A very tempting pinata
A pinata in the picnic area of the gardens
I love a good pinata.
Many years ago in another life I led my students through a study of the country of Mexico. To celebrate the end of that unit of study we made a pinata and filled it with sweets, as tradition dictates. We had a glorious time.
But what is this wonderful pinata doing hanging around in the picnic area of the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens in St Ives in Sydney? On our visit there earlier this year we had just been on a walk along one of the trails when we came across this wonderfully coloured creature just hanging around. Not another person in sight – but we heard them.
All around this pinata were the remnants of a children’s birthday party. Baskets, food, party hats, wrapping paper, drinks and much more – and in the distance we could hear a group of excited children moving through the nearby bush. The local ranger was leading them on a discovery tour of the gardens which I gather is quite a popular event. (Details and bookings here.) They even cater for camp-fires and a spotlight prowl at night. Wonderful.
I have added another photo below. It is a banksia flower which I took nearby. It has nothing to do with the party, the children or the pinata. I just wanted to share it.
If you look back over the last week or so on this site you will see more photos of flowers I took on this visit.
Banksia flower, Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens, Sydney
Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, Sydney
No Comments »19th August, 2015; Category: Australia, Botanic Gardens, Parks and Gardens, Picnics, Plants, Sydney
Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens picnic area
Earlier this year we visited family in Sydney. We love spending time with our grandchildren but we also love going out to see various places around Sydney on days when the children are not home. One of the places we love visiting is the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Gardens just off Mona Vale Road in St Ives in the northern parts of the city. We have visited on quite a number of occasions and it is only about a half hour drive from my son’s home.
On the last occasion we visited – just after Easter – we took a picnic lunch with us and ate in one of the designated picnic areas as shown in the photo above. There are several other picnic areas in the gardens. The term ‘gardens’ is a little bit of a misnomer. Sure, the local council and a friends group as well as other interest groups such as the Australian Plants Society have been busy planting and maintaining sections where visitors can see some of our wonderful Australian native plants. The vast majority of the ‘gardens’ is actually uncleared natural bushland boasting a great range of local plants.
There are many good paths leading through interesting sections of the gardens, some of them suitable for wheelchairs. In coming days I will share a few more photos I took on this recent visit.
Banksia flower
Banksia flower
Laratinga Wetlands Mt Barker South Australia
Laratinga Wetlands Mt Barker South Australia
Just over a half hour drive from home is a place I like to visit but don’t get to as often as I would like. The Laratinga Wetlands in Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills section of the Mt Lofty Ranges is a mecca for local and interstate birders. The wetlands consist of about a dozen ponds which make up the sewage works of the nearby town.
By the time the water reaches the final ponds it is purified enough to be used on nearby farms as irrigation water. In the meantime, the various ponds play host to a wide range of water-birds including ducks, ibis, herons, egrets, grebes, cormorants, dotterels, plovers, swamphens, coots and moorhens.
Purple Swamphen
The area around the ponds and the entrance paths have been wonderfully landscaped, with lawns, shelter sheds – it rains frequently in Mt Barker – barbecues and public toilets. Around the ponds and picnic area many trees, bushes and smaller plants which add the great environment which attracts many bush birds, including parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets, honeyeaters, finches, pigeons, doves and swallows.
You can see more photos of the birds seen here on my other site Trevor’s Birding.
Further reading:
Galah
Grey Teal
Laratinga Wetlands on a cold misty winter’s morning
Photos of Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia
No Comments »30th November, 2011; Category: Australia, Botanic Gardens, Parks and Gardens, Photos, Picnics, South Australia
Our lunch spot at Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia
One of our favourite places to visit near our home is the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington near the Murray River in South Australia. It is about a half hour drive from home. The arboretum is a vast collection of Australian native plants, many of them displaying spectacular flowers. Over the coming days I will be showcasing some of those plants and flowers on this site.
Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia
Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia
Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia part 3
No Comments »21st November, 2011; Category: Adelaide, Botanic Gardens, Parks and Gardens, Picnics, South Australia
Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia
Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia