I’ve been in the land of the tulip.
No, not Holland but way back to the time of the Ottomans – now Turkey – where that beautiful tulip bulb originated.
And for the tulip lovers in Canberra it’s a long way out and a long time between that wildflower and the 16th century when it was the bulb was taken to Holland.
The bulb we now identify as Holland’s most famous flower.
For me, the season was wrong in Turkey, so to come home to our own tulip festival was a realisation that this had become such a major festival for the national capital, so far from its origins, it’s a wake-up to what can be done and done so well.
Thousands joined me, trudging the walkways from carpark to display.
And they were a reflection of the appeal of this mighty bloom for local, interstaters and internationals visitors.
I remember Canberra’s first Floriade festival and most in between.
Each year improving, changing and adjusting to what keeps tourists coming. But on a sunny day, it is still a meandering pleasure to enjoy with the later addition of Nightfest enhancing visitor opportunities.
So I’ve stepped outside the PS News parameters to bring some colour, crowds and Bloomin’ Canberra – and not the esoteric bubble of our PM – to this page.
