Visited the first time in around December 2023. Such a great place to see platypus and other wildlife. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and trees. Great for a nice quiet afternoon walk. enjoyable for the whole family. I’ll definitely be back in future could spend all day there

We spent a wonderful afternoon here watching 3 different platypuses swimming in the lake as well as enjoying walking around the well kept arboretum. The volunteers on duty were all very helpful and the homemade leatherwood honey ice cream on sale at the kiosk was delicious. If you want to have a great chance of seeing a platypus during the day I recommend visiting here.

I had never read about this arboretum before spotting a leaflet at Devonport's very helpful visitor information centre. It looked promising and proved to be well worth visiting. We arrived late in the afternoon when the buildings had closed for the day but access was still available with an 'honesty box' to pay the small entry fee. The trees are set out in groups based largely on continents of origin. There is good signage and extensive footpaths to wander. The cherry on the cake is that this is acknowledged to be the best place in Australia to see wild platypus. We were delighted when we spotted a group swimming in the lake and followed their progress as they surfaced at intervals to breathe. This made for a memorable visit. Highly recommended.

We visited in late summer and as a previous reviewer noted, the extensive grounds can look a little tired, dry and a little overgrown at that time of the year. On the other hand, the operation is entirely volunteer driven, so there are obvious limits to what can be achieved. The entry fee of $5 per person seems a small token to support the volunteer efforts and ongoing maintenance of the infrastructure. More volunteers would definitely improve the site, and if I was local I would definitely volunteer. There is an abundance of signage, especially for individual trees, which I found especially useful. There are a few seats scattered throughout, and a couple of elevated vantage spots. On the day we visited the New Zealand section was closed for no clearly apparent reason. We spent about an hour, walking on the bluestone/gravel main path and a few minor trails. I found the map is a little confusing - the main ochre line on the map is for the geological trail, which I thought was odd. It’s not the National Arboretum, to be sure, but it is a testament to the passion of local volunteers and if you’re interested in trees from many continents in one convenient location, this is well worth a visit.

We visited 5/5/24. Stunning day. Everything well maintained. Our dogs loved it. We had toasties, shortbread and hot chocolate. Thank you David! and all volunteers. You've done a great job. It can't be easy looking after such a huge property! We'll be back in 2 week's time to complete our walk. Regards Mia (East Ridgley).

Late autumn visit before our return Spirit of Tas journey. Yum leatherwood honey flavoured ice cream. A dozen themed walks covered temperate and alpine trees. Informative relevant signs explaining the science, geography and botanic history. Easily accessible paths with many seats. Would be a great place to have a picnic. Child friendly. Easy spot to see platypus. Run by exceptional volunteers for this world class facility. Autumn ideal time but imagine spring also worthwhile. One volunteer assured me moisture holds up even in summer (they mow the lawns every week of the year).