The show on the road
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday February 27, 2010
For a true spectacular, you can't beat the flowers of the wild west. WHERE'S the world's best flower show? There are some truly great ones but I discovered a show last year that eclipsed the rest. It had no man-made exhibits and no entry fees. I'm talking about a natural spectacle that, to my mind, is among the greatest on the planet: the wildflowers of Western Australia.Setting out on a 2300-kilometre campervan trek from Broome to Perth, I wondered whether the wildflowers could possibly be as beautiful as claimed. The road from Broome to the Pilbara proved a promising start, lined with red Sturt's desert pea, fluffy pink mulla mulla, the bright purple flowers of native tomato bushes and yellow wattles among hummocks of spinifex.From the Pilbara, I headed to the Shark Bay world heritage area and the Francois Peron National Park, which didn't disappoint with its stunning coastal scenery of red cliffs, Mediterranean blue water and vivid wildflowers.Further south, the 183,000-hectare Kalbarri National Park featured a kaleidoscope of blooms that included wonderful gold and orange banksias, kangaroo paws, everlastings, orchids, thryptomene and fan flowers. Along the way, visitor centres were mines of knowledge about what was flowering nearby and the best walks and vantage points.Just when I thought nothing could surpass the exquisite plants I'd seen so far, I ventured inland to seek out Mullewa's everlasting daisies. There I found field after field of pink, white and yellow daisies that often stretched to the horizon. Growing in bright-red soil in otherwise arid areas, they were simply sensational.Mullewa residents told me the native orchids in Canna, about 60 kilometres to the south, were a must-see.In Canna, the tiny visitor centre was closed but, fortunately, there was a small pile of maps of the orchid areas by the door with instructions on how to identify the plants. I followed the directions and discovered tiny, exotic-looking orchids with enchanting names such as blue fairy orchid, pink candy, donkey, white spider, snail, ant and shell orchid.Fellow orchid-hunters told me that if I travelled a few kilometres further south, I'd see the first of the wreath flowers, which are only found in a narrow strip of the state. For some wildflower aficionados, the wreath flower (Lechenaultia macrantha) is the main reason for their pilgrimage.But finding this flower takes determination. The directions seemed vague: "Go to Gutha and turn right when you reach town." Gutha turned out to consist of a couple of houses and an old hall, so I headed south on a red dirt road. I was about to give up when I saw a roadside pole with a pink ribbon tied to it - the local wreath flower indicator.This amazing plant sits flat on the red soil and is truly wreath-like in shape. Its succulent green leaves radiate from the centre and are circled by flowers that vary in colour from yellow to pink and red.Everyone should see the west's wildflower show, which begins in the north of the state in about July and peaks on the south coast in October.It's time to ...Check out wildflowerswa.com, which has detailed information on the wildflower trails of Western Australia. You can download maps and brochures.Prune long, unwanted summer canes on creepers such as wisteria and jasmine to keep them under control.Fertilise hibiscus.Prune NSW Christmas bush.Sow silverbeet seeds.
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald