Royal Botanic Gardens

I'm a photographer and for me such a beautiful place is a source of inspiration and creativity. But even if you won't take any photos there, you will undoubtedly enjoy the pleasant and relaxing atmosphere there.

The perfect place for a long stroll in the park and spend a nice lazy afternoon. There are lots of animals, mainly birds and all kinds of plants. I've recently taken up photography and this place has a lot of material to offer. Each time I come here I take at least hundred pictures and never get bored of it. Whether you want just to relax in the nature or you like taking pictures I think you'll find this place perfect for that.

Perfect place to spend some time and reminding yourself how beautiful the nature around us is. This place especially is one of the place I go when I want to relax and just enjoy myself.

One of the best gardens in the world! Great place!

This park is a sanctuary in the city of Sydney, away from the hustle bustle. It's a pleasant park to enjoy a quiet walk, relax, picnic or simply chill out. This garden also offer views of the Sydney harbour bridge, opera house and the city skyline.

Fabulous place for a quiet walk.

Varied plants, lots of native species and some interesting succulents.

Bats roosting in the trees and flocks of white parrot like birds.

Great place to walk around and listen to the many birds flying around. Just a beautiful place in Sydney to enjoy leisure time.

I’ve been back in Sydney for 6 weeks now & love taking the time out to rediscover this city. There have been so many lovely days, so it’s not difficult to be motivated to pick up the camera & go for a walk. On this day I walked from Bellvue Hill to the city (approx. 3hrs) passing Woolloomooloo Wharf….

Then headed toward the Botanic Gardens, passing the Andrew (Boy) Charlton pool, situated in the Domain, overlooking the Navy base…..

then I sat with an ice-cream for a well earned rest. I loved this day – just taking it all in, appreciating the gorgeous landscape, sunshine & open spaces.

yep…. I certainly did have a lovely day rediscovering Sydney :)

I love the Botanic Gardens. It's such a beautiful, clean park. To hang out here feels like a vacation day. Highly recommended!

These gardens in the middle of Sydney are amazing. They’re huge, lush, and filled with all sorts of plants. It’s botany heaven.

There are ponds, bushes, huge lawns for laying on, shady trees, benches with great views of the harbour, and paths for running.

Fascinating: the trees in the middle where thousands of huge fruit bats nest during the day. They squawk, bustle for position, flap about, and poop (watch out!). Not for people who are creeped out by bats, but cool or the rest of us.

I went here in the tipping rain at the end of my holiday but it was still beautiful. You can walk for miles without noticing. The views are fab and the gardens are beautiful and there are exhibitions, shops, tropical houses etc. A must see.

The botanic gardens in Sydney is one of the best known in the world. It is home to a huge array of flora and fauna. As Australia has native plants unknown anywhere else in the world this is one of the best places to see it. It is in a beautiful location next to the Opera house and near the harbour. Exotic birds and bats can be seen everywhere. There is also a great cactus garden with an amzing variety of cacti. All the plants, trees and shrubs are well labelled. It is also just a great place to sit on the grass and chill. This is definitely worth a visit.

This is a great and relaxing place to visit in Sydney. The gardnes are huge and beautiful with lots of exotic birds that accentuate that you’re the other side of the world.

The Botanical Gardens are a less well known part of Sydney the the two major attraction but are no less beautiful none the less.

The gardens are vast and excellent for a long stroll as there are lovely views of the harbour bridge, opera house, harbour, Sydney skyline. There is also a train if you fancy a lazy tour around.

Another must on any visit to Sydney. One of the foremost botanic gardens in the world, the Royal Botanic Gardens occupies a stunning location at the heart of Sydney, with Government House and the Opera House on one side. Sitting in the gardens and looking across at the skyscrapers of Sydney’s business district makes for a unique experience.

The location, wrapper around Farm Cove on Sydney Harbour, is not just physically stunning, but historic too, as this was the site of one of the earliest (but not very successful) farming projects in Australia, in 1788. The area was, in theory, the private ‘domain’ of the Governor, but it took evictions and certain amount of upset for Governor Lachlan Macquarie to turn the area into a park in 1816, into which he introduced all sorts of rules and restrictions (particularly on its use by the public).

A Government Colonial Botanist was appointed in 1821, and thereafter its development as a true botanical garden began. By 1831, it was effectively open to the public. Development was slow - in the 1860s it was still grazed by cattle, to reduce the cost of cutting the grass - but by the turn of the century it was a recognizable botanic garden, and in 1901 the herbarium (collection of dried plants) opened, under-pinning its reputation for research. The gardens were given their ‘Royal’ title in 1959. The botanic gardens proper constitute about 30 acres around Farm Cove, surrounded by the more open parkland of the Domain.

Today, the gardens are both a lovely place to spend a day, as well as a seriously interesting place for those keen on plants - it’s a great introduction for Europeans to antipodean flora and fauna. One of the more bizarre features is that the gardens have a substantial population of Flying Foxes (very large fruit bats), that have to be culled from time to time. (A word of warning - don’t sit under a fruit bat after it has had lunch).

Built features include the Palm House, Fernery, Tropical centre (including the Pyramid Glasshouse), and several historic lodges and pavilions, and there of course lots of different habitats, all beautifully landscaped around walks and ponds. Most parts of the gardens have fabulous views over Sydney Harbour.

The gardens have plenty of visitor facilities, including shops, cafes, toilets and exhibition spaces. Visitor information is located in the Palm Grove Centre, open 9.30 to 16.30h, daily. Most of the gardens are accessible, and there is a ‘train’ which provides tours around the gardens. Walking tours are also available. Entry to the both Domain and Garden is free except for special ticketed events.

The figures about the number of plants and trees on view in this 30-hectare haven of peace and tranquility are too daunting to publish! I think the RBG are coming up to their 200th anniversary, so there’s been plenty of time for the trees to grow. There are a selection of over 20 different buildings within the park, including some nice architecture from Art Deco days. It’s a place to relax, chill and shrug off any cobwebs from Sydney nightlife. A well kept secret is the Botanic Gardens Restuarant, where you can enjoy excellent food - or just a snack or drink - in shady, airy surroundings. Just listen to the birdsong, and enjoy!