Photo of the Week: Jacarandas in Bloom at UQ

A turtle pops his head up to look at the beautiful October scene at the UQ Lakes.

As I mentioned on my Facebook page a few weeks ago, I love October in Brisbane. It’s the perfect time of year to get out and enjoy the outdoors before it gets too hot — although this year that time may have already passed since the temperature hit 35C over the weekend! The trees of Brisbane seem to know that people are itching to get out of their houses because they put on their best display at this time of year. Some bloom in red or yellow, but my favourites are the jacarandas that turn the city into a sea of purple for the entire month. The trees’ flowers seem to fall off almost as soon as they bloom only to be replaced by more; in the meantime, sidewalks and streets become swirling carpets of purple.

One of my favourite places to walk in amongst the jacarandas is the University of Queensland. The walkways and the lakes are lined with them, making the campus even more picturesque than it already is. On the walk where I took this photo last year, I was lucky enough to see multiple turtles popping up to enjoy the view as well!

Here are a few other shots of jacarandas blooming around Brisbane:

About Kristin
I'm Kristin, a Texan born to an American father and English mother. I've been living in Australia since 2008. My first plane flight was when I was three weeks old and I've been hooked ever since. I never feel quite right unless I have a plane ticket (to anywhere, whether it's Sydney or Sweden) booked in my name. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.
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