You don’t have to fly all the way to Japan to see blooming cherry blossom. In fact you can see the colourful flowers right now in Sydney.
The Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival is running in the city’s west, with this weekend the last chance to visit.
It’s at Auburn Botanic Gardens on Chiswick Road, Auburn, about half an hour by train from the city.
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The Cherry Blossom festival at Auburn Botanic Garden in Sydney is now on. (Nick Moir)
A self-guided wander along the cherry blossom trail in the Japanese gardens is on offer.
But if you really want the full experience you can slip on a Japanese kimono and pose for shots with a Mt Fuji Torii Gate in front of the delicate petals, known as sakura.
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The garden is open until Sunday from 9am to 4.45pm and tickets ($16.60 for adults and $8.95 for children) must be booked online.
Japanese food and drinks from ramen to matcha as well as entertainment such as Taiko drumming and origami making and musical acts are also lined up.
You dont have to go all the way to Japan – you can see cherry blossom in Sydney’s Auburn. (Brook Mitchell)
There are also plenty of other ways to savour the blooms of spring coming up across the nation.
Wynyard Tulip Festival, Tasmania
Forget Holland, Tasmania has its own festival of the colourful flowers.
The annual Wynyard Tulip Festival brings locals and tourists out to celebrate agricultural life, the arts and environmental sustainability at Gutteridge Gardens.
There’s also entertainment, food trucks and the day culminates in a fireworks display.
The festival, in the town in Tasmania’s rural north west, aligns with peak time to see the spectacular tulip display on the Cape Table Cape Tulip Farm and around town. This year it’s on October 11.
Forget Holland, Tasmania has its own festival of the colourful flowers. (Supplied)Wildflowers in Western Australia
One of the world’s largest wildflower displays, with more than 12,000 different booms adorning roadsides and bushland can be seen in Western Australia.
According to tourism bosses, 60 percent of the flowering species are found nowhere else on the planet.
You can even drive Wildflower Way a scenic 309-kilometre road trip route from Dalwallinu to Geraldton. It’s dubbed a kaleidoscope of colour with everlastings, wattles, and orchids lining the way.
Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park, WA (Supplied)
Best in August and September, highlights include the Wubin Wildflower Walk a short, easy trail near Dalwallinu showcasing everlastings and native shrubs.
Campify also reccomends staying at Mullewa Caravan Park in Mullewa, dubbing it the “gateway to WA’s Wildflower Country”
The best time to go is June to November, with the peak season in September.
Various local festivals to celebrate the flower season are held.
They include the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show from 8-20 September which claims to be the biggest in the world.
Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show from 8-20 September which claims to be the biggest in the world. (Facebook)
You can even go on a tour. Midwest Adventure Tours runs full day tours to see the colourful carpets, as well as the world famous wreath flowers, lilies and orchids.
Closer to the coast, Kalbarri Adventure Tours operates wildflower walking tours to Kalbarri National Park in winter and spring.
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Floriade, Canberra
You don’t have to have green fingers to enjoy Floraide in the nation’s capital.
Dubbed Australia’s biggest celebration of spring, what’s even better is entry is free.
This year’s theme is science and nature, with a million flowers set to transform Canberra’s Commonwealth Park.
This years event runs from September 13 until October 12
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Flowers at Floriade in Canberra. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Entertainment, live music, food and wine and market stalls will also keep everyone happy.
There’s also NightFest, when the park will be lit up for the evening.
Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival, Victoria
Daffodils scream spring for many, and you can get your fill of the yellow trumpets at the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival from 5 to 14 September.
The theme, fields of gold, aims to celebrate the country town, which is in the Macedon Ranges just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne.
One of the highlights is the grand parade and fair down the main street from 12.30pm on the last day.
Daffodils scream spring for many, and you can get your fill of the trumpets at the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival from 5 to 14 September. (Getty)
Slightly closer to the city is the Tesselaar Tulip Festival from 13 September to 12 October 2025.
It’s marking 70 years in 2025, and events incude Irish, Dutch and Turkish themed weekends to reflect the area’s rich history.
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Riverland Rose and Garden Festival, South Australia
Get a sneak peak into people’s own impressive gardents at this event in South Australia.
Open gardens are part of the ten day line-up in the state’s east.
You can also visit the Waikerie Flower Show and check-out the Festival Fair.
This year it’s on 10 until 19 October.
Towoomba Carnival of Flowers, Queensland
This Queensland spot will bloom to live across four weekends shortly, with an impressive 40 million petals on display.
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (Instagram)
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will celebrate all things horticultural, with events including a lawn party, “paw parade” (including prizes for pooches dressed as flowers) and #treats (Toowoomba Region eats) promotions.
The city is two hours from Brisbane, making it perfect for a day trip.
Last year around 70,000 people filled the streets for the Grand Central Floral Parade, one of around 80 events.
This year’s festival runs on weekends from 12 September until 6 October.
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