blue lotus water garden

Lots of photo opportunity, some very interesting plants and a very large site.Popular with Asian groups and picnic parties.At times you forget what country you are in!

So pleased you enjoyed your day out at our Display Watergarden here in Yarra Junction .

Do you know the difference between a lotus and a water lily? Well, we certainly found out, and learned a new appreciation of these beautiful and amazing flowers. We loved our visit to this lovely place, reminiscent of Monet's garden. Among other things I was fascinated by the huge Amazonian water lily pads and the story of the 2000 year-old Oga water lily seeds propagated by a Japanese horticulturist. The staff at Blue Lotus are friendly, helpful and informative, obviously loving their work. I look forward to another visit next year!

From the welcome by the attendant in the car park to the smiles at reception, the visit to see so many beautiful flowers was a really great one. The size of the place was a surprise as the ponds were more numerous than we thought. Thank you for the covered resting spots and the drinking taps along the way. Very thoughtful.

What an amazing experience my friends and I had while visiting this amazing garden today. Definitely worth a visit.

Hi, sounds like you missed the dozens of ponds that had hundreds of lotus and waterlily flowers blooming on the day you visited, you didn't mention the four tropical display houses,one that houses the giant lily from the Amazon in South America. You may have missed the 700 metre river trail along the Little Yarra River, which includes features like koala island, new fairy garden, many boardwalks and information signage. Maybe the six display fountains in the lakes were not turned on the day you visited. Our apologies for the portaloo's you photographed, they are back-up for our two well kept toilet blocks, we use them on busy days. The pond(25 megalitre lake) you photographed has dropped 30 cm. around the edge, but is still 5 metre's deep in the middle, the four other lakes and the 30 ponds are all full. The dead leaves in your photo had just been trimmed by our maintance staff. Hope you visit again, because you missed so much.Regards Geoff Cochrane-Owner of Blue Lotus Watergarden.

Hi Robyn,I do recall when you and your friends arrived.....I also recall how I spoke to you and how you spoke to me and the tone of your voice.I was assertive in my response after you queried the entry fee but was in no way aggressive.I also explained that there was an entry fee to access the garden and that the CAFE was inside the garden. I do recall your small group and I also recall how you responded after I gave you your change.We had many visitors the day you came to visit who had a lovely time and came back to Reception to thank us. It was a very busy day.regardsLyn

Having driven from Melbourne we were understandably thirsty and hungry when we arrived so were a bit put off to have to wait at an empty counter to buy tickets. The woman serving had disappeared with some customers and when a man arrived at the counter and I asked could we buy tickets please he told us "just wait a minute girls we're busy today." My husband queried "girls" but was ignored.The idea of a business is to be busy. The gardens are glorious but too many people milling around the tired entrance/cafe. Definitely take a picnic.

I had heard about the Blue Lotus Water Garden from friends. Thought we would visit with family and friends. We were quite blown away. The beauty of the place takes your breath away. The gardens are quite unexpected in amongst the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley. The gardens are only open from the end of December until early April each year. Well worth a visit. You can sit on the seating throughout the gardens and just rest and contemplate. You can buy food at their cafe or bring a picnic or use their free BBQs when bringing in your own food. This place is privately owned and does not have Govt funding. Well worth a visit.

We visited as a family and although when I first said we were visiting a garden, the kids weren't too keen, they were amazed when we walked in. They couldn't get over how beautiful it was & really enjoyed their visit. We stopped at the cafe for a bite to eat & although the food was quite nice, we did find it a bit overpriced, $10 for 3 nuggets, chips & a Prima! If we visit again, we would take a picnic lunch. Well worth a visit but take your own food.

I went to the Blue Lotus Water Garden last year towards the end of it's season with some friends and decided to return again this season with my 86 year old Mother and Sister in law. Even though I had to push her in a wheelchair which was tough going over the gravel pathways and timber bridges, my mother had never seen anything so beautiful so it was well worth the effort. I don't think you could ever be disappointed with the amazing display of water lilies. Great if you want to take a picnic, and the Cafe is well run with reasonable prices.

I have been to the Blue Lotus Water Gardens Gardens twice in a week and will be back again before it closes on 7th April to show it off to more friends. I heard about it from a friend and It is delightful to walk around the ponds and over the bridges. You will find plenty of places to sit, rest and contemplate. The garden is probably about an hour and a half from Melbourne, less from the outer east suburbs. It turned out to be a hot day and with the many visitors, the cafe had underestimated their catering requirements. We had to wait 40 mins for our very simple meal but it was tasty. The staff were very pleasant even though they were run off their feet.. Next time I shall be taking a picnic as, previous reviews have stated, there are plenty of places in the 14 acres to find a cosy spot. The lotus blossom and water lilies are beautiful; a photographer and artists delight. I'm sure Monet would have been just a little bit jealous of these gardens. A must see for visitors to Melbourne.

We enjoyed a family birthday picnic at Blue Lotus water garden last weekend . This is a well organised destination,starting with carpark attendants who calmly directed us to our parking spot in a very busy parking lot. We were greeted at ticket counter by friendly staff and given a map which was very helpful. Although a lot of people visiting gardens we didn't feel crowded and had plenty of time to stop and admire the wonderful pools of lotus and water lilies crossed by picturesque red bridges. A number of covered picnic areas are dotted through the grounds. We were lucky to find a fairy themed picnic area off one of the main tracks which our 5 year old birthday girl thought quite magical. Especially when the little blue and brown fairy wrens flew in and out of the bush while we ate our lunch. Plenty of toilet facilities available. Cafe and gift shop well worth a visit with friendly staff to assist when needed. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes as its surprising how much ground can be covered following the paths winding around the lakes. Visited feb.15

Went on a bus trip with a group of seniors. Beautiful day and the gardens are absolutely lovely. $26 for each on the bus, included talk and packed lunch. Good value and shop was well liked too.

This is one of my favourite places to visit outside the Melbourne area. We have visited there every January for the last few years. Red Monet style bridges flanked by willow reaching to the water's edge. Expanses of calm water surrounded by wonderful lotus plants and water lilies, the shores dotted with colourful cannas and blue agapanthus, small huts covered in palm fronds. Just a magical place to visit. As well as the open area there are hot houses growing tropical water lilies, a crocodile plant and a giant Amazon water lily whose huge leaves can support a young child. Every year there are new additions including a bush walk skirting the area. Families are welcome to bring a picnic and there are barbecues. The lotus season extends from Boxing day until near Easter. You can buy a range of lotus and water lilies as well as pond equipment. There is a cafe overlooking the garden. Just a little piece of heaven.