Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne are located on the corner of Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive, Cranbourne. Just be sure to turn into Ballarto Road from the South Gippsland Highway instead of from Cranbourne-Frankston Road. Ballarto Road from Cranbourne-Frankston Road becomes an unsealed road further down the track so even though it gets you to the gardens faster, it is worse for your car! The two Ballarto Roads do not actually join so it was very misleading to name them the same. 

There are plenty of parking spots in the garden, and there are also pick up points (I suspect for the Garden Traveller bus that takes visitor to each section of the garden for a fee - excellent for those who do not wish to walk too much). 

When comparing this garden to the Botanical Gardens in the CBD, I tend to think of this one as the Australian version of the gardens. Just like there is the National Gallery of Victoria, and the NGV Australia that showcases Australian art. One of the main gardens in the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens is the Australian garden which is a big expanse of red earth with tufts of grass plants and shrubs here and there. It h the magical effect of transporting one to Uluru. 

Besides the main masterpiece, there were show gardens of different kinds. These show gardens pay homage to Australians' love of their backyard and garden. In fact, all of the plants in the garden has plant tags detailing the name of the plant and plant care to provide inspiration for those who want to re-create such a garden or simply looking for something nice to plant in their garden. The one above is the Lifestyle Garden and features a pavilion with a few comfy chairs with a this view. Other gardens include gardens with drought resistant plants, native plants and so on.

But there is no shortage of water in the gardens. There are new water features with lakes, falls, boardwalks across the water that are a hit among the children. Surrounding these lakes are grassy areas for picnics and games.

This garden is a great community space for the surrounding residents, and a showcase of Australian native plants. Unfortunately that also means not expecting the bright flowering plants that are not natives but ones we love, like roses. Indeed, I would say 95% of the plants in the garden are not flowering plants and (sorry to say) some of them have a weedy appearance. But if you are looking for a lush green area with lots of space for a picnic, water feature that will entertain the kids then this is a good place for you.

Peppers Moonah Link

While we were at Cape Schank, we stayed at Peppers Moonah Link not too far away. The hotel comprise of several standalone buildings housing 6 or so rooms and built on the edge of the golf course.In the morning, the golf course made for beautiful scenery and during the day, we could see golfers walking around. I imagine it might be a bit daunting for an amateur to hit a ball while watched by people relaxing on their balconies or in their rooms!

The rooms were clean and came with free wi-fi but we were not able to connect to the complimentary service. Maybe it was because of reception problem? We never found out.

The amenities of the hotel were different from the usual ones we have stayed on. They offer hire of boules game, badminton gear, bicycles, a complimentary shuttle bus to nearby spa, DVDs and a gym. There is an outdoor pool and gym. While the golf course is not a complimentary service, there is a smaller complimentary putting green that guests can practice on. 

The breakfast buffet was wonderful. There was a selection of food such as bacon, scrambled eggs, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, waffles (have you seen a waffle machine?), pastries and so on. There is even a fresh honeycomb stand for those who like it with their yoghurt. 

We paid $300 per night for the room and buffet breakfast which I consider a steep price but because it was Easter and everything else was fully booked, the price was just at market. Peppers Moonah Links is a modern, private and laidback place to stay in. 

Cape Schank

We visited Cape Schank over the Easter holidays. Located about an hour's drive from Melbourne, it is not too far away and has lovely views of the coast. It is also only about 20 minutes away from other coastal towns of Rosebud and Rye. As you won't find much to eat in Cape Schank, the proximity to these larger towns are helpful when it comes to meal times. 

Besides known for the lighthouse, there is also a golf course. It is very close to Peninsula Hot Springs where one can enjoy the mineral baths or perhaps a massage after a round of golf.

The lighthouse is only open to the public as part of a tour which includes entry to the lighthouse museum and a guided walk around the coast. Bookings must be made before the day. 

It was a beautiful day when we arrived at Cape Schank and perfect for a leisurely walk. We walked on the boardwalk down to the beach. Pebbles Beach is covered by large pebbles rounded by the push and pull of the waves over time. As the water is sucked out to the sea, the rattling of thousands and thousands of rocks makes an ominous sound. It was very loud and not at all relaxing. Our favourite thing to do quickly became observing the line of visitors making their way to the end of the rocky beach and then back again.

We also visited the Mornington Peninsula National Park where we walked a 1km circuit to see Kimg's Falls. This is another fall where it is best where there has just been rains. You won't even be able to see the waterfall from the picture below otherwise.

After a big buffet breakfast at the hotel, we were very happy to walk off the calories with the circuit walk. There is an even longer walk to the Seawinds Garden, where there is a sculpture garden by famous William Ricketts and a picnic area.

We enjoyed our trip to Cape Schank and all the walking, golf and eating!

Melbourne Flower and Garden Show

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is really popular and many people look forward this event each year. There is an even more popular flower and garden show held annually in Chelsea, where the Queen attends. 

Flowers and plants are transported to these events and they are placed in refrigerated containers until the time comes for them to shine. Unfortunately, the ones past their prime are discarded. I think it can be quite a wasteful event... Imagine the squealing of the thousands of tortured flowers as they are left in the dump. 

This is our first visit to the Show at the Melbourne Exhibition Building in Carlton, an ad hoc decision made on a weekend that looked dangerously boring otherwise. The entry fee was $30 per person, equivalent to around 5 bunches of flowers in a market (since we are on the flower theme). 

There are flowers on display in the gardens as well as in the Exhibition building. There were products for sale such as vases, knick knacks, gardening products, plants of course, aquariums, etc. There were also an art exhibition, floral arrangements, talks on various topics such as ikebana, garden care etc.

This aquarium is for sale. It's so peaceful looking at the fishes swimming around...

Full house at the Show! We saw many varieties of plants and flowers that were new to us, but because it was autumn with winter coming soon, it was not appealing to buy any. Most of these flowers cost a lot, because one simply cannot go to Bunnings and buy a $5 pot of it. The flowers are grown by certain nurseries only and in order to get them, you had to buy it at the Show or by mail order.

I realised one thing about myself during the Show, I am not into flowers that much. I prefer to have edible plants such as fruit trees or vegetables in my garden. Sure, pedigreed flowers are pretty and exotic but nothing beats the practicality of being able to quite literally, eat the fruits of one's labour!

Blackburn Lake Park

On a rainy day like today, all I can think of is how fast winter is approaching. There are not many sunny and warm days left in the season and soon it will be cold, rainy, gloomy, need I say more? On the bright side, the garden will be well hydrated, delicious stews of all sorts will make their appearance in our kitchen and our couch will be well warmed. 

During the cooler months , pictures like these are needed to tide me over till the warmer month of spring... These are from our walk at Blackburn Lake Park several weeks ago. 

There are several tracks in the park, all of which runs around the lake. The park has many trees so that once you enter through the gates of the park, it feels like one is transported into a personal oasis of nature. There are several resting places around the lake where one can sit on the bench, or lay a picnic mat and absorb the peaceful scenery of ducks paddling across the lake.

I'm missing the warm sunny days already...