Experience

Tours:

Self-guided Walks: Download the map and take a gentle walk along the established trails once you have finished exploring the main garden. There are places where panoramic views open before you but the trails are winding and through natural forest and woodland with sensitive plantings of exotics along the way. Wildlife and birds will be encountered if you are quiet and keep your lookout.

Flowers will be encountered along the trails. Bridges will be crossed as you pass beneath giant ferns and see the waterfall and stream in wetter times.
You will find secret places such as the redwood “cathedral” and lakes and ponds along the way.
Interesting sandstone cliffs, carved out in millennia past by flowing streams will be found.

You might want to explore the rhododendron tunnels both in the main garden area as well as near the Hosanna Chapel.

Guided Tours: We offer guided walking tours by appointment. The history, horticulture, restoration and development of the gardens will be explained and expanded as you walk with the owners. Various lengths 1-2hours.

Drive around the park with us. For those who cannot walk the trails we offer a guided tour in our 4WD vehicle. We visit the Hosanna Chapel, the Platypus pond, and the lookout.

The Main Garden:

The Azalea Enclosure – Once a year the deciduous azaleas become a kaleidoscope of colour and scent as they bloom within the azalea enclosure. Originally constructed from Tea tree and brush, the enclosure houses an unparalleled display of deciduous azaleas. These bloom in late October to early November and are an incredible sight when in bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daffodil Field – September is the month for the daffodil display. Massed plantings of daffodils occur in several places across the gardens including around the chapel, along the vireya trail and near the private residence. However a large field of mixed daffodils naturalised below the BBQ’s in the main garden, provide a stunning display of hundreds of thousands of blooms. One of the largest rhododendrons also blooms at this time providing a crimson backdrop to this amazing sight each year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stone Wall Garden – An enchanting open area at the heart of the heritage rhododendrons, suited for weddings and medium sized gatherings. An easily accessible area suitable for prams and people with mobility issues.

 

 

Picnic tables and Wood BBQ’s (wood supplied) are available in spring and autumn (conditions may apply).

 

 

 

Cadby’s Gully Walks:

Several trails wind through Cadby’s Gully. Rainforest, ferns, tumbling stream and waterfall provide the backdrop to many horticultural features of special interest.

Cliff Track – As its name implies, this trail follows the small sandstone cliffs along the valley passing through a large group of vireyas, the scented Maddenii rhododendrons, beds of hydrangeas, banks of giant tree-ferns, many large leaf rhododendrons, towering eucalypts and the waterfall. It forms part of the scenic loop en route to the chapel and the second major area of heritage rhododendrons.

Waterfall – Winter and spring rain turns this section of Cadby’s Creek into a small waterfall viewed from Brian’s Bridge.

Brian’s Bridge – below the seasonal waterfall this bridge was built by hand using a turfer winch. The remnants of the original bridge from the Nursery days can still be seen in the creek-bed below the current bridge. This section of Cadby’s Gully has been revegetated with platings of Tasmanian rainforest trees (Myrtle and Blackwood) and ferns (Dicksonia Antarctica, fishbone and hard water ferns and common ground fern).

Vireya Trail – An old trail from the nursery days that had been lost due to fallen trees and weed growth. This trail now highlights many vireyas blooming throughout the wetter months of the year, but is at its most beautiful during spring with abundant daffodils, iris, daphne, and ornamental cherries. It passes through an arboretum of oaks, lindens and birches, winding its way through the vireyas and fernery until it crosses the bridge and enters the rows of Cottonwoods on the way to the Hosanna Chapel. Our favourite trail.

Fernery – The fernery halfway along the Vireya Trail has been planted with Tasmanian and New Zealand ferns across an area previously subject to landslip and extensive degradation.

Big leaf Rhododendron Walk – Our newest walkway showcasing the Bigleaf Rhodos planted along the stream.

 

The Hosanna Chapel and Gardens

A beautiful wooden chapel and place of prayer. This chapel sits in a garden of bulbs, camellias, azaleas, ornamental trees and shrubs, lily pond, with almost always something in bloom. Many rustic benches provide places to enjoy the peace and beauty.

Cottonwood Poplar Avenue – After crossing the creek, the Vireya Trail passes through an extraordinary feature of the old nursery. Several rows of young deciduous trees were left to fend for themselves when the nursery shut down in 1965. Never intended for growing to adulthood in that location, they not only survived but thrived in the sheltered cool and moist environment of the valley and now stand towering in rows of trees way too close together. This area is a delight in summer providing cool shade and microclimate with a thick canopy of bright green. Cottonwood poplars, silver birch and sycamore turn butter yellow in late autumn.

 

Camellia and Luculia Garden – At the end of the trail near the Chapel. Luculias are large evergreen shrubs that flower profusely in winter, and are highly perfumed.

 

 

Wollemi Way – This new trail links the Vireya Trail and Cliff Track, and winds its way along Cadby’s creek. Several young Wollemi Pines are established among the native vegetation. This trail passes through tall tree ferns and includes some big stone steps to access the bridge and cliff track. We have planted some native Tasmanian pines near the bridge.

 

 

 

 

Look-out Loop (approx 40 min return)

Walk past the house and lake along the Chapel Track. Turn right onto the Lookout Trail and be prepared to walk uphill through significant native forest. This trail crosses Cadby’s Gully via the Fern Promenade, a walkway through monster tree ferns. A further steady climb uphill leads to the look-out where views of the beautiful Lalla Valley can be appreciated. On a clear day Bass Strait can be seen. This trail traverses the Eucalyptus Viminalis forest and passes the third large area of heritage rhododendrons. It passes through woodland plantings of rhododendrons, and the remnants of the Erica fields from the nursery days.

Redwood Cathedral: Rows of conifers left to fend for themselves after the nursery ceased to operate. With only a few inches between them these rows of trees have grown to maturity over the past half a century and have provided shelter and competition to each other. Their tall size and close formation have created this amazing cathedral-like space.

 

Bird Watching

Birds are abundant and any walk through the woodland or forested areas is likely to reveal wrens, robins, parrots and cockatoos, birds of prey, and many others. Bring your binoculars walk the trails and seek the rare pink robin, wedge tailed eagle, grey goshawk, plus many more common species along the way.