THE HISTORIC town of Grafton will be awash with a sea of purple when thousands flock to the NSW North Coast destination for the annual Jacaranda Festival.
The Clarence River town alone has around 2000 jacaranda trees and the annual Grafton Jacaranda Festival, October 28 to November 5, is the longest running flower festival in Australia.
Highlights include the coronation of a jacaranda queen, a street parade with themed floats, markets, live performances and fireworks.
But Grafton is not the only place to view this violet vision in NSW. There are many places around Sydney where you can check out this natural spectacle which sees streets, parks and neighbourhoods bathed in a tide of lilac blossoms. In fact the seasonal phenomenon is a popular drawcard for visitors to the state.
Here's a run-down of the best spots in Sydney to see jacarandas.
- North Shore: Pack a picnic and head to Kirribilli, Lavender Bay, Greenwich, Waverton, Hunters Hill, Woolwich, Longueville and Wollstonecraft for a long, lazy lunch under the trees.
- Eastern Suburbs: Head to Oxford Street, Glenmore Road and Five Ways in Paddington which always have a great selection to view. Nearby Woollahra and Double Bay also boast stunning lilac hues.
- Sydney City: Take a do-it-yourself jacaranda walking tour through the city starting at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, passing through Circular Quay and The Rocks. View the stunning trees set against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Sydney Harbour and historic cobblestone streets of The Rocks.
- Inner Sydney: Jacaranda lovers can make a pilgrimage to the site of the famed jacaranda which occupied the main quadrangle at Sydney University until last October. The tree was planted in 1928 and was at the centre of student life - quite literally - until it collapsed. The tree was the source of superstition with folklore declaring if a student hadn't started studying before the famous jacaranda's first bloom appeared they would fail their exams. In June this year, a clone of the original jacaranda was planted in the quadrangle alongside a native flame tree in a special ceremony. You can catch more purple prowess in the neighbouring suburbs of Glebe, Camperdown and Erskineville are also worth exploring.
