Blog based on Facebook posts made by Alex Reid during Spring 2022, including a trip to Coorow

Click on any image to get a higher-resolution version.

Map of the Northern Wheatbelt (the Mid-West), showing Coorow in relation to Perth:

Monday, 12-Sep-22:
This was a brief visit to the mid-West, primarily to see (and show to our grand-daughter, Erica) wreath flowers.

Earlier, on 8-Sep-22, we had a walk through the Trigg Bush Reserve a few metres from our house to check out the wildflowers. Lovely, as always! Here are some...

Hardenbergia:

Hardenbergia Growing up a Zamia Palm:

Cowslip Orchids:

Donkey Orchids:

Spider Orchid:

Hibbertia:

Wattle:

Zamia Palm Cones:

Milkmaids (Burchardia Congesta):

We started out our trip with Erica on Monday, 12-Sep-22, driving North on the Great Northern Highway through Bindoon (stopped for coffee), to New Norcia (Australia's only monastery town), then across to Moora, then up the Midlands Road to Coorow. Here are some of the sights on the way...


Wildflowers in a little floral reserve off the road near Bindoon:

Leschenaultia:

Some of the Buildings in New Norcia:






Everlastings outside Moora:


Once we reached Coorow, we visited the Coorow Farm on the outskirts of the town, which has been turned into a wildflower reserve (in honour of George xxx):
Yellow and White Pompom Everlastings:



View down over the farm to the town:

Some of the variety of wildflowers (Not sure what these are...)


We didn't stop in Coorow at this point, but drove on to Carnamah, then across to Perenjori, then North towards Morawa another 5km till we turned Right onto Back Bowgada Road - a known hot-spot for wreath flowers, just 1 or 2 km along the road, off into a quarry area (a total of 95km from Coorow). We were not disappointed, though there were fewer here than when we last visited in 2016.

Wreath Flowers (Leschenaultia Macrantha):

Close-up of the flowers:

Just like a wreath:

Nothing else seems to grow on this ground, but wreath flowers love it!

Driving back along Back Bowgada Road there were several swathes of everlastings and other wildflowers:

Close-up of these flowers:


Back to Coorow via Latham (saw a sign a few km out of Latham on the R-side of the road pointing to more Wreath Flowers, but we didn't stop for them...).
Then checked into our hotel and had dinner.
Coorow Hotel:

The next day, rainy weather had set in and we decided to head straight back to Perth, even though we went very close to Lesueur National Park, which is a wildflower hot-spot. Some of the rain was extremely heavy, to the point of having to pull over as we couldn't see more than a few metres ahead. However, there were prolonged patches of brighter weather (eg when we stopped in Cervantes to check out the Stromatolites on Lake Thetis).

And so we returned to Perth from Coorow, via Green Head Road as far as the Brand Highway, then across to Jurien Bay (stopped for fuel) then down the Indian Ocean Drive via Cervantes, Lancelin and Yanchep to home.

Home in 4 hours, 50 minutes; 351km.

The next day, 14-Sep-22, we visited Kings Park (to see the wildflowers and view, and get a bite to eat) prior to driving Erica to the airport.

The view from the DNA Tower, towards Perth CBD:

And towards the ocean, with Rottnest in the distance (lighhouse just visible on the horizon on the L of photo):

A swathe of pink everlastings:

Close-up of pink everlastings:

The Boab tree brought down from the Kimberley:

Kangaroo Paws:

Pink Kangaroo Paws:

Deep Red Geraldton Wax:

Mogumber Bells:

Finally, a visit to the University of WA campus, calling at the "Blue Shed on Water" on the way.

Alex Reid
22-Sep-22