Spring is the perfect time for a trip to visit the National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda, established in 1961 by the Australian Rhododendron Society. Owing to a late start to spring this year and record snowfalls on the nearby ski fields, not all the 15,000 rhododendrons were in flower. However, those that were flowering gave a magnificent display of red, pink and yellow. We were also treated to a stunning display of Magnolia trees, camellias and some early flowering azaleas, as well as hellebores and some proteas. A multitude of daffodils were nodding their pretty heads underneath the avenues of cherry trees covered in buds. Many of our less ambulant members were treated to a guided tour on the Garden Explorer to avoid having to tackle the hills on the 5km circuit path around the garden.
More information and a map of the gardens can be found here: http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/national-rhododendron-garden
After 2 hours of exploring we boarded our bus for the short trip to the SkyHigh restaurant at Mount Dandenong for our lunch with magnificent views towards the city skyline.
A big thank-you to Margaret and Sandra for organising another fabulous trip. The 51 members who attended all had an enjoyable day!!
