ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, CRANBOURNE, MELBOURNE

Christine King
May 25, 2017
3 comments

The Royal Botanic Gardens is located at Ballarto Road in Cranbourne which is about 45 km south east of Melbourne City and was established back in 1970.

The native bushland at the Royal Botanic Gardens is home to an amazing range of plant and animal life. Here you will discover the magnificent Australia Garden which is a contemporary landscaped area that showcases the beauty of Australian flora and features more than 170,000 individual plants. The area is set across 15 hectares and follows a journey of water, landscapes, dry river beds and coastal fringes.

The Visitor Centre is located at the entrance to the Australian Garden and the bushland and provides an information service, tour bookings, umbrella hire, wheelchair hire, toilets, the Boon Wurrung Cafe and the gift shop. The Boon Wurrung Café which has amazing views over the Australian Garden offers light snacks, beverages and small meals.

The Rockpool Waterway was one of my daughter’s favourite places. She loved jumping across the wading area and putting her hands in the water, but make sure you look out for the red and yellow flags to play in the ‘safe area’.

The Kid’s Backyard is located next the Rockpool Pavilion and is no traditional playground. Check out the big structure made from River Red Gums which looks like a huge dinosaur. It leads to a little cubby house and slide area. Everything in this area is natural, recycled or salvaged foresty timbers.

Opening Hours:

9am to 5.00pm daily. Only closed on Christmas Day

Pricing:

Free entry to the Gardens

Tours are at an additional price. Please contact the centre for pricing.

Hot Tips:

Take a picnic lunch and stay longer too explore the beautiful grounds.

Dogs are NOT allowed on-site.

There is plenty of parking on-site.

Overall:

We had a wonderful day at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne and I thought it was a very educational place to take my daughter too. Here we learned about the Australian flora and fauna and all things landscaped and water. I never think it’s too early to start teaching our kids. We will definitely be back to experience more about our outdoor landscapes.