Brisbane's jacarandas usually flower from late September to late October, which is earlier than in the southern cities. If you are planning a family outing, the window opens sooner than you might expect, so it is worth watching the trees from the start of spring. These are the places named for jacarandas, so you can choose one that is easy for your family to reach.
In and around the city
- Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.
- New Farm Park, New Farm.
- Kangaroo Point, including Wilson Outlook Reserve.
All of these suit an unhurried visit with children. Choose one, bring a rug and let the kids set the pace. If you only have an hour, one place done well beats three places rushed.
At the University of Queensland
- Jacaranda Lane, St Lucia.
A walk down a lane named for the trees makes a nice end to an outing, and small children like visiting a place with a name they can say out loud.
Fitting it into your week
Because the season starts early, you may find the trees colouring while the mornings are still cool. Look at a jacaranda in your own suburb at the start of spring, and if it is only just starting to show colour, wait a week and look again.
Weekday afternoons can suit families who do not like crowds, and the low light late in the day is gentle for photos. If one place is full of purple and another is still green, move on, because trees do not all flower on the same day.
Keeping it fun
Turn the walk into a scavenger hunt: a purple flower, a fallen petal, a tree taller than a grown-up, a tree with a bird in it. Give each child a bag for their finds, and let them decide which tree is the winner.
Before you leave home
Council websites and venue pages have the latest on opening times, access and parking, so check them before you leave. If you are catching a bus or ferry, work out the walk at the other end, because little legs tire sooner than you expect.
