There’s never been a better time for tourists to plan a springtime wildflower holiday to Western Australia, with recent rains indicating a bumper wildflower season in parts of the State.
Western Australia is home to the largest collection of wildflowers on earth, boasting more than 12,000 species – 60 per cent of which can be found nowhere else on the planet. The State’s wildflower season begins in the north in June, and finishes along the south coast in November.
Indonesia travellers keen to experience Western Australia’s glorious carpets of wildflowers, can access the State’s capital city Perth in an easy 4.5 hour flight from Jakarta.
Here are some of the best places to witness the botanical spectacular:
- Perth Trail
Best time to visit: September to October
Overlooking the picturesque Swan River and city skyline, Kings Park and Botanic Garden covers
an expansive area of natural bushland, botanic garden and lush parkland. Peruse over 1,700 native wildflower species in the heart of the city. Perfect for nature lovers, the Perth Hills area incorporates five national parks. Here you can see wildflower species, such as Kangaroo Paws, Hakea, Grevillea, Wattle, Orchids and Peas. Catch a ferry to Rottnest Island, home to the famous small marsupial, the quokka, unique flora, and some of the world’s finest beaches and bays. Hire a bike and see the Rottnest Island Pine, Rottnest Island Tea Tree, and the blue Rottnest Daisy.
- Everlastings Trail
Best time to visit: June to September
The Everlastings Trail is one of the State’s most spectacular wildflower routes, which can be easily accessed from Perth. Travel along the coast on the Indian Ocean Drive from Perth to Cervantes, Jurien Bay and Leeman. For many, this is the wildflower viewing they’ve always imagined. Lesueur National Park has exceptionally diverse flora found nowhere else in the world. The park erupts into colour in late winter and spring as the park’s diverse flora comes out for wildflower enthusiasts.
- Coral Coast Trails
Best time to visit: July to October
The Coral Coast, which extends from the Jurien Bay/Cervantes regions just north of Perth up to Exmouth, is home to extraordinary landscapes (outback gorges, deserts, rivers and the Pinnacles – unique limestone formations, to name a few), plus more than 1,100 kilometres of white beaches and unrivalled marine encounters in the waters off them. It’s an area that abounds with Australian wildlife and wildflowers. Millions of them blanket inland areas, creating flower fields that explode with colours. You can find mulla mullas, Sturt’s Desert Pea, banksias, spider orchids, wreath flowers, coastal morrisons, feather flowers, Geraldton wax, smoke bush, black kangaroo paw and more.
- Southern Trails
Best time to visit: September to November
From tall, shady trees and gently dappled woodland areas, journey through the sweeping mountain vistas of the Stirling and Porongurup Ranges, where you can find unique and abundant wildflowers,
including Banksia, Dryandras, Queen Sheba Orchids and Mountain Bells, yellow Acacia and purple Hovea. You will also discover a diversity of fauna from wallabies, antechinus, southern brown bandicoots and grey kangaroos. Then head down to the spectacular southern coastline. Marvel at the vibrant contrast of natural colours among the rich and diverse flora along the way. Rich colours blend with stunning sceneries to create a trail of contrasts and true natural beauty.
Upcoming wildflower events in Western Australia worth attending:
- Kings Park Festival – Destination Perth (September 1 to 30)
Join the 2018 Kings Park Festival for the greatest wildflower show on Earth this September in Perth. See thousands of extraordinary wildflowers from all over the vast state of Western Australia blooming all in one spot – in spectacular Kings Park and Botanic Garden. The Festival runs from 1 to 30 September and hosts an extravaganza of events and activities for art lovers, garden gurus, keen conservationists and enthusiasts of the beautiful Western Australian environment. Free guided walks, exhibitions, live music, science talks and other activities will take place amongst a sea of wildflowers. Iconic WA wildflowers, like kangaroo paws, fairy orchids, Qualup bells and masses of pink everlastings, are just some of the 3,000 plant species growing in the park.
- Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show & Spring Festival – Australia’s Golden Outback (September 10 to 22)
The Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show & Spring Festival continues to be a celebration of the natural rugged beauty of its region. A tribute to the floral diversity and abundance of the Shire of Ravensthorpe on the South East Coast of WA never ceases to amaze and inspires amateurs and experts. The Wildflower Show showcases the brilliance of native flowers 600-700 botanically identified specimens on display, picked under license, by dedicated volunteers, botanically identified with the help of experiences botanists, within the our brand new purpose built herbarium.
- Busselton Wildflower Festival – Australia’s South West (October 4 to 5)
The Busselton Wildflower Exhibition will celebrate 93 years of showcasing hundreds of wildflower specimens in a blaze of glory this October. The exhibition brings together a wide range of flowers in bloom during the height of the wildflower season in the region, including the much-celebrated orchids, and gives those unable to ‘go bush’ an opportunity to see a great variety of specimens. Other than the showcase of a wide variety of wildflowers, there will also be botanists on hand to offer advice and further information as well as a water wise garden display.
Top tips for wildflower enthusiasts:
- Take nothing but photos – picking wildflowers is illegal and can attract a $2000 fine.
- Respect private property and don’t trespass.
- Protect canola crops and prevent the spread of disease by staying out of canola fields.
