Saturday, March 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!! In Sydney, this holiday is celebrated with gusto, from dawn until the wee hours of the next day. It was a nice morning, so after our bike rides we went for brunch at the restaurant in the Botanic Gardens, which is a real treat, and had a lovely alfresco breakfast accompanied by “bat porn.” We had a view over the part of the gardens where the colony of bats (upwards of 10,000) live during the daytime.

Unbeknownst to us, it is the very beginning of mating season, which explained why the bats were so agitated. We found out later from a naturalist guide that the season had just started, and for the first couple of days, the bats screech at each other before the actual mating occurs. And, believe me, the screeching is loud!! The gestation period for fruit bats is about 6 months, and the mothers give birth to (usually) a single baby, who grips the fur on the mother’s chest and goes everywhere with her, including her night flights to feed. For the first couple of months, she nurses the baby, then, after it is weaned, she holds food in her mouth to feed the baby. After 3-4 months, the baby is strong enough to fly out each night with the colony to the feeding grounds.

Each day, the botanical garden has a free walk with a naturalist guide for anyone who wants to learn more about the flora and fauna of the park. I do this every time we come here, because each guide specializes in different aspects, and there is so much to learn. It lasts for about 1 ½ hours, so it’s a nice comprehensive tour.

After brunch, we toured Government House, which is on the grounds of the Botanic Garden. It used to be the residence of each New South Wales Governor, but now the Governor only comes there for meetings and receptions and lives in her own home. It’s a gorgeous sandstone building dating back to the late 18 century, with most of the furnishings and style of the mid 19th century. There have been 39 Governors in all, some of which held their position for a fairly short time, before being recalled. One, who was only 26 years old, only lasted for 12 months, as he had no interest in politics or government, but instead was a bohemian who cared only for the arts. The house is beautifully furnished with period furniture and fabrics and there are many paintings, the largest of which are the portraits of the various Governors.

Just as our tour ended, and we were ushered into the gardens around the house, it started to pour. Here’s a picture of one of the docents in the grounds “rescuing” me from beneath a tree during the shower.