- Ausbiota(27 days)
Photo Galleries
Welcome to our Galleries page, we hope you like it.
Click on the gallery titles or thumbnails to visit the gallery.
Australia
West of the glasshouses you will find coastal heathland species and a collection of plants from NSW and Queensland - this is the 'Australian' section of the Garden.
Exotic Flora
At the northern end of the Garden there are 6ha of exotic (non-Australian) plants that originate from countries which are located about 30 degrees either side of the equator. Here you will find over 700 species of interesting plants from subtropical Africa, India, China, North America, Central America, and South America.
Fauna: Amphibians, Reptiles, and Mammals
Our Garden provides habitats for an interesting range of native amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that breed in water: e.g. tree frogs and ground frogs. Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates with a rough scaly outer layer: e.g. lizards and snakes. Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates with a body covered in hair, fur or spines: e.g. koalas, echidnas, bandicoots, rats, bats and possums.
Fauna: Arthropods
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal with an external skeleton, a segmented body and jointed appendages. There are four main types to look out for: insects, spiders, centipedes and crabs. Arthropods are abundant: there are over a million species and account for 80% of all living animal species. These fascinating creatures often go unnoticed during a walk in the Garden. To spot them, you need to have sharp eyes as they are usually quite small and well camouflaged.
Fauna: Birds
The Botanic Garden's diverse habitats attract 150 species of birds. Forest and woodland birds include Superb and Variegated Fairy-Wrens, Red-breasted Finches, Grey Fantails, Kookaburras, Pied Butcherbirds, and Currawongs. Waterbirds (e.g. heron, moorhen, kingfisher, ibis) can be seen in the wetlands, ponds and mangroves. Why not take our Bird List Information Leaflet with you and see how many species you can find as you enjoy our Garden.
Glasshouses
At the northern end of the Garden you will find five Glasshouse pods that provide specialised environments for our collection of cacti and succulents, bromeliads, ferns, gingers, orchids and exotic species. The Glasshouses are open on Weekdays, 9am to 5pm.
Japanese Friendship Garden
Yo-koso! The Japanese Friendship Garden is more than a collection of exotic plants. It has been carefully designed to reflect elements of traditional Japanese gardens, such as groupings of rocks, an arched bridge across a lake, an enclosed zen garden, and a splendid tea house. With the assistance of representatives from our sister city of Sasebo, this developing section of the Garden is gradually taking shape. We recommend a guided walk if you wish to learn more about the cultural aspects of this section of the Garden.
Maps
Here are some maps you may want to print out before your next visit to the Botanic Gardens
Natural Forest and Mangroves
The 10 hectares of undisturbed natural forest and mangroves are a special feature of our Garden. Well marked pathways and boardwalks allow visitors to explore these delightful environments. In addition to our leaflets, interpretative signage provides information of aspects of the native flora and fauna you will encounter on your walks.
Prime Display
Entry to the Prime Display is immediately beyond the Information Shop at the entry to the Garden. This densely planted, one-hectare area showcases a selection of native and exotic plants that are found throughout the Garden.
Rainforest
The Garden has planted five main types of Rainforest: 'dry', 'developing', sub-tropical', 'temperate', and 'palm swamp'. These areas can be found at the northern end of the Garden, adjacent to the natural forest and bounded on one side by Coffs Creek. Although less than 30 years old, the 1200 plantings representing 350 local rainforest species are well established with developing canopies. Paths and boardwalks traverse this interesting section of the Garden.
Rare and Endangered Plants
The Garden plays an important role in providing safe areas for rare and endangered wild plant species to grow to help ensure their future survival. The majority of the collection is from NSW and is located adjacent to the main path. Further north into the Garden, there is a collection from Queensland, and other species can be found in the Rainforest.
Sensory Garden
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” but is it floribunda or hybrid tea roses that you seek? In your mind’s eye, you can touch the feathery fronds of the southernwood but what does it really feel like when you run your fingers across it and what does it smell like? There is an ever changing menagerie of culinary and medicinal plants for you to explore in the herb garden. We hope our photo gallery will inspire you to take a look at the real thing in the Gardens. Then you only need to follow your nose as it draws you to the climbing frangipani, past the Arabian jasmine, over to the winter honeysuckle and onwards through the Garden.
