North Coast Regional Botanic Garden facts for kids
The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden is a special garden in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 20 hectares big, which is like 20 football fields! You can find it where Coffs and Hardacre Streets meet, just a short walk from the center of Coffs Harbour.
This amazing garden is open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM, all year round. The special glasshouses are closed on weekends, but everything else is open. The best part? It's completely free to enter!
What You Can See and Do
Explore Different Plant Areas
The garden has many different sections, each with unique plants. It's like taking a trip around the world, but with plants!
Main Display Garden
This part is like a mini botanic garden, covering about one hectare. It shows off all the different types of plants you can find throughout the bigger garden. It's a great place to start your visit.
Natural Forests and Mangroves
About half of the garden is covered in native forests and mangroves. These are the original plants that grew in this area long ago. You can walk on a special boardwalk through the mangrove trees and see how they grow in the water.
Rare and Endangered Plants
The North Coast of New South Wales is home to many rare plants. In fact, 17 of the 20 most endangered plant species in New South Wales live here! The Botanic Garden helps protect these plants. They have a special swamp orchid called Phaius australis, which is one of the rarest plants in the whole state. The garden helps these plants survive and grow.
The Sensory Garden
Near the main entrance, you'll find the sensory garden. This garden is designed to excite all your senses! It has many plants that smell wonderful, feel interesting to touch, and look beautiful.
The Glasshouses
The garden has five special glasshouse buildings. These are like giant greenhouses that keep plants warm and humid, or dry, depending on what they need. They are home to plants that wouldn't normally grow outside in Coffs Harbour. You can see beautiful ferns, colorful bromeliads, delicate orchids, and even plants from dry, desert-like places.
Plants from Eastern Australia
This section features plants that grow naturally in Eastern Australia, especially in places with a similar climate to Coffs Harbour. You'll see plants from coastal areas of New South Wales and parts of Queensland.
Plants from Around the World
The exotic collection has plants from other countries that also have a similar climate to Coffs Harbour. Many of these plants come from regions about 30 degrees north or south of the equator. It's fascinating to see how plants from different parts of the world can thrive together here.
The Rainforest
The rainforest area was planted in 1987 and is now home to about 350 different kinds of rainforest plants. It's a lush, green area where you can feel like you're deep in a tropical forest.
Japanese Friendship Garden
This beautiful garden was created with help from gardeners in Sasebo, Japan. Sasebo is Coffs Harbour's sister city. The Japanese Friendship Garden is a peaceful place with a red bridge over a lake, designed in a traditional Japanese style.
Garden Facilities
The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden has everything you need for a great visit. There are picnic areas where you can enjoy a snack, clean toilets, and easy wheelchair access so everyone can explore. You can also enjoy the tranquil grassy areas and beautiful garden beds. A special part of the garden is dedicated to rare rainforest trees from northern New South Wales, which were looked after by a famous Australian botanist named Alexander Floyd.
Images for kids
-
The lawn and pavilion by the dining tables at the entrance to the botanic garden.
-
The new glasshouse in the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, Coffs Harbour
-
Red Bridge over the lake at the Japanese Friendship Garden
See also
In Spanish: Jardín botánico regional de la Costa Norte para niños
