It’s perhaps hard to believe that today’s tropical-looking picture was taken just a few minutes walk from the heart of downtown Melbourne.

With over 10,000 individual species across a site spanning 38 hectares (94 acres) Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens are internationally renowned. Today’s picture was taken in the Fern Gully, a natural gully within the gardens that provides a perfect micro-climate for these beautiful lush green ferns.

Recent renovation works have impressively revived the fern gully that now includes a new steel boardwalk and five new timber bridges. When you wander among the ferns it’s easy to feel like you’ve somehow been transported to the forests of Tasmania or New Zealand. Certainly, the busy streets of Melbourne feel a very long way from here.

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Stand in this location using Google street view, and then explore the park!