2018 WA Wildflower season

Hi Kerry,

I have watched people on this forum talking about the wild flower season in W.A.
but was not aware of how spectacular it really is.

WOW.

William

Thanks for posting Kerry. Did you know you can add these pics to places without uploading again? Just use the Advanced option in the image edit and tag to the place name...eg. I did your wreath flower pic to Pindar.

If you get on your hands and knees and look closely there are an amazing amount of very small orchids underneath these masses of flowers. Down to 2-3 mm across.

Neil

Kerry is spot on. I've been around the wheatbelt and Goldfields of W.A. for more than 50 years, and this season is the most spectacular wildflower season I have seen in probably 25 years.

We have just done a run from Perth to Pindar and back over 3 days, and I'm blown away - not only by the wildflowers, but by the stunning crops as well.

We went Perth-Moora, then 20kms North of Moora to Coomberdale - turned left and took Coomberdale West Rd. We were stopped at Agaton Rd, by a "Closed Road" sign on Coomberdale West. The road West of here is still closed due to flooding.
So we turned right and took Agaton Rd, North to the Watheroo Rd (passing Watheroo National Park on our left) - then turned left on Watheroo Rd., and went through to the Brand Hwy and Badgingarra.

The Watheroo Rd is a veritable highway, with stunning landscape scenery - and some Rose Mallee in flower on the left, about halfway to Badgingarra.

We then headed North up Brand Hwy to the Coorow-Green Head Rd, then turned right, and headed East on the Coorow-Green Head Rd.
There's good displays of wildflowers along the several reserves along this stretch of road.

When we came onto the Midlands Rd again, South of Coorow, we turned left, and headed North through Coorow, until we approached Carnamah.
We turned left again, onto Chappell Rd, just before Carnamah - which took us onto the Carnamah-Eneabba Rd, which we followed to Eneabba.
The crops and flowers are also very impressive through this stretch.

After reaching Eneabba, we headed to Dongara, where we stayed the night (and enjoyed some superb local fish).
Early next morning, with showers threatening, we took off for Mingenew and Coalseam Conservation Park - with the compulsory climb of Mingenew Hill, of course!

With the Hill climb behind us, we took off for Coalseam - where we were blown away by the wildflower display, and the greenness of the Park.
Showers overtook us after lunch, as we left the Park for Mullewa - but they soon passed, and it wasn't long before we were back to just partly cloudy, but pleasant conditions.

We stopped for a bite in Mullewa, and then headed off to Pindar, to find the Wreath flowers.
It wasn't hard to find them - just follow the throngs of cars, caravans and motorhomes!

Leaving the wreath flowers and Pindar behind, we took the Tardun-Pindar Rd., South from Pindar, aiming for Morawa.
We stopped at Tardun and Canna, before pulling into Morawa around 5.30PM - where we had a motel unit booked.
The Morawa pub does good food, and we retired full of some tasty steak, salad and chips!

Early next morning we headed off to Perenjori, stopping multiple times to check out various patches of superb flower displays, before stopping at Bowgada Reserve to feast our eyes on massive displays of wildflowers, again.
Once through Perenjori, we stopped at Caron Dam, where there's a small display of Spider orchids and Candy orchids. They're on the dam embankment.

Onwards to Wubin, which we zipped through, in favour of a lunch stop at Dalwallinu.
The Dally pub does good grub, too! - I had the Green Curry Chicken, daily special, served up by a tiny little Filipino cook - and it was delicious!

We hit the road again for Perth after lunch, and once again enjoyed the wildflower displays, as we started to endure increasing amounts of traffic, and particularly many road trains, and serious numbers of wide loads!

The section of Gt Northern Hwy from South of Dalwallinu, through Pithara and Miling, to Walebing, is undergoing a massive upgrade and huge re-alignment, that is all part of the W.A. Govts "Perth to Darwin Hwy", major upgrade.

There are quite a number of roadworks along this stretch and it was probably the slowest section of the whole trip.
Regardless, we made it back to the Big Smoke by 5:30PM Tuesday night - and I can say this was the best 3 day trip I've spent, in a long while!

I would recommend to everyone - drop what you are doing, and do this Northern W.A. wheatbelt trip, as soon as you can!
The September/Spring heat hasn't started yet, and you will not get to see wildflowers like this again, for probably another 20 years!!

By early October, the wildflower season will have peaked and the flowers will be wilting and have lost colour - so go NOW, while they are just fantastic!!

Cheers, Ron.

Please be aware your third photo is a WEED. Monoculus monstrosus, known as Stinking Roger, is a weed now turning up in wildflower photos from a wide area on the state. Also in other states. I found some in a Victorian National Park :O.

The Wildflower Society of W.A. has produced a downloadable 16 page online booklet, giving suggestions for W.A. wildflower drives, and good sites to see wildflowers.

It is by no means a comprehensive list, just a basic guide.
Despite being published in 2015, it's not out of date, the wildflowers are still in abundance in the places mentioned, but you will also find many wildflowers outside the places mentioned.

Good Wildflower Spots in W.A.

The West Australian newspaper website has also produced an article today, with regard to the impressive wildflower display on Ninghan Station, NE of Wubin.

W.A. country ablaze with wildflower colour

Cheers, Ron.