Took a Monday off to go and see the cherry blossoms at Banksia Park in Bulleen. Packed a picnic mat and some snacks, about twenty minutes from the city, free to walk in. Spring wind in Melbourne is hard to beat when it’s like this.
When to go
Late September is the sweet spot. The day we went, the two rows right in the middle of the grove were fully out, a few more trees dotted around the edges had started, and the outer two rows hadn’t opened yet. Plenty for photos, and it was still building. Good weather over the following days would keep it going. Cherry Friends, the volunteer group that looks after the grove, post bloom updates on their Facebook page, worth checking before you drive out since it shifts a bit year to year.
What it looks like
Packed with blossom. The trees are shorter than the ones I remember seeing in Japan, a different variety by the look of it, low enough that the branches hang right at head height, which makes for easy photos. There are weeping cherries mixed in too. On the other side of the grove the crabapples were in peak season, deep pink against the paler cherry blossom, so you get both in the same shot.
The crowds
More people than trees, honestly, even on a Monday. Mornings are the worst for it. Go in the afternoon if you can, weekdays over weekends. There are signs in several languages, Chinese included, asking visitors not to climb the trees or touch the flowers. Felt a bit fiddly seeing it written out like that, but with the numbers that turn up in a good week, it makes sense.
Where the trees came from
A grove of 100 cherry trees, a gift from the Japanese government to Victoria back in 1980. They were planted somewhere else originally and moved to Banksia Park later, and they’ve been through drought, pests and a relocation since, but they still flower every spring. Cherry Friends started when Japanese-born residents began watering the trees by hand, and since 2018 they’ve brought out an arborist from Japan to teach traditional pruning to the volunteers and Parks Victoria rangers.
Picnic, dogs and the river
Plenty of grass for a picnic rug. A fully fenced dog park sits right next to the grove, and there’s a walking track along the Yarra with some good river views. If you’ve got kids, there’s a small playground on the other side of the park, so they’re not stuck standing around while you take photos.
Getting there
Banksia Park is large, so search for “Japanese Cherry Grove of Banksia Park” on Google Maps rather than just the park name, the grove is next to the dog park. Free entry all day, car park close by and a short walk to the trees. Public transport out this way is limited, so check PTV for current bus routes before you go. Heide Museum of Modern Art is right next door, we didn’t go in this time.
Worth it
Banksia Park is at 3 Templestowe Road, Bulleen VIC 3105. Easy half day with a picnic, even better if you can get there on a weekday afternoon.
For more spring flowers around Melbourne, we’ve written up the Windmill Gardens at Bonnie Brook and the best places to see jacaranda in Melbourne, or our guide to cherry blossoms in Sydney if you’re up that way.