Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden: Ron marvels at the plants in this garden in the Outback region of South Australia

The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden has a collection of plant you can expect to see on your travels through arid Australia. And they're all enclosed in a 200-hectare space on the outskirts of Port Augusta.

The garden has the one of the largest collections of erimophilas in the country. Commonly known as a native fuschia, the word "erimophila" means desert loving and they will grow in areas that receive less than twelve inches of rainfall. Some will survive for up to two years without a drop - so, for the waterwise gardener they are must.

"The end of winter through spring and early summer is usually the best time of the year to see the erimophilas flowering," explained our guide, Fay Poole.

The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. On a remote block on the outskirts of town, the locals have created a one-stop shop for people who want a better understanding of the plants to be found in inland Australia. It's also a great one-stop shop for other treats like the delicious cakes and coffee in the dining room. Not exactly bush tucker but if you're after the story of how the local aboriginal people made the most of this country you've come to the right place.

Many of the plants established here can also be found in the northern Flinders in country Adnyamathanha woman Glenise Coulthard knows well. She's from Iga Warta, an area Postcards visited earlier this year. To survive in such country, you need a keen appreciation of the bush tucker to be found during the changing seasons.

"Sometimes when you look at a place you think how can people survive out here," she said. "But for aboriginal people when we look at a piece of land we can see the food content and the medicinal content and the cultural content."

The Adnyamathna people would keep a close eye the quandong tree - as the fruit slowly ripened. It's bright red fruit, said to contain seven times more vitamin "C" than your standard orange, was and still is a bush tucker must.

"It's used for a whole range of different things,' she said. "It's best taken straight off the tree and eaten in its natural state. It can be a savoury as well as a sweet but it's more renowned for use in tarts, pies and jams."

"After all - everyone nowadays knows of the quandong pie. We're very famous for that up in Adnyamathna country with the Copley Bush Bakery."

But you don't need to go all the way to Copley. They'll sell you a quandong pie and many others at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden. It's the perfect way to start your journey through one of the most comprehensive collections of arid lands plants in Australia. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
Stuart Highway
Port Augusta Garden opens 7.30am to sunset daily

Visitor Centre
9am - 5pm
Mon to Friday Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm
Guided tours available 9.30am Mon to Friday $5.95 per adult

Published 22nd October 2006