Michael C.
Yelp
When going to the Blue Mountains (Katoomba) or beyond, an outstanding alternative to the traffic of the Great Western Highway is the picturesque scenery of the northern route of Bells Line of Road, through Richmond and via the town of Bilpin. On this road you can stop off at Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah. You will be impressed by this tranquil oasis and admission is free. Some great mountain wilderness views from up here.
Opened to the public on November 1, 1987 as Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens.
In 2011 the name was changed to the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah.
Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens is one of two annexes to the Royal Botanic Gardens on Sydney Harbour by the Opera House. The second annex is the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens near Campbelltown off the F5 (Hume Highway). Supposedly the three gardens collectively include every plant species in the world. The website will tell you more - http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Like all three gardens, Mount Tomah has sectional plantings grouped together according to their country or geographical area of origin, with strong growth promoted by rich basalt soils. This mountain is far more tranquil and has more natural beauty than the Royal Botanic Gardens.
For some history: George Caley was the assistant botanist for Sir Joseph Banks, both of whom accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyages of discovery of the Pacific rim and islands in the late 1700's. In 1804, George Caley was the first European to reach Mount Tomah. He named the area Fern Tree Hill because of the proliferation of two types of tree ferns, the Rough Tree Fern, and the Smooth Tree Fern. This name was later changed to Tomah, the Dharug Aboriginal word for tree fern. The dominant trees were Coachwoods, Sassafras and Blackwoods. Many of the larger trees were felled in early times for local timber mills.
The Mount Tomah elevation of 1,000 meters is perfect for the world class collection of 48,000 cool climate plants from all around the world. The main Garden comprises 28 hectares (70 acres) of land. However, the extended Garden includes the historic 'Jungle' area of pristine Blue Mountains wilderness rainforest encompassing 252 hectares (622 acres). This is Australia's highest elevation botanic garden and is the place to see those alpine plants you didn't know existed. You can walk among manicured and landscaped garden beds and rockeries, as well as along trails of native bushland. Some of the trails are described in a separate review, following. Plenty of floral (flowers) and aboreal (tree) varieties which you will not see anywhere else in one place.
A recently added feature is the Blue Mountains World Heritage exhibition and audio-visual presentation. This features the Wollemi Pine, a 'living fossil', which dates back about 100 million years to the time of the dinosaurs and thought to be extinct millions of years ago. The recent discovery of the Wollemi Pine in 1994 in nearby Wollemi National Park (50 K north-west) is considered one of the greatest botanical discoveries of our time. Who would ever imagine finding a Wollemi Pine in Wollemi National Park? Maybe they just didn't look hard enough (actually it shows how rugged and remote the area is!)
The Gardens are open year round - except for Christmas Day. Open from 10am to 4pm (April to September) and 10am to 5pm (October to March). The Garden also offers the Jungle Lodge accommodation for secluded stays with access to the Garden after hours. There is a large gift shop with postcards, books and Australian souvenirs. There is a Garden's Adventure Quest for the kids.
The lunch cafe has scenic views, though some people find their own picnic spot in the gardens. Lots of birds, including Satin Bower-Birds who will want some food.
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