Chasing Colour in Canberra: Is This a Photographer’s Dream?
As a family — and through a few work trips — we’ve made plenty of visits to Canberra. In fact, Canberra holds many family memories: riding around the lake, exploring galleries, grabbing great burgers at @brodburger, my favourite beer from @crankshaft, sensational wines from @clonakilla and @edenroad — just a couple of my favs — and trying not to kill myself on @Mount Stromlo! But somehow, I’d never done Floriade.
So when I was invited to capture some images, I jumped at the chance — and my goodness, it did not disappoint!
Simply stunning. The colour is mesmerizing, which is a good thing because it helps distract from the hordes of people cramming into the place. Floriade itself was hectic! I’ve never seen Canberra so busy.
We also visited Tulip Top Gardens, a surprisingly peaceful experience. We arrived early and enjoyed a quiet wander with only a handful of others around. It didn’t take long to fill up — people setting up for picnics, slow-wandering oldies admiring every petal, and kids running and playing. Yet somehow, it still felt tranquil.
A couple of tips from me…
🌷 Do Floriade first (Commonwealth Park, Canberra). Go early, then get out and explore the rest of Canberra — walk the lake, visit galleries — there’s so much to see and do.
🌷 Visit Tulip Top Gardens early too. Be there at opening time and you might have it all to yourself. The gardens aren’t huge, so you can wander slowly and take it all in, or linger all day if you like.
📸 For fellow photographers: backlight and cloud are your friends. Don’t get me wrong — in full sun the gardens are spectacular, bursting with colour. But I find the tones and details really come alive when shaded or softly lit. Honestly, I’d love to go back on a foggy, drizzly day — it would be very cool (literally!).
I don’t need many excuses to escape the big smoke — anywhere is awesome — but spring in Canberra’s Floriade and Tulip Top Gardens will not disappoint. I’ll definitely be back to explore more spring gardens.
Is this trip a photographer’s dream? In my opinion, absolutely yes — but if you’re not a fan of colour and crowds, it might be a definite no for you!