Easter Egg Hunt part of Botanic Gardens holidays boost

Kids will be able to hunt for giant painted eggs in the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens and the Orchid House will have special Saturday opening times during the upcoming Easter school holidays.

Fraser Coast Regional Council Parks Coordinator North Marshall Nuttall said the Orchid House would be open for three Saturdays over the school holidays.

“The Orchid House at the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens continues to grow in popularity with more than 18,000 residents and tourists visiting the free facility in 2023,” he said.

“The regular opening hours are Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 2.30pm, but this year we are going to open on three Saturdays, March 30, April 6 and April 13, from 9am to midday as part of a trial to evaluate demand.

“This is a great opportunity for as many people as possible to view part of the largest publicly owned orchid collection in Australia with about 5,500 specimens.

“The collection includes 85 popular and unusual plants from the orchidaceous family including orchids such as cattleyas, dendrobiums, oncidiums, phalaenopsis and brassias.”

Throughout the school holidays, both residents and tourists can also participate in a giant easter egg hunt at the Botanic Gardens, organized by the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre (HBNC) and Wide Bay Kids.

For the first time, there will be nine giant easter eggs to find which will be painted with themes and placed around the gardens.

“It will be a fun and interactive hunt for kids to not only find giant easter eggs but to learn about the natural environment,” Mr Nuttall said.

Participants can enhance their engagement by downloading the interactive ‘Agents of Discovery’ app.  Simply scan the QR Code and it will guide you to various sites within the gardens.

The Giant Easter Egg Hunt at the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens is free and open to anyone from 29 March – 14 April.

HBNC CEO Tanya Stevenson said local artists had painted the 1m high giant eggs for the hunt.

“Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre will also be delivering a number of school holiday workshops from the Urangan Community Wellness Centre which families can book through the website – www.hbnc.com.au,” she said.

More information about the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens and the Orchid House is available at https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/botanic-gardens-orchid-house