PERTH, Australia - Towering lemon-scented gum trees welcome you with the fragrance of peaceful hospitality as you enter Kings Park and Botanic Garden. And they’re just the beginning. There are so many things here to make you forget the hustle and bustle of the nearby city centre.
You can enjoy a walk or bike ride along one of the walking trails, pet a few friendly dogs, play tag with some ducks, visit the State War Memorial Precinct, check out the colourful birdlife and the wildflowers in bloom.
“We have a remarkable park and botanical garden here,” says Heather, our friendly volunteer park information officer. “If you like gardens, you’ll love it here.”
And she’s right. For admirers of beautiful flower gardens and unique plants, it’s a stop made in heaven.
The park opened in 1895 and was called Perth Park until 1901 when it was renamed to mark Edward VII’s ascension to the British throne. It’s more than 400 hectares — the biggest inner city park in the world (take that Manhattan, Central Park is only 341) — overlooking the Swan River, just two kilometres from downtown Perth, a city of 1.5 million on Australia’s west coast.
The 17-hectare Botanic Garden opened in 1965, and features a vast array of local plants — Western Australia has 12,000 plant species and 2,000 of them are located in the park — as well as dozens of kinds of birds.
Above: The boardwalk provides a breathtaking vista of downtown Perth.
Amid the grassed parkland and botanical gardens, there’s also a chunk of natural bushland — two-thirds of the park, in fact. And the treetop boardwalk (which is set up for the disabled and pets) offers panoramic views of Swan River and Darling Range.
The State War Memorial Precinct (also in the park), with its Cenotaph, Court of Contemplation, Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection, honours the contribution made by Australia’s armed forces in the two World Wars and in UN missions.
Other park highlights include: The Wishing Well, the Aboriginal Gallery, free guided walks through the botanical garden or bushland areas, a floral clock, the Water Garden (refurbished in 1999 to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage in Western Australia, and the Great Boab, a tree estimated to be 750 years old. There are 14 smaller boabs in the park, too. The boabs are a gift to Western Australians from the indigenous people, the Gija, who are the traditional landowners.
Finish your visit with a healthy walk (or short drive) to the downtown area. The Swan River bike and walking path offer warm, comforting breezes and a verdant atmosphere.