Description
ILLAWARRA RHODODENDRON GARDENS
In 1968 the search for a suitable site revealed a quiet valley, 229 to 274 metres above sea level at Mt. Pleasant under the north eastern summit of Mt. Keira. This land was owned by Australian Iron and Steel and then General Manager Mr A.A Parrish backed the scheme and a (peppercorn) lease over six hectares (14 acres) was granted to a Society set up to develop and manage the gardens.
The Illawarra Rhododendron Gardens are located at Mt. Pleasant under the north eastern summit of Mt Keira and cover an area of 13 hectares. It's the perfect place for a picnic lunch or even a wedding. The garden contains thousands of azaleas and hundreds of rhododendrons in company with many rare companion plants including camellias. A section of rich rainforest is featured in the top section with walking trails. The Rhododendron Gardens are managed by volunteers.
The gardens are operated and maintained by the volunteers who rely on a $5 entry fee (via an honour system) and wedding function fees to fund the maintenance and development of the gardens. We don’t receive any ongoing funding from Wollongong Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service or other government sources.
We are open Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday and public holidays from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Weddings are organised via a booking system as we only allow one wedding at a time due to the limited parking available on site.
Should you wish to become a volunteer at the gardens, please contact Vicki on 0418 164 646 or vbchristie@bigpond.com
Facilities found here:
Carpark
Picnic Area
Activities you can engage in:
Birdwatching
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