Experience the blooming beauty of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. From botanic gardens to annual floral festivals, there’s a walk, weekend trip or wonderful garden for all blossom enthusiasts to enjoy this season.

Sydney

You don’t have to travel far from the city to find breathtaking blooms – in fact, there are some right in Sydney itself. The city is bathed in purple from the jacaranda trees and their distinctive lilac flowers. To see some of these stunning bell-shaped blooms, head out on a self-guided tour – make sure you hit The Rocks, Circular Quay and Royal Botanic Garden Sydney to see some iconic landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House at the same time.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney boasts a colourful range of spring flowers, with both native and international plants on display, including towering gymea lilies, grevilleas – also known as spider flowers – romantic roses and drooping wisteria. Take a guided tour through the gardens, or enjoy a solo stroll around the sprawling flora to see the different areas, including the Palace Rose Garden, the Australian Rainforest Garden and the Palm Grove.

Grafton

If you’re further north – say, 6.5 hours’ drive from Sydney – in late October, head to the Grafton Jacaranda Festival, which runs for 10 days. Jacarandas line the streets of the historical town, and the festival’s program is packed with markets, fireworks, scavenger hunts, various competitions, and more!

Bilpin

Venture on a 1.5-hour drive from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and visit the small town of Bilpin, where Wildwood Garden is the place to visit for spring blossoms. The garden is a 40-year-long passion project for Wayne and Sue Tapping, and offers a natural woodland setting with a huge variety of cool climate plants. Open in autumn and spring, Wildwood Garden has a bloom for every mood – from camellias all year round, and maples and windflowers in autumn, to roses and more as the weather warms.

While you’re in the Bilpin area, it’s almost compulsory to partake in the local apple culture. With many an apple orchard and stops to be found along Bells Line of Road for fresh juice, cider and, of course, apples, you can easily while away some time exploring this delicious region. Bilpin Cider Co and Hillbilly Cider are both great options for an afternoon pit stop, with Bilpin Cider Co offering 11 varieties of tipple, including six non-alcoholic varieties.

To find out more, read the Spring 2023 edition of Caravanning Australia!

_{Pictured: Wildwood Garden, Bilpin. Image courtesy of Destination NSW}