Autumn Colours

This last Anzac day weekend, Kendall and I visited the National Rhododendron Garden in Olinda. Us and many other people too! Even the overflow carpark was overflowing – I think we must have just got the last park there. It was a very nice parking area actually. The cars were parked just under these magnificent gum trees that grew hundreds of feet straight up! I think they were Mountain Ash. This is how they looked looking back from a distance.

 

magnificent eucalyptus trees

 

We started the walk asking each other are these rhododendrons? Are those rhododendrons? I am sure there were signs but we must have missed them.  We did however see signs for tropical rhododendrons which were not really tropical because they grow in high altitudes and they had really pretty orange coloured fluted flowers. Other than those I don’t think we saw many rhododendrons other in bloom. The trees however were really stunning. This one is called the Tulip tree and the leaves were so golden in the evening light.

 

Tulip tree

Tulip tree

 

Light shining on the leaves of this Full moon maple was even more breath taking. It was hard to get a shot because the wind kept blowing. I stood for a long time.

 

Full moon maple

Full moon maple

red leaves

red leaves

Full moon maple in its splendour

Full moon maple in its splendour

 

I didn’t get the name of this next maple but the leaves were stunning too.

 

golden leaves

golden leaves

 

The other plant we were taken with were the proteas. They are shrubs. The flowers in different stages of bloom look very different but no less attractive compared.

 

Proteas

Proteas

Protea

Protea

 

It was a very pleasant afternoon out and about. Not to mention the glutes getting quite a bit of a work out too. Reason being the only entrance which is also the exit is on higher grounds so you walk down to the rest of the garden and you walk back up to leave. 🙂

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