Floriade Canberra: when to go and how to visit

Floriade Canberra is a free spring flower festival in Commonwealth Park, and this year it runs for 30 days from Saturday 15 September to Sunday 14 October. Go on a weekday morning if you can. Walk the beds slowly, take a jumper, and leave the car behind. That is the short plan, and the rest of this guide fills in the detail.

The park sits on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, close to the city centre. The flower beds are planted so that early, middle and late bloomers follow each other through the month.

Sources for this section: Floriade official site, home page, as archived 14 August 2012; Region News (RiotACT), Last chance to use Commonwealth Park, 19 August 2011.

When to go

The festival always falls in the middle of the Canberra spring. Last year it ran from Saturday 17 September to Sunday 16 October. This year's dates shift by two days but keep the same shape: a Saturday start and a Sunday finish, 30 days in all.

Which week is best? Here is a simple guide.

• Opening weeks: the early bulbs are at their best, and the beds look fresh.
• Middle of the festival: usually the fullest display, as the middle flowerers join the early ones.
• Final week: late bloomers carry the show, and the early beds may be thinning.

Weekends are busiest, especially on sunny days. A weekday morning gives you room to move and easier photos. Spring weather in Canberra can change fast, so check the forecast before you set out.

This year's planting began in May. The theme is "Style and Design", so expect beds that lean towards patterns and shapes.

Sources for this section: Region News (RiotACT), Last chance to use Commonwealth Park, 19 August 2011; Region News (RiotACT), Style and design: the theme for Floriade 2012, 11 May 2012.

Where it is

Floriade is held in Commonwealth Park, beside Lake Burley Griffin. The park is a short walk from the Civic centre and close to Regatta Point, where the National Capital Exhibition is found. Last year the Regatta Point exhibition and The Deck restaurant stayed open while the festival was on, so you can pair a flower walk with a lakeside meal.

Work around the site has already begun. A perimeter fence goes up around the Floriade area from Monday 13 August. Temporary traffic lights operate on Commonwealth Avenue from that day, and the speed limit there drops from 70 km/h to 60 km/h.

Sources for this section: Region News (RiotACT), Floriade traffic measures kick off, 9 August 2012; Region News (RiotACT), Last chance to use Commonwealth Park, 19 August 2011.

Getting there and parking

Parking is the hard part, so plan for it. From Monday 20 August, Commonwealth Park closes to the public, and so do the three Regatta Point car parks. They sit between Barrine Drive, Regatta Place and Albert Street. The park and those car parks are due to reopen at 9 am on Monday 29 October.

That means no parking at Regatta Point for the whole festival. Here are three ways to deal with it.

• Walk in from the city. If you stay or park around Civic, the park is a short walk away.
• Take a bus. Check the ACTION bus timetable for services to the city, then walk the last stretch.
• Arrive early. If you must drive, aim for a weekday morning and expect to park some way off.

Drivers on Commonwealth Avenue should allow extra time while the lights and lower speed limit are in place.

Sources for this section: Region News (RiotACT), Floriade traffic measures kick off, 9 August 2012.

Cost and what to bring

Entry to the park in the daytime is free. Check the official Floriade site for any events that carry a separate ticket, as these are extras and not needed to see the flowers.

A short packing list helps.

• A warm layer and a rain jacket, because spring days can turn cool.
• Sunscreen and a hat for clear days.
• Comfortable shoes, since you will be on your feet on paths and grass.
• A camera with a charged battery.
• Water, and a small bag for a picnic by the lake.

If you are travelling with children or with someone who uses a wheelchair, look at the park map before you go and plan a route along the main paths.

Sources for this section: Floriade official site, About Floriade, as archived 14 August 2012.

A short history

Floriade began in 1988. It was planned as a one-off celebration of Canberra's 75th birthday and of the Bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. Its first designer, a landscape architect named Christiaan Slotemaker de Bruine, based the idea on the Keukenhof gardens in the Netherlands. The first festival was so popular that it became an annual event, and it now draws large crowds each spring.

The Dutch model also explains the focus on tulips and other spring bulbs.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Floriade (Canberra).

A simple visit plan

1. Pick a weekday if you can, and look at the weather forecast the night before.
2. Plan your travel first. Leave the car near Civic or take a bus, as the Regatta Point car parks are closed.
3. Arrive in the morning, when the park is quietest.
4. Walk the beds once to get the big picture, then go back for the ones you liked best.
5. Finish with lunch beside the lake, then a look around the Regatta Point area.

Dates, closures and traffic rules can change, so check the ACT Government and Floriade websites before you go.

Sources for this section: Region News (RiotACT), Floriade traffic measures kick off, 9 August 2012.

Sources

1. Floriade official site, as archived 14 August 2012: web.archive.org
2. Region News (RiotACT), Floriade traffic measures kick off, 9 August 2012: region.com.au
3. Region News (RiotACT), Style and design: the theme for Floriade 2012, 11 May 2012: region.com.au
4. Region News (RiotACT), Last chance to use Commonwealth Park, 19 August 2011: region.com.au
5. Wikipedia, Floriade (Canberra): en.wikipedia.org