Free as A Bird: October 2016

A favorite place for peace and tranquility

Queens Gardens is the oldest botanic garden in Townsville and showcases the tropical colonial heritage of the city.

Now heritage listed, the Gardens were originally established in 1870 as a trial garden for European settlement. The original planting of timber and fruit trees was done to work out the potential for food and economic plants during colonisation.

Some of the hoop pines and black beans planted at the time of the trial garden are still growing in Queens Gardens today and are thought to be the oldest cultivated specimens in Australia.

The Rainforest Walk has meandering paths that take you through the shade of spectacular trees like this Ficus Tree and Australian Strangler Fig.

Pink Ginger has such a pretty flower.

Another beautiful flower to look out for is the Coral Hibiscus, also called a Japanese Lantern.

Tucked away in the Rainforest area you can find a plaque from The Compassionate Friends. The message reads: We need not walk alone. We are the Compassionate Friends. We reach out to each other with love, with understanding and with hope. Our children have died at all ages and from many different causes, but our love for our children unites us. Your pain becomes my pain just as your hope becomes my hope. Some of us have found our faith to be a source of strength. Some of us are struggling to find answers... We are all seeking and struggling to build a future for ourselves...and help each other to grieve, as well as to grow.
We need not walk alone.

All year round the Gardens are host to picnics & parties, weddings & community events. Each September, TheatreiNQ performs Shakespeare in the Park to sell-out audiences.

It's fun to make your way through the maze to locate the lion centrepiece.

This magnificent Mango Tree is believed to be the oldest specimen in Queensland.

Keep a look-out for the shy Curlews hiding in the shade.

Queens Gardens includes a bird aviary with peacocks, chickens, ducks and turkeys.

The Frangipani Lawn displays many different varieties with amazing colors & scents.

The Gardens provide a lush habitat for all sorts of creatures. Birds, lizards, spiders, moths and butterflies all make their homes in the Gardens.

Ulysses Butterflies are a popular species flitting amongst the tropical plants.

The Australian Jewel Spider is also known as the Christmas Spider because it's generally found in high numbers at this time of year. It is a species of orb weaver found throughout Australia.