Just when I thought I’d explored every inch of the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, I discovered the lush rainforest.

It is truly an enchanting place, especially first thing in the morning when there isn’t another soul on the trails, giving you an entire rainforest to yourself to explore.

Such solitude lends itself to observation, allowing you to notice treasures like this.

rainforest plants

The trails lead up, up, up through fern grottoes, palm groves, and beautiful waterfalls.

I stood here a long time, lulled into reverie by the water and wind through the palm fronds.

rainforest waterfall

At first glance the rainforest is a sea of greens – lime, Kelly, emerald – but if you move slowly, you discover stunning blossoms in colors and shapes straight out of Dr. Seuss stories.

rainforest yellow flower

The trees are like marvelous sculptures with their incredible above ground root systems and wondrously textured trunks covered in stripey layers and spiky knobs.

rainforest tree roots

The rainforest is a wonderful place to amble through, quiet, utterly serene, and astonishing.

girl with koala

It is the colors that delight me the most with their strange shapes and dazzling hues.

rainforest red flower

And I love the rough stones steps that make the rainforest look like the setting for an Indian Jones movie.

rainforest

Aren’t these blooms amazing? Looking at the simple green leaves you’d never imagine that such beauteous flowers would emerge.

tropical pink flower

My favorite trees were these ones, hung with oblong gourds that dangled like otherworldly Christmas ornaments.

rainforest gourds

It is the bobbing gourds and enormous pods resembling pine cones that turn simple bushland into something exotic.

girl in rainforest

I’d never seen anything like these luminous blue blossoms almost hidden in a profusion of glossy green leaves.

tropical blue flower

And I loved these ones that look like purple tipped flames. Wondrous.

tropical red flower

What is the last place that awed you with its beauty? xo