The Australian Garden, Cranbourne, Victoria

A visit to The Australian Garden at Cranbourne, Victoria, is a day well spent. These gardens were established in 1970 for the purpose of conservation, research, display and enjoyment of Australian native plants, and first opened to the public in 1989.


Untouched healthy woodland and wetland covers two-thirds of the 363-hectare site, providing visitors with the surprising opportunity to explore pristine environments within an hour's drive from Melbourne. Eleven hectares of gardens containing over 100,000 plants, all native, ranging from delicate orchids to towering eucalypts, delight the visitor at every turn, with another 10 hectares to be developed. Various gardens feature the diversity of Australian flora that has evolved to cope with the climatic variations this ancient island continent offers.


The Trig Point Lookout gives 360º views across south-eastern Victoria including Westernport and Port Phillip Bays, Mount Macedon and the Melbourne CBD.


A delicious lunch of afternoon tea in the restaurant is the perfect way to complement your day in these ever-changing and surprising gardens. I say 'surprising' because, if you thought like I did for many years that Australian native plants were dull and boring, these gardens will prove that nothing could be further from the truth. Added to their beauty is their hardiness and resiliance in our harsh climatic conditions.


(Please click on the photos to enlarge for a closer look as some of these beautiful plants.)

The Red Garden represents Australia's 'red centre'

Historic Maldon

The charming 19th century streetscape of Maldon is an authentic reminder of days gone by. The old weatherboard homes, solid stone buildigns and decorative shopfronts are undoubtedly the best preserved example of an Australian gold mining town.

Maldon was the first town to be declared 'notable' by the National Trust of Australia in 1966 and in 2006 was awarded the 'most intact heritage streetscape' by the National Trust.

The township was established after gold was found in 1853 at the foot of Mount Tarrengower. The abundance of gold extracted from the quartz reef mines soon rivalled some of the world's richest sites.

Today cosy cafes, eateries with the fine food, galleries and invvoative shops line the historic streets. A stream train provides a nostalgic link from Maldon to Castlemaine. B&Bs self-contained cottages and other accommodation styles are in abundance.

We visited this little town on a Wednesday morning and were amused to find that most of the shops didn't open until 10.00am, and one didn't even open until Friday!

It's a pretty little town with many historic buildings, and a drive around the back streets reveals a surprising number of homes. I think quite a few of them would be 'weekenders' for Melbourne residents - the perfect place to get away from it all for a couple of days.

Two views of the main street.

1860 - Scotch Pie House

Typical hotel on the corner.

Click on photo to enlarge and read about the Beehive Mine.

Site of the Beehive Mine, with chimney and crumbling brick walls.

Old fashioned - letterbox, not Richard!

Current Maldon Primary School

Historic Maldon Hospital

Penny School - the original Maldon School - now a cafe.

"The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, tra, la ..."

.... are few and far between

and not very interesting on this,

the First Day of Spring.

Osteospermum (African Daisies)

Banksia

Alyssum and violets

Perennial Wallflower

From a distance the tassels on this Garryia eliptica appear rather non-descript,

but up-close they are really pretty - like a long necklace of delicate mauve and silver 'beads'.