Map of the Northern Wheatbelt (the Mid-West), showing Coorow, Lancelin and Lesueur in relation to Perth:
Tuesday, 22-Aug-23:
This was a brief visit to the mid-West, to see what wildflowers we could see.
We started out our trip on Tuesday, 22-Aug-23, driving North on the Great Northern Highway through Bindoon (stopped for coffee), to New Norcia (Australia's only monastery town), then up through Dalwallinu, Wubin and Buntine to Latham, thence across to Coorow. From there, we drove across-country to Green Head then down to Lancelin where we stayed overnight. Here are some of the sights on the way...
Our first stop (after coffee at the Bakehaus in Bindoon!) was at a viewpoint overlooking the monastery town of New Norcia on the bypass road:
Eucalyptus Caesia in the viewpoint carpark:
The next stop was at Dalwallinu where we had a bite to eat for lunch, then pressed on through Wubin (basically the last of the wheatbelt towns), stopping a little while later at Buntine to check out Buntine Rock and what are usually good displays of wildflowers around these granite outcrops.
Buntine Rock:
Some smaller pink everlastings near the Rock:
Some lescenaultia biloba near the Rock:
Various wildflowers on the road verge near Buntine:
Next stop was at Latham, which had a very colourful public garden on the edge of town - mostly the invasive gazanias (African daisies), but with some natives (one sad little donkey orchid); also featuring some creative metal sculptures:
13km outside Latham, just off the Coorow road, is a site where wreath flowers can be seen. However, not a good season this year (there are some at other locations), but we did see evidence that they were once or might yet again flower:
Wreath flowers in all their glory - these from 2022 near Perenjori (rather further North) - just for comparison!
Next stop was just before entering Coorow, where we visited the Coorow Community Farm, which we had visited in the last 2 years. The displays of white and yellow everlastings (with some patches of pinks) did not disappoint!
Pink everlastings (Rhodanthe chlorocephala):
Close-up of these 3 varieties of everlastings:
Yellow and white pompoms (Cephalipterum drummondii):
Pink everlasting (Rhodanthe chlorocephala):
From Coorow, we drove West to Green Head, where I had been hoping to get a glimpse of a piece of Indian space junk that had washed up there recently, but didn't see it.
However, Dynamite Bay is well worth a visit!
We stayed overnight in Jurien Bay (just down the coast a bit from Green Head), and then in the morning (Wednesday, 24-Sep-23), drove the relatively short distance to Lesueur National Park.
The terrain is the most unpromising imaginable, but the density of wildflowers at ground level is amazing (2,000 varieties, 900 of which occur nowhere else on Earth - a real diversity hotspot). Here's a small selection. Sadly, I was unable to spot any Queen of Sheba orchids, which I understand are flowering in the Park - an assignment for another year, perhaps. Nor can I tell you the names of most of these flowers...
Smokebush:
Sundew (Drosera porrecta Sp.?):
Calectasia species. Blue Tinsel Lily, aka Star of Bethlehem (my favourite at Lesueur):
A Banksia that was formerly a Dryandra until some botanists got bored. This might be a Couch Honeypot:
Hakea:
Banksia sesslilis:
Acacia/wattle:
Saturday, 26 August 2023:
Of course, you don't have to travel 300 or 400km North from Perth to see some lovely wildflowers. Within 100m of our home in Trigg there is some bushland, and I took a stroll through there this afternoon. Lots of donkey & cowslip orchids and other flowers:
Hardenbergia:
Donkey orchid:
Donkey orchid:
Wattle:
Wattle:
Hardenbergia:
Cowslip orchid:
Cowslip orchid:
Kennedia prostrata - Running Postman:
Native clemetis:
Native clemetis:
Pink fairy orchids:
Saturday, 9 September 2023
By now, the wildflowers in our Trigg bushland were starting to fade, but still some vibrant colour, and a solitary spider orchid was found:
Milkmaids:
Grey Cottonheads (Conostylis candicans):
Hardenbergia:
Pink fairy orchids:
Spider orchid:
Pink fairy orchids:
Native clematis:
Thursday, 14 September 2023:
A visit to Kings Park botanical gardens.
Masses of wildflowers in borders:
Qualup Bells:
The giant Boab tree, trucked down from the Kimberley:
Little blue bells:
Lamb's tails:
Coolibah tree (under whose shade...):
The tree-top bridge:
Fields of pink everlastings (Rhodanthe chlorocephala):
Close-up of pink everlastings:
View from Kings Park over the city, the Narrows Bridge, the Kwinana Freeway and South Perth:
Regular kangaroo paw:
Green kangaroo paw:
Yellow kangaroo paw:
The amazing blue kangaroo paw:
Miniature kangaroo paw:
Geraldton wax:
Monday, 28 August 2023:
Today looked like being a lovely day (it was!) so we decided to drive up tp the Perth hills to see some waterfalls while there was still plenty of water in the streams, and check out the wildflowers. We visited Noble Falls, Bells Rapids, Walyunga National Park, and the memorial to Peter Brock.
Noble Falls:
Wattle at Noble Falls:
Peter Brock "King of the Mountain" (Bathurst) died in an off-road race near here:
Walyunga Lookout:
View down over the Avon River and the Railway Line:
Wildflowers near the Lookout:
Bells Rapids:
Alex Reid
16-Sep-23