If you love the great outdoors and being at one with nature, let the GWteam inspire you with these global destinations
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA: Adam Duxbury, Commissioning Editor
Last autumn, my husband and
I fulfilled a long-held dream of visiting Australia, taking a road trip from Brisbane to Sydney. On the very first day, fighting off jet lag with some fresh air in Brisbane Botanic Gardens, we were wowed by the diverse range of plants and gardening we saw.
Our trip then took us to Byron Bay – a charming surfer town just south of the Gold Coast. It’s a perfect spot to spend a few days exploring the stunning beaches and eating delicious local food, then turning inland to hike the Wollumbin and Nightcap National Parks.
I also loved visiting the nearby Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens, which are truly unlike any garden I’d seen before, with some of the largest crystals in the world on display. The gardens here are full of subtropical plants and the team have gone to great efforts to help restore the local natural rainforest, too.
Arriving at the Dorrigo National Park, we hiked for hours in lush rainforest, stopping occasionally to admire large stag ferns and a huge lace monitor lizard climbing a eucalyptus tree. In the Hunter Valley region, we made sure to spend some time visiting the beautiful vineyards, cycling between wine tastings and spotting kangaroos along the way. Putting the wine glasses aside for a few hours, we visited the impressive 34-acre Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, divided into an arid garden, wetlands and Aboriginal plants trail. The beautiful acacia trees would be worth a return visit in early August to see them in bloom.
Sydney’s huge botanic garden proved a wonderful place to finish our trip and the Blue Mountains is a worthwhile day visit just an hour from the city. It was the perfect opportunity to soak up some of New South Wales’s beautiful scenery and breathe in the scent of eucalyptus trees one last time before boarding the plane home.
FACTFILE
■ When to goUK winter (summer in Australia) or autumn for cooler temperatures and spring flowers
■ Where to stay Try boutique guest house 28 Degrees in Byron Bay: 28byronbay.com.au
■ How to get thereThere are no direct flights to Sydney from the UK, but exciting stopovers include Singapore and Bangkok
