Rockhampton Botanic Gardens is one of Australia’s oldest public gardens and another of the city’s great showcases. Following my previous Five Photos post about Kershaw Gardens, here are five highlights from this tropical Queensland setting.
The Rockhampton Botanic Gardens were established in 1869 and feature an extensive collection of tropical and subtropical plants. There are various areas to explore, including a Japanese garden, a tropical fruit arboretum, and a rainforest.
The gardens are home to various wildlife, including the bats as shown above. Across the 33-hectare site, visitors can also explore a zoo with more than 30 species of native and exotic animals, as well as an aviary featuring a wide variety of birds.
The glossy ibis is the smallest of the three Australian species. Their rich, reddish-brown plumage with purple and green glossy feathers makes them easy to identify. These migratory and nomadic birds can be found across most of Australia and parts of Tasmania but they are most common in the northern regions.
The Pied Imperial-Pigeon is another bird associated with northern Australia, although it is also found in India, the Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea. These fruit-eating birds nest in colonies ranging from small groups to tens of thousands of birds, then migrate north in late summer and autumn.
The aviary offered plenty to see, including southern cassowaries, black swans, emerald doves, mandarin ducks and superb lyrebirds. Afterwards, I stopped for a coffee and was entertained by a visit from some rainbow lorikeets, who were keen to investigate whether anything interesting was nearby.
With its tropical plant collections, wildlife and aviary, Rockhampton Botanic Gardens made for an enjoyable place to explore. More information is available on the gardens’ website and on the dedicated zoo website. Have you visited the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens?
Photo: a rainbow lorikeet checks out a cup
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