I have both diarrhoea and sneezing, a combination of symptoms that keep you feeling...on edge. If you let yourself relax too much there could be...consequences.
So, confined to the house, I thought I'd quickly post about our day trip, earlier in the week, to Cranbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens.
On Tuesday Sam and I were at a loose end and, in the spirit of exploring Melbourne, I suggested we visit The Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne.
I had heard some really lovely things about these gardens. The weather was great, we had a full tank of petrol and well, everyone loves gorgeous gardens, don't they! Plus, they are less then an hour from where we live.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne (not the one in the city, which we are yet to visit), is an area of land said to span almost 400 hectares. The scale of all things Australian is just mind-boggling. I believe it was established around or before the 70s, with much emphasis on research and conservation. Within it, in addition to woodlands and wetlands, there are many walking trails (bushland tracks) and an area called The Australian Garden. Opening to the public in 2006, The Australian Garden exhibits over 100,000 plants, showcasing the beauty and diversity of Australian indigenous life. As a bonus, entry is free. Which is actually amazing.
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| No day out is complete without a selfie. |
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| This is me trying to pose, but having to wave a cloud of flies away...I like to think it made for some awesome dance moves. |
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| The displays were stunning! |
As you can see, there was much on offer. Walking through the gardens felt at times like wandering through a painting. Perhaps Mary Poppins had worked some magic charm on us? Vivid colours and a variety of moving forms, danced around us. More shades of green than the average person can name were punctuated by oranges, reds and purples. This is a very beautiful place.
Skilled and passionate people tirelessly tend to and maintain these gardens. There is education, literature and talks available for kids, young and old. There seems to always be a project or event that people can participate in too. There are also a few different places to grab a coffee, ice cream or even a meal. They even sell sunscreen, which was a real godsend for us fair-skinned Scots on what was a hot, sunny day. It's great!
Of course, with the gardens being free, they are always on the lookout for volunteers and donations are ever-welcome. An impressive and well-organised offering, especially on this scale, is very worthy of support!
The gardens are home to many species of native birds, mammals and yes, even snakes. If you do visit during the warmer months, keep an eye out. There are staff always monitoring public areas and putting these "beware the snakes" signs out when there are sightings, keeping people informed and safe. We were on our way to a kiosk to buy some water, when a family ahead of us had just seen a snake. It had, I guess, got a bigger fright than the family and disappeared under some decking. A garden staff member had quickly been on hand and was using a radio to spread the word there had been another sighting.
All very exciting stuff! In saying that, I am yet to see a real snake in the wild here in Australia. I have seen lizards, but no snakes. I'm thinking that makes me lucky!
Once we had explored the gardens, we headed home, but not before we had a quick lunch at the Cranbourne RSL.
As you may know, RSL stands for The Returned and Services League. This organisation, also very worthy of support, exists to help those who have (past), do (present) and will (future) serve their country. Visit here for more information about them. 2016 marks 100 years since they were established. Check the link, as there is probably a branch closer to you than you realise, making it even easier to support them.
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| RSL Cranbourne |
We hadn't realised when we arrived, but the RSL had just stopped serving lunch. The staff were so lovely, though, they said we could go up to their restaurant area and they would accomodate us. How nice is that?! Our meals were really tasty and we weren't hurried out. In fact, a lady serving us explained, as we finished our meal, that the staff were finished but that we were welcome to stay as long as we liked. I thanked her very much for squeezing us in as that level of courtesy isn't common today at all. Her warmth and generosity was very much appreciated.
All in all, we had a lovely day.
Back to the present moment, right now, I'm going to take some paracetamol for my aches and have a glass of water. Send me healing thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by. Ta ta for now.
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