There’s something really terrific about being a tourist in your own town, especially on a weekday. On weekends, the area around Circular Quay is full of both tourists and locals enjoying the space. But on a weekday, most of the locals are still at work, so it’s just you and the tourists. The only locals you’ll see are retired people and those running around at break-neck pace during their lunch-break.
At this time of the year, the weather is perfect: winter hasn’t quite kicked in yet, so you avoid the extreme temperatures of summer and winter. The lite is a little less extreme, too. There are more shadows than you often experience in summer.
Today was a perfect day to go on a walking tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens, as part of my week-long “staycation”. Twice a day, the RBG runs tours with volunteer guides. Our small group included some Americans, an English woman, a family from Malaysia, and retired couple from the NSW South Coast. “Though I have visited the gardens on many occasions”, I told our guide, “I never really look too closely at the plants, and don’t know too much about them”.
I certainly learned a lot today, on the 90 minute tour which focussed on both native and introduced species. And it was great to take some photographs.
PS: There’s two plants I couldn’t identify when I went back through my notes: the purple berries, and the fluffy red flower in the tree. If you can help with identification, I’d really appreciate your comments.
2 responses to “Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens”
No help from me with plant identification. Last year we took a tour of our Federation Square and while I knew a lot about it, I did not know everything and l learnt rather a lot. It is a good thing to be a tourist in your own town. The questions from those who know nothing are interesting too, along with dropping in your own comment that the guide may or may know about. Your Botanic Gardens, having being in them a couple of times, are very nice.
Agreed, it’s really nice to hang around home, do some daytime cooking, and do some reading, listening and viewing for pleasure.