This is an all-absorbing one-man event, with vivid storytelling, punctuated with stunning images of fabulous flowers, fruits, plants and trees, accompanied by jazz music on a flugelhorn. It premiered earlier this year at the 3rd Global Botanic Gardens Conference in Wuhan, China.

Written by Australia’s Olympic poet, Mark O’Connor, over the last thirty years, as a result of the time he spent trying to create a botanic garden on Dunk island, otherwise known as Coonauglebah, which means ‘Island of peace and plenty’.

The island struggles with the inevitable effects of development for tourism, but has this spectacular flora planted there. Fauna, such as the fabulous blue ‘Olympus’ butterfly have encouraged. All this is now threatened by the effects of climate change and man.

The garden was started by one-eyed ex-newspaper editor, Edmund Banfield, who went to Dunk when he thought he was dying. He recovered and spent the next 30 years dreaming, creating and funding this Eden. But now, botanical labels in Latin may not be enough to save this place.

Come and experience the run of the poetry and images, and let the cascade of botanical sights and names sweep over you.

Not to be missed.

Cathy Bell