Wildflower Garden Walk
Ku-ring-ai Wildflower Garden is set on 123 hectares of urban bushland in St Ives, on Sydney’s north shore. The garden is open to the public and has a number of walking trails and picnic areas, as well as a Visitor Centre where you can find out about local flora and fauna and pick up specimens of local flowering plants.
The Solander Trail, outlined below, is one of many walks you can take in the garden. It can be done on its own or combined with other trails, short and long, that overlap this one.
The Solander Loop
At just over 2km, the Solander Trail is an easy walk and a great introduction to the Wildflower Gardens and its resident flora and fauna.
The Solander Trail winds its way through the gardens along a paved path (shared roadway in sections), making it suitable for bikes and prams. (Some steep sections make it unsuitable for wheelchairs.)
This is a good walk for families with young children. It’s fairly short and mostly level, and there’s a playground and picnic area about half way along. But leave the dog at home. Domestic animals are not permitted anywhere in the Garden.
The trail begins and ends at the Visitor Centre and is well signed for the most part and easy to follow. Just one thing to note: As you near Lambert’s Clearing, you can skirt around it by taking a sharp left at Brown Trail. Otherwise, continue along to the clearing where you’ll find the children’s playground, bbqs and a seating area.
The best time of day to do this walk is probably early in the morning or later in the day, especially in summer. Not only will it be cooler, but you’re more likely to see some of the local wildlife at these times.
Be sure you take a hat and sunscreen and mosquito spray is also a good idea, especially after rain. If you think you might extend your walk into the bush, take water and consider wearing boots to navigate rougher terrain and deter leeches.
There are bubblers and toilets at the Visitor Centre but none along the main path so keep this in mind as you set out.
Paved path all the way
Flora & Fauna
As the name suggests the Kuringai Wildflower Garden is a great place to see native wildflowers including numerous varieties of Banksias, Grevilleas and Wattle, Paper daisies, Gymea lilies and many, many more. Springtime is peak season for wildflowers but there’s usually something flowering throughout the year.
The trees here are magnificent too. Red Gums and Scribbly Gums, Bloodwoods and She Oaks among them.
With native plants come native birds and with so many flowers to choose from its easy to see why the Garden is home to over 90 differnt species.
Some of the birds you might see along this trail include Kookaburras and Cockatoos, and honeyeaters such as Wattlebirds, Spinebills and Bell Miners. There are many smaller birds too including Fairy-Wrens, Silver-Eyes and my personal favourite, Willy-Wagtails.
The flowers also attract bees, butterflies and other insects and in the trees in summertime, you may be met by a deafening chorus of cicadas.
Swamp wallabies live within the garden and can often be spotted in the area around Lamberts Clearing. They are very cute, but also shy so if they see you first, you’ll likely hear them thumping away in the bush.
Other residents in the garden include Echidnas, Pygmy possums and a variety of reptiles, including Goannas, Eastern water dragons, and Diamond pythons (rarely seen and pretty harmless).
Other trails in the Wildflower Garden
The Solander Trail is one of many within the Wildflower Garden. Most are short side trails but if you’re after something more challenging that takes you off the tarmac, try the Mueller Track or combine the two to take in both the perimeter and interior of the garden.
The Mueller Track (about 3 km and 2 hours), follows the creek lines of two valleys. The path is rugged but pretty. Lined with tall trees and ferns, it leads down to two waterfalls before rising back up to join the internal paths around the garden. The Mueller Track is considerably more challenging than the Solander Trail and depending on their age and experience, it may not be suitable for young children.
The Senses Track, located near the entrance, is only a short trail, but its self-guided signage makes it worth a look especially if you’re interested in learning more about the ecology of the area. The sealed track is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, the elderly and vision impaired.
The Visitor Centre
You can pick up a Visitor Guide and Map outside the Centre where you can also view a display featuring plants that are ‘flowering now’.
Staff are available inside to discuss plants, tracks and the various activities that take place within the Garden, and there is a small gift shop selling local crafts and produce along with snacks, drinks and ice blocks.
The Visitor Centre is also home to the Wildflower Nursery which specialises in local plants, propagated by staff using locally sourced seeds and cuttings. The nursery also stocks a variety of other Australian native plants, flowering and otherwise, that are suited to the Sydney climate. Nursery plants are available for sale to the general public and you can view stock here.
