Alexandra Gardens, Ararat

After I did the tour at J Ward across the road (which was brilliant by the way) I brought my picnic lunch here and sat at the tables and watched the ducks and swan mum and dad with their 6 babies. There is a cafe to get lunch, coffee and ice cream and good clean toilets. Shame some of the garden has fallen into disrepair but it is still lovely to have lunch and go for a walk on the well maintained sealed pathway. My visit tired in perfectly with the Gaol visit and having lunch in the gardens was an added bonus

Alexandra Gardens is a spectacular park in Ararat, Victoria with a lot to offer. An incredible multi level walk-in fernery slopes down toward the terraced lawns and ornamental lake. An 800m pram/wheelchair-friendly walking track makes its way around the lake, across pretty bridges and through the Japanese themed islands. Close to the fernery lies a fantastic playground with lots of unique play equipment, toddler play space and shade sails. Alexandra Gardens are worth visiting for the walk-in fernery alone. Sealed, narrow walking tracks wind their way through the beautiful ferns, vines, stones and water features. There are many different tracks, turns, steps and corridors to explore within a fairly compact area. See if you can find the stone-lined cave hidden amongst the impressive array of plants. This fernery will make you feel as though you have stepped right into a rainforest, and is a credit to the town of Ararat.