I've taken so many photographic walks through the Botanic Gardens over the years, I can't believe that this will be my very first blog post about it!
Recently I caught up with friends for a Sunday afternoon coffee, chat and stroll around the gardens. We'd just come off ten days of non-stop rain, so everything was looking soggy and damp. The occasional burst of sunshine was very welcome.
On the bus trip through the city I spied one of the last monorail journeys (below).
The monorail was built in 1988 for our Bicentennial celebrations to link the newly renovated Darling Harbour with the city in a rather weird loop that went...well...nowhere!
The blurb in my Top 10 Sydney says "Expensive (there is a flat price for a single trip whether you go one stop or the whole loop), the monorail snakes through Sydney's CBD in a relatively small loop taking in the Galeries Victoria, city centre, Darling Harbour, Powerhouse Museum, Chinatown and World Square. The train departs every 5 minutes. Get a day pass to hop on and off to explore the sights."
Obviously this paragraph will be removed from future editions!
Most Sydneysiders were delighted to see it go, but curiously the last week of it's life was its busiest as everyone took (what was in most cases their first and) last ride!
.JPG)
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plants in the Gardens that were in flower.
.JPG)
The Gardens were established in 1816 on the site where the first crops were planted by the First Fleeters in 1788. The garden provides a lovely oasis in the middle of the city around Farm Cove.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
P.S. My post last week from the Orange Grove Markets was noticed by their social media staff.
Since then my photo of the proteas has been added (with acknowledgement) to their blog and a link to my blog post has been added to their facebook page, google + profile & pinterest page.
It has been quite exciting to get so much positive attention!
Saturday Snapshot is a now being hosted by Melinda from West Metro Mommy
The rules are simple:
To
participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a
friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post
in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as
long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much
detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post
random photos that you find online.
Great pictures! And what unusual plants!
ReplyDeleteThanks - I was particularly taken with the unusual bark (texture and colour) of the palm tree trunk.
DeleteGreat, Brona.
ReplyDeleteThe plants are really unusual... Great you get such plants in your part of the world!!! Sydney, is one in my "to visit" list... someday!!! If I continue to stare at the last picture, I seem to get a reflection of a dog, not sure if anybody else noticed it. Great pictures...
ReplyDeleteHow great to have your post noticed! I love the flowers...so gorgeous! Thanks for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteYou have wonderful flowers and birds. So different from what I see here in the northern hemisphere.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the link to the Orange Grove Markets. It's always rewarding to be seen. And here too, the Garden might just do that too. These are exotic flowers, ones I'd never see without taking the long flight out to Australia. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow...GORGEOUS!!!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS for sharing.
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Saturday Snapshot
Very pretty, looks like a lovely Gardens! Thanks for sharing! Interesting about the monorail.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Brona, I've been to the botanic gardens many times too of course, it's always lovely. I sort of think it's a shame to see the end of the monorail. I wasn't a fan to start, my son loved it from the time he was a toddler, and so we've ridden it many, many times, and come to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThe Missouri Botanical Garden is my favorite place to take photos -- I've even taken photography classes there! These are lovely.
ReplyDeleteCool that your post last week got such positive attention!
Joy's Book Blog
very nice.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Abstract and I enjoyed the Gardens when we visited it in 2003.
The place will be so new now for us.
I love botanical gardens and that is often a site I visit on our travels. Your photos are a lovely tour!. We like monorails too and that is too bad that they are closing it instead of finding a way to reduce cost and increase use. Ah well - life moves on.
ReplyDelete