2 Great Botanical Gardens in Western Australia

Our oldest daughter is the gardener in the family, which is why we „had“ to visit two botanical gardens in Western Australia. It's also always incredibly exciting to see how different the vegetation can be. You suddenly see plants you've never encountered before, even though Australia isn't all that different from Switzerland. At least it feels that way. But then you're surprised at every turn.

Araluen Botanic Park

It's September 22, 2022, and today is a public holiday. We don't know which one at first, but we're happy about it anyway. Later, we find out that it's a day of remembrance to mark the Queen's death. Well, at least everyone here in the Botanical Garden seems to be having fun and commemorating the Queen in this way.

Tourist Drive 205 to Roleystone

We're heading to Roleystone, about an hour from Waikiki. The last part of the journey takes us along Tourist Drive 205. These „Tourist Drives“ were created in 1990 and pass through areas that are scenically or historically significant to the region. In total, there are about 30 of these roads, covering a total of 2000 km. You can only find them in Western Australia, and we were always thrilled when we drove on one of these roads.

The 205 leads directly to Araluen Botanic Park, where a tulip festival is taking place today. Of course, we take advantage of this opportunity and are amazed when we can hardly find a parking space there. We were virtually alone the whole way, only sporadically seeing a car.

But here everything is full of people. Of course, that's also a great change. In the national parks in Western Australia, you're often on your own. So it's great to see so many people in one place here.

Tulip Festival

What we were looking for in Amsterdam and found in Araluen Botanic Park in Western Australia: A tuplen festival 😀 Araluen Botanic Park is located in a beautiful bush landscape. Where we would expect to find a variety of native plants and trees, such as eucalyptus trees, a sea of tulips awaits us here. Over 120,000 tulips and 36,000 spring flowers to be exact. And you may know me, I love to be precise.

We stroll through the 60-hectare park and enjoy the wonderful plants in many places, but also the peace and quiet. Everything gets lost here and you don't feel the crowds, at least on the small paths.

At around 15 CHF/EUR admission per adult, the fun is quite affordable and well worth it. The restaurants and food trucks dotted around the park also have affordable prices and good food. We dine at the Chalet Healy Café, which is only open during the season. We sit there in a rustic chalet, but also queue for 30 minutes to order. When there's something to eat, you do feel the crowds a little. But we are rewarded with a delicious lunch.

Picnic at Araluen Botanic Park

If you don't fancy the mainstream, you can use the picnic areas in Araluen Botanic Park. Bringing your own sandwich in the middle of nature is also great. There are numerous gas barbecues, as everywhere in Australia, which you can use for free. This is also exciting for kids.

Araluen Botanic Park Map

On the current map, you'll find a nice overview of the hiking trails and parking facilities in addition to all the picnic spots. Before you visit the park, you should check the official website Regarding the opening hours and events.

Kings Park Perth

I've jokingly always called Kings Park in Perth „City Park.“ However, at 1000 acres, it's more of a recreational center for locals and a beautiful excursion destination for tourists. By the way, locals call the park "The Soul of the City," which is a better description than City Park. 😀 Furthermore, it's bigger than the New Yorker Central Park.

Besides the huge grounds dotted with picnic spots, there's also a Botanical Garden here. Therefore, Kings Park Perth simply must also be on this list.

We have been here a total of two times, once for a classic picnic and once in the botanical garden. Everything here is beautifully landscaped, spacious, and expansive, and you quickly forget city life here, even though it's only a five-minute drive from the center.

Botanical Garden in Perth

Kings Park not only features 2,000 Australian plants, but a few Asian and African plants have also mingled in. It's a great place for photographers to go wild.

We also feel like we take at least one photo of every plant and enjoy the bright colors and vast green meadows here.

The botanical garden's walking path takes about 1 hour, but we still spend half a day here. The kids discover new plants in every corner, find interesting stones, or play with the parrots that fly around everywhere here.

Tree Top Walk in Kings Park

The Tree-Top Walk is a small highlight. Along the circular path, this suspension bridge offers you the breathtaking view of Perth that you see in every brochure and advertisement about Perth. The bridge is even wheelchair accessible, making it naturally safe and exciting for kids too.

Conclusion – Botanical Gardens in Western Australia

Due to the numerous National Parks While the selection of botanical gardens in Western Australia is rather modest, I've shown you two really great gardens here in the post. For our kids, botanical gardens are always a highlight on any trip, so we always include them in our plans. However, both parks are a great destination even without a family. The paths are ideal for hiking, jogging, working out, or simply enjoying and relaxing.

Image Gallery Botanical Gardens in Western Australia

Here are a few more impressions and inspirations for your stay on Australia's west coast.