In every major city in the world today, be it London, New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo or Beijing, there must be a place within its city quarters where locals can go for a quick sandwich on a park bench, take a slow walk to unwind or simply read a book under the sun for no good reason.

In Sydney Australia, the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens is that place.

Set on a commanding position at Port Jackson Bay in the heart of Sydney harbour, the Botanic Gardens is a sanctuary for local birds, wildlife, flora and fauna. Locals come to these gardens to be one with nature, to feel and experience the natural beauty of Sydney harbour’s seascape and to learn about flowers, plants and horticulture. Others come simply for a therapeutic dose ~ the path that meanders around Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, with absolute stunning view of Sydney harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, is truly a walk in paradise.

On a good sunny day, which is most days by Sydney’s god-sent climate, the gardens are blessed with sunshine amidst clear blue skies and simmering deep blue waters of the harbour. The Opera House stands majestically on the north-west end and beckons visitors along Bennelong to enter the gates of the gardens.

Once inside, you will be enchanted by the grandeur of century-old Port Jackson fig trees, its sturdy trunks extending into the skies and spreading its branches across the landscape. Aerial roots form a full life circle as they rejoin the earth from which their life journey began.

More information and pictures about Sydney and Australia in my website.

The Botanic Gardens Trust is an invaluable resource in the maintenance, protection and promotion of this iconic local attraction. Weddings, art exhibitions, cultural events and school excursions are part of the garden’s itinerary to share its natural beauty with the world.

The arrival of spring each year ushers in a series of food and wine exhibitions, open-air concerts and cinemas to the public. Its close proximity to the Sydney Opera House means the festivities from the Sydney Festival in summer each year spills onto the gardens. Locals and concert-goers alike take a naturally extended walk from the Sydney Opera House onto the beautiful gardens, a vantage point from which to admire the beauty of the harbour...what a wonderful and exquisite prelude to Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto no. 2.

When I find myself in these gardens, I am at peace ~ both with the world and with myself. There will be no distractions or appointments that should concern me. Perhaps I might make a small exception...Puccini’s La boheme is about to commence in twenty minutes time.

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