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Category: Garden

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Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden

Kangaroo sculptures

Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden

Nestled in the Mogo State Forest adjacent to the Deep Creek Dam, the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden covers a 42-hectare site. Established in 1988 when Forests NSW provided the site to the local council, it has a visitor centre, display gardens and walking tracks. The display gardens cover 10ha of land cleared to provide material for the dam wall, effectively repurposing a bare landscape. The remaining 32ha has walking tracks that provide access to the local bushland.

Bushfires in 1994 and 2019/20 caused significant damage some of which is still visible as fire damaged trees.

Getting There

Located only 5 minutes’ drive from the NSW coastal town of Batemans Bay and just of the Princes Highway, it’s easy to find with plenty of car parking space. Entry is free which is a great bonus.

The Gardens

The display gardens exhibit plants from the surrounding area, with sea-level to sub-alpine plant species on display. This area is well paved, generally flat and its 2km are wheelchair friendly. The plants were flowering when we visited adding colour to the gardens. There are also several ponds here and if you are lucky you will see some native species. We only saw some purple swamp hens and ducks, but there are others that call the area home.

Kangaroo sculptures Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden
Kangaroo sculptures
Walking path through banksias
Walking path through banksias
Banksia in bloom Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden
Banksia in bloom
Purple Coral-pea (Hardenbergia violacea)
Purple Coral-pea (Hardenbergia violacea)
Sculpture using the trunk of a coastal grey box that was killed during the 2019/20 fires
Sculpture using the trunk of a coastal grey box that was killed during the 2019/20 fires
Pond near the eucalypt lawn Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden
Pond near the eucalypt lawn
Eucalyptus trees Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden
Eucalyptus trees
Purple swamp hen
Purple swamp hen

Forest Track

After walking through the display gardens, we headed to the Forest Track which took us through the native bushland of the area. This track is well defined but rough with several steep sections. However, it’s only 2km long with plenty of places to stop and enjoy the local bush. This track passes the dam, where a viewing platform lets you see over the dam wall and over Deep Creek Dam. With no trees on the wall or near the water, it looked very bare and no birdlife was present. This may change in the future, but we found it uninteresting (2024).

The trail through the Forest Track Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden
The trail through the Forest Track

What Did We Think

We loved the walk through the display gardens and native bush areas. The visitor centre has a cafe where you can relax after your walk with a coffee and snacks.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Lennox Gardens Canberra

Replica statue of the Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow

Lennox Gardens Canberra

Located on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, Lennox Gardens in the Australian capital Canberra has several distinct areas gifted to Australia by foreign governments. Additionally it contains several memorials while being a beautiful place to relax.

Nara Peace Park

Gifted to the people of Canberra by the Japanese city of Nara, this small garden contains many traditional elements particularly the large number of decorative trees. Throughout the park, are two stone lanterns and other sculptures.

The tranquility of the garden is wonderful and a great place to wander through.

Traditional wooden gate entrance to the Japanese Gardens
Traditional wooden gate entrance to the Japanese Gardens
Japanese Garden Lennox Gardens Canberra
Kasuga lantern in the Canberra Nara Peace Park
Kasuga lantern in the Canberra Nara Peace Park

Beijing Garden

The Canberra Beijing Garden was a gift from the Beijing Municipal Council. Designed in the style of the Qing Dynasty it has a traditional Chinese gate to welcome visitors while meandering paths lead past sculptures and a pavilion.

Traditional Chinese gate to welcome visitors to the Canberra Beijing Garden Lennox Gardens Canberra
Traditional Chinese gate to welcome visitors to the Canberra Beijing Garden
Reverse side of the Chinese gate
Reverse side of the Chinese gate
Chinese Pavilion Lennox Gardens Canberra
Replica statue of the Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow
Replica statue of the Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow
Lennox Gardens Canberra
Azure Dragon representing east and spring
Azure Dragon representing east and spring

JNF Israel Garden

Memorial to the Centenary of Australia and the Centenary of the Jewish National Fund
Memorial to the Centenary of Australia and the Centenary of the Jewish National Fund

Spanish Civil War Memorial

This is a small memorial to Australians who fought in the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 139.

Spanish Civil War Memorial Lennox Gardens Canberra
Spanish Civil War Memorial

Canberra Rotary Peace Bell

The Rotary Club of Canberra undertook a fund raising exercise to install a peace bell within the Nara Peace Park precinct. This was done in partnership with the World Peace Bell Association.

The Canberra Rotary Peace Bell
The Canberra Rotary Peace Bell

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Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Tocal Homestead

Tocal Homestead New South Wales

Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, the Tocal Homestead is a historic house and associated buildings originally established in 1822 by J. P. Webber. In 1834 the property was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, who commissioned the homestead as a country retreat from their Sydney business.

Subsequently the farm was leased to the Reynolds family who occupied it for two generations adding many of the wooden buildings to the farm. In 1926, four siblings of the Alexander family purchased the property. The last, C.B. Alexander died in 1947, leaving all of his properties tied in a complex will which stipulated that it was to be used for destitute and homeless children. Eventually this became the Tocal Agricultural College, now run by the NSW Department of Agriculture. The college is located not far from the homestead and is now an important educator in the agricultural industry.

An additional stipulation of the will was the allowance of his two nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtiss be allowed to live out their lives at the homestead. This they did until 1985 when they died within five days of each other.

Getting There

Located a 15-minute drive from Maitland, the homestead is well sign posted and easy to find. During our visit, it was only open on Sundays from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, but check their website for updated times and dates.

Tocal Homestead

The tour of the homestead is self-guided, with a map and personal audio player provided at reception. This allows you to self-pace around the property, taking your time at places of interest and moving on from others. The descriptions of each room, their uses and furnishings were excellent.

Tocal Homestead
Tocal Homestead
Main entrance
Main entrance
Book collection
Book collection
Lounge room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Lounge room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family room
Family dining room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Dining room
kitchen
Kitchen
Looking down the staircase
Looking down the staircase
One of he Curtiss sisters' rooms
One of he Curtiss sisters’ rooms

Alexander was keen to use new technology, installing electricity in the homestead. Not only did he purchase a generator, but also sufficient battery storage in case the generator failed.

Lister engine and generator
Lister engine and generator
Battery storage for the generator Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Battery storage for the generator

Internal Lift

Another innovation Alexander adopted was the internal lift so that the upper floor could be accessed as he aged. Unfortunately, on one night while alone in the house, one of the Curtiss sisters was trapped in the lift. She had to wait until the staff arrived in the morning to let her out.

Internal lift Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Internal lift

Farm Buildings and Equipment

Designed by architect James Blackett the largest barn has amazing internal framework for the roof is a work of art. As you walk around, you get to meet some of the animals as you walk past the pig stye and chicken run.

Near the homestead is a garage with a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom in immaculate condition, along with the first tractor used at Tocal, a Twin City 17-28 imported from Minneapolis USA.

Bull barn Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Bull barn
Barn
The Blackett Barn
Inside the barn
Inside The Blackett Barn
Horse stables
Horse stables
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Webber's cottage
Webber’s cottage
Garage Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Garage
Pigs Tocal Homestead New South Wales
Pigs
Tocal's first tractor a Twin City 17-28
Tocal’s first tractor a Twin City 17-28
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Tocal Homestead New South Wales
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom

Wedding Venue

The homestead is a popular wedding venue, with its wonderfully decorated rooms and gardens.

Fig tree in the homestead garden
Fig tree in the homestead garden. A favorite spot for wedding photos.

Visitors’ Centre and Cafe

At the end of the tour, we went back to reception where we ordered a Devonshire Tea. The little cafe overlooks the surrounding farmland and was very relaxing.

Devonshire Tea
Devonshire Tea