seed storage vaults, climate controlled glasshouses, state of the art laboratories, specialised teaching facilities etc. The photo below shows reflections in the building's stainless steel panels.

 

               Location Map                              More Photos of the Botanic Garden

     Australian Plant Society

            Aust. Botanic Garden info                          Sydney Transport Trip planner

               

Nielsen Park and Parsley Bay

This harbour walk in Sydney's eastern suburbs continues on from my last post.        map link

Shark Beach, Nielson Park

Nielson Park  is part of Sydney Harbour National Park, and while the name might put some off swimming there, part of the popular 'Shark Beach' was netted when I visited. (not in photo)

There is a cafe/restaurant (left) opposite the beach, and a walking track within the park.

Nearby Vaucluse House  is 'one of Sydney’s few 19th-century mansions still surrounded by its original gardens and wooded grounds'. It was purchased by William Charles Wentworth, colonial explorer, barrister and politician, in 1827.

A little further on and hidden from the road, is Parsley Bay, a spot I have wanted to visit for sometime.

'The Parsley Glen' pedestrian access, a cable suspension bridge between the two shores of the bay, was built in 1910 at a cost of £500.

The Parsley Bay Reserve enclosure provides a swimming area ~150m long and 95m wide (subject to tidal variations).

Parsley Bay   & Woollahra Library Local History Centre PDF
More walk information

For more photos of this area, see my Hermitage Foreshore post

I caught a Route 325 bus from Edgecliff station. These turn off New South Head Rd. at Vaucluse Rd and go to Watsons Bay

Rose Bay

I stopped off at the Point Piper side of Rose Bay, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on my way to Parsley Bay.

(above) It was beautiful weather, but as it was a week day, it was quite on the promenade next to New South Head Road.

Rose Bay Park

Looking east across Rose Bay

To get to Rose Bay I caught a bus from Edgecliff Station.  (route 324 or325). Ferries also run from  Circular Quay.                   Area Map                  

Birdwood Gully - Springwood

This attractive short walk can be found not far from Springwood railway station. Whilst the track was still quite rough in places, sections had been upgraded since our last visit.
 
 

The circular walk can be accessed from two spots on Bednal Rd, and also from Boland Ave, and follows Springwood and Birdwood Gully Creeks. There is also a side track further along Springwood Creek, which we didn't explore. 

     Location map 

On a previous visit our walk leaders combined this walk with a look at the blue gums in Deanel Forest Reserve 

Birdwood Gully has a Bushcare group