Spring has woven its way into our gardens and parklands, leaving trails of colourful blooms in its wake. Amongst endless blossoms, a particular cluster of flowers is the most sort after by Instagramers, photographers and the local Japanese communities. The fleeting cherry blossom! This year I’ve followed these blossoming trails and found the best cherry blossom photo spots within a day trip vicinity of Sydney!
AUBURN BOTANIC GARDEN
This hidden gem has one of the most spectacular Japanese gardens in Sydney. This garden boasts of Tori gates, cherry blossom lanes, an open tea house, and several symbolic replications of Japnese hills, lakes, and water features.
Each year, Cumberland Council will hold a Hanami or Cherry Blossom Festival through two weekends around late August to celebrate these delicate, pink clusters. As part of the Cherry Blossom Festival, there will Japanese food trucks, sakura-inspired dishes, pop-up Izakayas, music, and workshops for everyone. To see the best cherry blossom viewing spots inside the garden see here.
Auburn Botanic gardens have a Fauna Reserve with peacocks, emus, kangaroos, and wallabies for the animal lovers. If you are exploring the Japanese gardens, I would also recommend detouring afterwards to the rose garden, the maze, and the native and rainforest garden for a walk.
Blossom Time: Around the end of August
Entry Price: Normally the garden is free for residents Cumberland Council and children under 16, all other visitors have a $4 entry fee to the gardens. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, ticket prices will be priced differently. For more garden details see here.
Getting There: The drive from Sydney CBD is approximately 40 minutes. The garden offers a shuttle bus service to and from Auburn station during Cherry Blossom Festival for visitors. For those who are driving in, there is a small parking section next to the garden or street parking in the streets around the garden.
Tip: If you are not a fan of crowds but will still like to be part of the action, it is recommended to go during the week and earlier in the morning when the garden first opens for a more relaxed experience.
THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY
Australia’s oldest botanic garden resides next to the iconic Sydney Opera House. This 30 hectare of lush garden land is home to an inner-city hidden gem, The Spring Walk. Made up of a vibrant array of spring flowers, lovers of cherry blossom blooms can find this colourful section of the garden along the Macquarie Wall. Along with the beloved pink blossoms, visitors will discover Pansys, Buttercups, Sweet Alyssum, Wisteria and many other spring bulbs.
Blossom Time: Usually from mid-August
Entry Price: Going into the gardens itself is free, however, visitors who want to ride the garden train or visit specific exhibitions at the Calyx will have to pay the activity’s specified prices. See what’s currently on at the gardens here.
Getting There: Highly recommend considering public transport when planning your trip to this garden as parking in Sydney CBD is both expensive and hard to come by. Visitors have a wide selection of public transport options such as Trains (alight at St James, Martin Place, or Circular Quay Station), selected buses, and Ferry (alight at Circular Quay Wharf).
Tip: First-time visitors may find it confusing to reach this section of the garden. The easiest way to the walk is to look for The Botanic Garden Cafe or The Garden Shop; the Macquarie Wall is just two minutes down from there.
LEURA VILLAGE BLUE MOUNTAINS
Known as the garden village, this part of the Blue Mountains is almost as famous as its neighbour Katoomba. The area has a large concentration of privately owned gardens, which is open to public visitors at selective times throughout the year. The arrival of spring is celebrated annually here by the Leura Gardens Festival. During the two-week festival, visitors have access to all the private gardens in the area as well as the perfect view of different species cherry blossom trees which line the main streets. As visitors explore the area, they will be able to stumble upon many Instagram worthy varieties of spring and native flowers.
Blossom Time: Starts from around the beginning of October
Entry Price: Exploring Leura streets itself id free, however, each private garden is priced differently. During Leura Garden Festival, a combined garden ticket for entry to all open gardens is around $30 per person. To see the full details and dates of the festival, see here.
Getting There: Approximately 90 minutes drive from Sydney CBD. Visitors also have the option to take the train from Central station of Leura Station which will take them straight to the village centre. During Leura Garden Festival, shuttle buses are available at the station and each open gardens to transport visitor (bus tickets are separate from festival tickets). For those driving in, there is parking along the streets as well as a large lot outside Woolworths.
Tips: During non-festival times it is best to visit during weekdays if visitors do not want to compete with the crowds, however, please keep in mind, Leura is a tourist must-see spot which means it is lively still during the weekday. During the festival, to save time visitors who would like to find a parking spot and get the most out of the event while doing the least crowd surfing, I would recommend staying overnight in Leura to get a nice and early start.
HUNTER VALLEY GARDENS
favourite go-to garden for couples getting married, Hunter Valley Gardens is made up of a combination of smaller themed gardens designed to be aesthetically pleasing and fun for photos. The cherry blossoms here reside in the Oriental Garden which was designed based on both traditional Japanese and Korean botanic features. There is a viewpoint to see the full garden with its manicured trees and spring blooms at the top of the Italian Grotto. If a closeup experience is on the to-see list then a stroll along the river and through the different paths of the Oriental garden will take to around the different blossoming trees. The gardens have spring-themed events on every year for visitors making it a location to put on the spring flowering viewing trail.
Blooming Time: Usually from the start of October but can be earlier depending on weather. The Carnival of Colour celebrating spring blooms are open from 1st September 2020.
Entry Fee: Tickets are required to enter the garden; adult tickets are around $30. Ticket prices may vary depending on the event on at the garden. To see the events and their prices see here.
Getting There: Just a little over 2 hours drive from Sydney CBD, driving in is the easiest way to the gardens as there is very limited public transport around Hunter Valley. Parking is available at the garden for visitors.
Tips: The garden does get busy during weekends especially with the increase in weddings during spring and summer times. If there is a wedding on, parts of the garden will be off-limits and corded off. For the best chance to see all the gardens and have it mostly to yourselves, weekdays at early mornings or slightly later afternoons are best. It will take approximately 2-3 hours to see the full garden and take photos.
NARA PEACE PARK CANBERRA
Part of the Lennox Gardens complex, this park celebrates Canberra’s sister city relationship to Nara, Japan’s ancient capital. The garden design was gifted to Australia by Japan. Home to an array of Japanese flora, both plum and cherry blossoms can be found here. With its location and size, this garden is the perfect place to have a Hanami picnic during full bloom season. For photographers looking for a cherry blossom outside of the common white and pink, the green variety can be found in the surrounding streets.
Blooming Time: Usually in October
Entry Fee: Free
Getting There: This park is a little over three hours drive from Sydney CBD. Visitors using public transport can take the train from Sydney Central station to Canberra Railway station and switch to bus number 2. Visitors choosing to drive, the park offers parking bays and areas which has direct access into the Lennox Park complex. See more details here.
Tips: Make the most of your three-hour journey by exploring other parts of Canberra city centre. The Parliament House, War Memorial, National Gallery and Questacon are some iconic sites to see. For wine lovers, Canberra has many wineries in its surrounding areas and on the way back to Sydney. I would recommend an overnight stay in Canberra to enjoy a sunset or sunrise view from Mount Ainslie.
