We wanted to get married outdoors and considered the garden. After a couple of walks around, we decided that there wasn't really a perfect place for us and depending on the weather, it isn't always lush and green. It's still a lovely place to visit with the family. Pack a picnic lunch and stroll around the gardens when you have a few hours to fill.

These gardens are impressive in that they focus on native Sunshine Coast plants and flora and really capitalise on the open location which is around 100 hectares of practically untouched forest. There is plenty to see and do including:

• The Arts & Ecology centre (this adopts a sustainable design and is worth checking out)

• Multiple walks (short and long, from 100m to 2km) including the Lagoon Walk, Whipbird Walk, Ephemeral Wetlands Walk, and my favourite the Sculpture Garden Walk (where sculptures from renowned artists are on display in a forest setting).

• Bird watching – many species can be spotted here including the King Parrot, Fan tailed cuckoo & black cormorant. There are also koalas spotted from time to time

The gardens are big enough that they never feel crowded and the location at Tanawah means you don’t get excessive tourists. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and these are a fairly new addition (late 2001) and are very well kept. You will feel like you have gone bush! I will definitely return here to do some of the walks I haven’t done yet. I’ve never done one but there are free guided walks by local volunteers that operate on Tuesdays and other days from time to time.

There is also a café at the gardens and you can enter a QR code on your phot to use as a guide through the Sculpture Garden.