This cool wintery day is great to stroll along the Main Path which winds through magnificent trees, the Sydney Basin, the Rock Garden and the Rainforest. The walk commences at the far end of the cafe building. Flowers are plentiful, especially the golden banksias and grevilleas.

1. A wattle, Acacia alata var. biglandulosa [Section 240] surrounds a tree trunk. It is quite dense with flat zigzag-like leaves and cream fluffy flower balls.
2. Leptospermum squarrosum [Section 12] bears many mottled pink flowers crowning the upright shrub.
3. While almost opposite, Thryptomene saxicola [Section 10] is attractive with a covering of tiny white flowers over the low dense shrub which is beside
4. X Astackea ‘Winter Pink’ [Section 10] with its tiny flowers coloured pink.
5. The taller Melaleuca fulgens ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 10] wraps its brighter pink few flower clusters around some branches.
6. Later, the golden cylindrical upright flower spikes are those of the Heath-leaved Banksia, Banksia ericifolia [Section 30], a large shrub with long lateral branches.
7. Beside the seat, in a pot, Grevillea saccata is a dwarf shrub with grey-green foliage and interesting terminal yellow tipped red flower clusters, dangling over the edge of the pot.
8. Behind is Grevillea diminuta [Section 30] with terminal clusters of rust red flowers on a large shrub.
9. Banksia heliantha (Dryandra group) [Section 30] with serrated leaves presents its large yellow rounded flower heads.
10. Not to be missed, almost opposite, Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] is a dwarf spreading shrub alight with bright gold flower spikes.
11. A well manicured shrub is Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica [Section 25] clad with dazzling yellow flower spikes.
12. At the next cross-roads, Grevillea flexuosa [Section 25] is a low spreading shrub dense with much divided leaves and bearing yellow candle-like flowers.
13. Across the road Grevillea ‘Lady O’ [Section 26] is a low shrub with lateral arching branches tipped with bright flower clusters.
14. Numerous grevilleas seen along this path, which included Grevillea dielsiana [Section 26] a many branched upright shrub with dangling red-orange flower clusters among the fine foliage.
15. There also is Hakea clavata [Section 26] an open shrub with long lateral branches with thick club-like leaves and cream-pink lacy flowers.
16. Across the road, Correa ‘Marian’s Marvel’ [Section 112] is a dense spreading shrub with pendulous tube shaped pink-cream flowers.
17. There are little in flower in the Sydney Region but at the turn-off to the closed glasshouse, Black-eyed Susan, Tetratheca thymifolia [Section 191j] is a spreading low growing shrub with small downturned pink flowers.
18. The wattles in the garden centre include Acacia suaveolens [Section 191e], tall shrubs with soft cream flower balls.
19. Towards the end, behind the seat, Crowea saligna [Section 191u] is an attractive low spreading shrub with bright pink star-shaped flowers.
20. Past the Eucalyptus Lawn, a wattle, Acacia flexifolia [Section 18] is a low spreading shrub clad with yellow fluffy flower balls.
21. The Rock Garden contains many flowering shrubs including Guichenotia ledifolia [Section 4] clad with downturned pink flowers among the grey-green foliage, seen in front of the waterfall.    

Barbara Daly.