Page 164 - WDT Magazine Egypt

Each of these rooms has its own special appeal, escaping imaginary velociraptors, we arrived at the
but the space that leaves the greatest impression is beachfront home of the Allertons. Robert passed
a grove of Moreton Bay figs, or Australian banyans, away in 1964, but not before arranging to leave the
which the Allertons planted about 1950 and which upper part of the valley – about 200 acres – to the
now tower over the trail, casting it into deep shadow. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, which would later
Moreton Bay figs can spread madly, and the rut- become the National Tropical Botanical Garden. That
ted roots grow as tall as a person, sprawling above part of the property is the McBryde Garden.
ground like gray bones. The roots have a decidedly John Gregg Allerton lived in the lower valley until
prehistoric look, which film director Steven Spielberg he passed away in 1986, leaving the remaining 80
exploited for his movie, “Jurassic Park,” as these are acres to a trust administered by the National Tropical
the same banyan trees where Dr. Grant and the chil- Botanical Garden, which oversees Allerton Garden to
dren found dinosaur eggs and realized they were in this day.
deep doo-doo. The stewards of Allerton Garden aren’t At the end of the tour we sat on the Allertons’
above exploiting this cinematic connection, either, as veranda, soaking in Hawaii’s breathtaking sights,
the day we visited they had ensconced a dinosaur sounds, and smells. A few short steps away rested a
egg – fake, we trust – among the tree’s gnarled roots. reproduction of Queen Emma’s cottage; Alexander
It’s hard to blame them, for Allerton Garden is so McBryde had moved the original to the beach and
photogenic that it has served as a location for several lived in it for many years. The four visionaries are
movies and TV programs, including “Pirates of the linked by an unlikely chain of tropical plants that to-
Caribbean,” “South Pacific,” and “Fantasy Island.” day serves as their legacy and a gift to the people of
After passing through the botanical rooms and Hawaii and the world. It is well worth visiting.

164 WDT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018