Wollongong Botanic Garden

Set below the Illawarra escarpment in Keiraville, Wollongong's botanic garden spreads across a green valley of themed collections - a rainforest gully, a woodland, a dry-climate garden and a subtropical section, all beneath the wooded backdrop of Mount Keira. Ponds and lawns make it a favourite for slow wandering, and the adjoining Gleniffer Brae, a Tudor-revival manor, adds a note of grandeur. The garden runs an active discovery centre, and its towering trees frame the escarpment on every side. Free and open daily, it is a cool retreat between the mountains and the coast.