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Royal Botanic Gardens
Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia Phone: +61 2 92318111,About
Royal Botanic Gardens (Please walk on the grass, smell the roses, hug the trees, talk to the birds and picnic on the lawns), Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney (Bus: the 441 (Balmain via QVB Building) leaves York Street, Town Hall on weekdays, stopping outside the Art Gallery of NSW. The Sydney Sightseeing Bus also includes the Royal Botanic Gardens on its route, the nearest train stations are St James and Martin Place. Both are 10 minutes walk. There are gates all around the gardens, including at the Opera House, at the corner of Bridge and Macquarie Streets near the Conservatorium of Music, opposite the Mitchell Library on Macquarie Street (Marshead Fountain Gate), or near the Art Gallery.).
The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset. It is fully fenced, so take care not to get locked in at closing time. One of Sydney's greatest assets, from in front of the State Art Gallery, out to Mrs Macquaries chair, across to Farm Cove and onto the Sydney Opera House. The Gardens back onto the historic Sydney Hospital and Parliament House. This is the oldest scientific institution in the country and home to an outstanding collection of plants from Australia and overseas. The Domain surrounds the Royal Botanic Gardens. The walk along the harbour's edge from the Opera House (Queen Elizabeth II gate) to Mrs Macquarie's Chair and the Yurong Gate is for many is the epitome of a Sydney experience. The Gardens have an example of the Wollemi Pine, raised from a seed collected from a handful of trees discovered in the wilderness and unchanged since the dinosaurs. A tropical pyramid holds examples of tropical vegetation in a controlled humidity atmosphere. The Gardens have a visitors centre, a restaurant, a cafe and a souvenir shop. See the rose garden, herb garden and succulent section. The collection has many varieties of Australian plants and grasses. During the summer months there are often open air night time film screenings inside the Botanic Gardens, entry charges normally apply to those screenings. There are no access charges to enter the Botanic Gardens (except for the tropical pyramid).
