The 12-seater mini-bus was funded and will be operated by the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, and will take visitors on one-hour guided trips to the Gardens’ features, such as the Western Mallee, the Sydney Region Garden, the Eucalypt Lawn and the Rock Garden and rainforest.

“Not only can visitors to the Gardens walk along the many different walking tracks, but they can now experience the beauty and diversity of the Gardens by simply sitting back, relaxing and enjoying an interpreted tour of the Gardens,” General manager Peter Byron said.

“People of all ages – young and old – can easily experience more remote areas of the Gardens that they may never have seen before.”

The Flora Explorer departs the Gardens’ Visitor Centre at 1pm, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children and concessions and can be purchased from the Botanical Bookshop – located in the Gardens’ Visitor Centre.

[box]The Australian National Botanic Gardens has the world’s most comprehensive display of Australian native plants. With more than 6000 species representing one-third of known Australian plants, the Gardens is the only place in the world you can see this diversity of Australian native plants in one location. [/box]