The town of Dural sits right on the border between The Hills Shire, and Hornsby Shire. Known for its rolling green hills; the traditional custodians of the land were the Darug People. The name Dural is derived from the Aboriginal name meaning a smoking hollow tree.
With a plethora of garden centres, restaurants, and cafes, a trip to Dural will have you feeling like you have just ventured into a NSW country town such as Orange, Bathurst or even the Hunter Valley. To begin your day, drive over to The Porter Scenic Lookout. With views stretching all the way through to the Blue Mountains, the lookout will give you an appreciation of the lush green land Dural is home to.
The lookout makes for a perfect backdrop to enjoy a picnic with picnic tables and parking spaces available. If it is too soon to eat, head one minute down the road to the Sydney Hills Visitor Interpretation Centre, home to The Pines and Roughley House. Run by the Museums & Galleries of NSW, this historic site was home to 5 generations of the Roughley Family and tells the story of how they went from convicts through to community patrons. After exploring the Museum, head next door to the Dural Plant Market, which is also home to Pots Online, Evergreen Growers, and the Wild Pear Café.
Stocking a vast array of plants from small tubes, through to large and advanced trees, you will be sure to find something to take home with you. With a Pots Online outlet within the 5-acre grounds of the garden centre, you can pick up a new pot for your plant as well as shop at the attached garden wares store for a special something. With so much to see, you could spend hours exploring all the garden centre has to offer.
After finishing up at the garden centre, it is time to start thinking about something to eat. We would recommend heading to the House of Herbs & Roses for a Devonshire tea for a real Dural experience. Jump back into the car and head down the Old Northern Road. On the way be sure to stop at one of the many roadside vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and honey.
The Dural Kiosk is a roadside family owned and run fruit and vegetable farm located at 873 Old Northern Road, Dural. With a wide selection of produce available, a stop here is a must! The kiosk sells a selection of plants perfect for the garden.
After the pitstop, continue to the House of Herbs & Roses.
Aptly titled as A nursery with a difference, this ideology is clearly proven the second you walk into the grounds. A quaint garden space awaits you, set in front of a Tudor style house. Walking into the house you will be met with a cosy little space, filled with a wondrous array of homewares, gifts and souvenirs to remind you of your visit. If it is a warm day, we would recommend sitting within the garden surrounded by plants and blossoming flowers.
Order yourself a Devonshire Tea and enjoy the warm scones and hot tea surrounded by the beauty of the garden.
With a streetscape so vastly different from the rest of Sydney, Dural will be sure to fill your day with things to see and do. The best way to get to Dural is by car, which will also be handy when heading from garden centre to garden centre and carrying around all your plant purchases.
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