Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens

Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens is an oasis of tranquility, featuring native plants from the local Wide Bay and Sandy Straits regions which grow out of 6 000 year old sand dunes.

A highlight of a visit to the gardens is the Orchid House which is filled with 15,000 orchids including several rarely seen varieties. The Orchid House also has a simple cafe serving tea and coffee from tables and chairs overlooking the lagoon and rainforest.

It is also a pleasure to wander through the formal Chinese Garden, complete with feng shui windows, inviting bridges, bamboo groves and moon gates. Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens has its own Japanese bridge which provides an excellent vantage point to observe the tortoises and ducks paddling around the lake.

Other features of these well tended gardens are the fully labelled and educational bush tucker garden, as well as a giant contemplative labyrinth.

Need to know - The Orchid House is open Mon-Fri: 9am-3pm.

By Lucy Hordern