Australia and New Zealand

Two Rose Gardens: Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia

I love flowers and I believe most women do. Whether those flowers are arranged in a beautiful bouquet or just blooming in the garden or are swaying by the fence in a street pavement, these are awesome creations. Despite being a lover of floras, I was not gifted with a “green thumb”. No matter how I try I cannot make these flowering plants bloom as I wanted them to be. Bad luck for me … but this would not make me stop appreciating the beauty and fragrance of flowers.

At the Victoria State Rose Garden

Of course, we have our own favorite flower. But most of us, I bet, will pick ROSES. My love for these floral species was further deepened when I began to associate roses to a saint I am si devoted to. St. Therese of the Child Jesus or St. Therese, the Little Flower will send you roses when your petition or prayers are granted or will be granted (Sorry … so much for my religiosity, I just can’t help acknowledge her unfailing intercession.).

Now back to my article, I would like to sharet the two great ROSE Gardens I have visited in two cities in Australia. These are the Victoria State Rose Garden in Werribee Park in Victoria (Melbourne) and International Rose Garden in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia.

Victoria State Rose Garden - Melbourne

Petal Shape Design of Victoria State Garden

Every time I visit Melbourne, I ask my daughter to bring me to the Victoria State Rose Garden. I strongly endorse this as a tourist spot. Well, I may be biased because of my love for rose gardens. There are about 5,000 rose plants in this Garden occupying five hectares of land. The roses are taken care of by volunteers. The garden is near the Mansion Building. Both the garden and the mansion are tourist attractions so going to Werribee, you will be hitting “two birds with one stone”.

The roses are planted following a stylish design of a traditional five-petalled rose, with the pathway serving as the roses' stem. When the roses are in bloom, the sight is breathtaking, so hard to describe. Visiting the garden’s website (http://vicstaterosegarden.com) you will learn more and would be enticed to drop by the garden when you come to Melbourne.

International Rose Garden – Adelaide

At the Adelaide International Rose Garden

This was my first visit to Adelaide and when I got the information that there is another rose garden in this city, I will not miss the chance to see the roses here, compare perhaps to the Victoria State Rose Garden. The International Rose Garden is a part of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. And within the International Rose Garden is the Rose Trial Garden, where new breeds of roses are being tested for commercial purpose. And since the voting for the roses on trial is forthcoming, I have timed my visit to this garden on the voting day. YES… I voted for the best 5 roses on trial. 

Voting for the top 5 roses on trial

It is the beginning of the autumn season here downunder. The climate is cooling so the roses are in bloom. No wonder, this is the time to vote for the roses on trial. Roses on display are about 2,500 in a 1.5 hectare area. The rose species are Australian bred – single, heritage and pillar roses and they are in different geometrical design such as sunken garden, pergolas, and circular gardens. To have a virtual view of the Adelaide rose garden, the website is http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/botanicgardens/visit/adelaide-botanic-garden/gardens/international-rose-garden

Words are not enough to describe these two rose gardens. The best time to explore them is in spring or autumn. I have gone to Victoria State Garden in summer and the roses are still good to view but not as beautiful during the cooler climates. Never go there in winter. You will not only freeze but the flowers are not in the greatest “mood” to show off their beauty.  

The Exhilarating Tulip Festival Downunder (Victoria)

Reminiscing my 2011 vacation in Victoria, I come to recall two great firsts in my life – walking in the snow at Mt. Buller in winter and walking through rows of tulips at the Tesselaar Tulip festival in Silvan, Victoria at the start of spring.

In a few days, it would be September and at this time, it is busy days at the Sivan tulip farm. This year, the festival opens on September 13 and will last till October 9, 2013.

Amidst the Tulips at Tesselaar Tulip Festival

Tulip is indeed a flower extraordinaire. With the tulip festival, you do not have to go to Holland to be mesmerized by the amazing sea of colors in many sizes. In just an hour drive from the City of Melbourne, you will set foot in a big farm that displays almost half a million tulips – a real field of dreams.

For a very minimal entrance fee, you have the whole day to admire and take shots of the different varieties of tulips. You can walk through rows and rows of different colors and varieties. You are free to take shots here and there. Thanks that cameras are now digital where you can use thousands of shots without any cost – otherwise you will spend tons of dollars for films.

Each week-end has a theme. The Turkish week-end showcases Turkish culture – dance, music, coffee, fortune reading and foods. A counterpart of the Dutch culture is experienced during the Dutch week-end. Wine aficionados should go to the tulip farm during the Foods, Wine and Jazz week-end. Children and seniors are given their own time to shine – children during the Children Week-end and every Friday is senior citizen day.

Flowers are not the only attraction in the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. There are replicas of windmills. You can touch and admire alpacas and enjoy live entertainments on stage. Food stalls abound so you do not need to bring your pack lunch. You can have your picture taken with the Dutch ladies strolling around. It is really like being in Holland! You can buy souvenirs including Dutch clogs. And for minimal fee, you can pick your own tulips to take home.

There is really much to say about this tulip festival – one kind of experience that I will treasure and hope to experience again. This is really flower power. And incidentally, if you are a flower lover, you can also try to go to Victoria State Rose Garden – myriads of roses are in full bloom towards the end of October.

Winter In July In A Place Downunder – Mt. Buller And Its Snow

Australia is the country referred to as Downunder. Located in the southern hemisphere, its season is the exact opposite of weather conditions in the countries in America, Canada, Europe and countries in the northern hemisphere. Many people get confused when you say that it is super hot in Australia in December and January when it is so cold and snowy in America at that time.

For someone like me who had been living in a hot country in South East Asia, a winter experience is one momentous experience. Although it does not snow in the city and suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, there are places in that Australian state that are covered with snow during the winter season. It begins to snow in Mt. Buller (pronounced as Mount Bullah) in June and runs through the months of July and first half of August.

Coming from Melbourne, you have to travel eastward for approximately 230 kilometers to reach the slopes of this snow-filled mountain. Travel time is 3 hours – along Hume Highway or Melba Highway traversing the beautiful Yarra Valley. The community is a part of the Shire of Mansfield. To enjoy the snow in this part of Melbourne, you will have to travel up to Mount Buller Alpine Village. This is around 48 kilometers from Mansfield, where you are ascending gradually up on a summit road.

Reaching the summit of the mountain in your best snow gear is a village where you can enjoy a white plain – snow-covered terrain where skiing is experienced by Victoria’s natives, residents and visitors. Here in the mountain top, you will enjoy a wide range of alpine and skiing experience. You can continue your exploration on a guided snow shoe walk. If you do not want to go snow skiing, snow tubing or snowboarding, you and the children can hire toboggans, ride on them and enjoy the tobogganing thrills of the downhill course.

The place provides all the amenities – restaurants and dining places; you can enjoy the nice film in a cinema on top of the world. Accommodation is not limited to luxury hotels. Like any tourist attractions, there are cheap, discount and budget hotel deals.

Mt. Buller is not only an attraction in the months of June to August. It offers a year round fun and outdoor activities. Summer, spring and autumn – there are other worthwhile activities for the family. No matter how beautiful and enjoyable Mt. Buller is, this is not the only place in Victoria for snow experience. You have Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw, Mt. Sterling and more.