Rockhampton deputy mayor Neil Fischer, right, presented Botanic Gardens curator Peter Symes with two rare plants ahead of the open day.
LOCALS are being invited to pack a picnic and rediscover the leafy beauty of Cooktown’s historical Botanic Gardens at a free open day this Sunday from 10am to 3pm.
The fun day, organised by Cook Shire Council, will be filled with live music, face painting, fungi finding and guided tours.
The day has been aimed to please all, while celebrating the garden’s interesting history and fascinating plant specimens, as part of Botanic Gardens Day 2023.
Attendees can bring their own picnic lunch to enjoy on the spacious, shady lawns, or order a picnic pack from Nature’s PowerHouse café.
Not to be missed is a special encore performance of the Cooktown Cantata at 2.30pm, a unique musical piece written especially for Cooktown.
The cantata is a vocal chamber work consisting of 12 songs telling the story of Joseph Banks, Vera Scarth-Johnson and Tulo Gordon as they explore Cooktown’s botanical wonders.
There will also be Indigenous plant presentations, live music from Bernie’s Jazz Quartet, giant outdoor games, a scavenger hunt, colouring in competition and Cape York toy parade, with prizes for the best dressed Cape York-themed toys.
For those looking for a bit more action, dress up in your best crazy costume and head to the Queen’s Oval cricket pitch for a cricket match, organised by the Cooktown and District Cricket Association.
The ladies’ match kicks off at 10am, and the men’s game starts at 1pm, with a $10 entry fee.
