National Arboretum

Time seems to have flown.  I'm amazed that I haven't posted anything for a while.

Last weekend I went to the opening of the new National Arboretum.  I've been there before to look at how they were laying out the trees, but this time they were opening up the human-side of things such as the visitor's centre.

It seems that when they constructed the amphitheatre (see below)  they also created a big wind-tunnel that is great for flying kites.  Kids were encouraged to make their own kites and decorate them.  Surprisingly, they seemed to be made of some sort of un-tearable paper and metal sticks that survived multiple crashes into the ground.

The kids seemed to like it, but I don't know if they were a help or a hindrance at getting some of the kites in the air.

 A sculpture in the distance. It says "wide brown land".

Here's a panorama I took with my phone from what looks to be a restaurant under construction.  This is the view looking away from the Arboretum towards the lake.

The new Canberra arboretum

This weekend I went for a trip to the new National Arboretum.   I drive past it every day going to work.  It's is a collection of 100 separate tree plantations, with many of these apparently threatened species from around the world.  It's not much to look at now, but I'm sure it will get better as the trees grow.  There is also a pine planted that is a descendant of the Lone Pine at Gallipoli.

I thought that I'd take some pictures now and more over the coming years.  I expect a lot of the trees to be hidden over time by those closer to the roads and paths, so the layout of the plantings may not be obvious.

I just hope we don't lose them to bushfires like the previous forests in this location.

 Himalayan Cedars that were planted in the 1920's and that survived the bush fires.

 A different view of the Himalayan cedars.

 This is the VIP area where they will get visiting Kings, Queens, Presidents, etc to plant trees.  This seems to be the last bit of landscaping.  They've spend over 5 years building hills and valleys for this arboretum.

I think that these were Californian palm trees.  With Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of the shot and Woden (where I work) in the distance.

 When I approached this sculpture it looked like a jumble of rusty loops of metal.  Not even worth a photo.  It was only when I walked down the hill a bit that I saw what it really was.  In a few years you may not be able to see it because the trees will be in the way.  If the palms grow high it might be visible again in 10 years.

 It looks like there are some interesting patterns of trees.  Further back, there are is a plot of trees planted in the shape of the Forbidden City in China.

 This was reminiscent of a graveyard.  It reminded me of a visit to Arlington Cemetery many years ago.

 A sculpture made from old tools.

 Looking towards Civic in the distance with the base of Black Mountain to the left.

Giant Sequoia?  I don't think so.  I could jump over them.  Maybe in 200 years.