Gardens at Castaways Resort, Mission Beach

looks beautiful there

Wonderful wedding setting. :o)

So beautiful a wedding venue.

Bernieh:

I found this photo while looking through palm pics tonight. This is a beautiful photo of coconut palms.

Not sure if you read on GoY...but, I'm the new editor of the GoYpedia palm page.

Congratulations Andy ... perfect man for the job! I think you might know a thing or two about palms ... lol! Yes this is my favourite get-away place ... hubbie and I have been going here off and on for over twelve years now and it's fabulous. They've lost a few of their coconut palms over the years from various cyclones ... but the grounds are always beautifully kept.

Bernieh:

It definitely a beautiful place!

Thanks ! : > ) I hope with all my knowledge of palms I will do the GoYpedia palm page justice!

You definitely will!! How on earth you tell them apart is beyond me sometimes... but it's obvious you have a depth of knowledge in this area and that definitely has value here.

Bernieh:

Thanks! : > )

I joined the International Palm Society back in 1984 and have learned a lot from some of the best palm gurus. Some of the old timer palm gurus have been my good friends for many years. Unfortunately, many of the original Palm Society gurus (members) from back in 1954 are no longer with us. : > (

I was reading a palm journal from 2004 and read about your city. The Townsville Palmetum has the largest palm collection in Australia. Also, I read that Townsville has the largest collection of Pandanus in the world located at Anderson Park. Are you familiar with these collections? Have you ever been to either place? It sounds like such great resources...and photo opportunities. : > )

Hi Andy ... yes I do know about the Townsville Palmetum and the Pandanus colleciton in Anderson Park. My last house was very close to Anderson Park and I used to walk through there almost every day so I got to see all the Pandanus up close. I haven't been back since I moved out of town. As for the Palmetum ... yes I've visited there a few times but always without my camera!!! It's a fabulous spot and I know I'll get back there soon, so I'll make sure I've got my camera next time.

Bernieh:

You're so lucky to have such a huge, beautiful collection of palms and Pandanus in your city! I'm sure the collection has grown considerably since the 2004 IPS Palm Journal article was written. hope to see some photos when you have a chance to visit the Palmetum. : > )

We have, I believe, the 3rd or 4th largest collections of palms in the U.S. at the San Diego Zoo...300+ species and growing. I think Huntington Botanical Gardens and Library in the Los Angeles area has the largest palm collection in CA. However, I believe Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida has the largest known collection of palms in the world.

What's really sad though...is Florida has had many very unusual widespread freezes this winter and unseasonably protracted cold weather...I've read many of their plants and palms were damaged moderately to severely from these horrible freezes at Fairchild. : > (