Tuesday 4 October 2011

Wildflowers of WA (part 1)

My first exposure to WA's wonderful wildflowers was shown in Karijini National Park. They were every where, looking beautiful against the rich brown / red earth in this iron ore rich country. They also looked quite spectacular against the back drop on rolling hills, deep gorges, spinifex grass & white snappy gum trees. It's a wonder plants grow at all as the rainfall isn't that great either - usually. Early 2011 had a wetter season than normal & so the flowers were more prolific.

I don't have a name for many of the flowers & I will update names if I find 1 - if you know a flower name please feel free to let me know :)


 The white snappy gum trees were every where & looked spectacular against the rich red earth
 This was our back door from the van views for 3 lovely days.
I had my 55th birthday in Karijini, & wouldn't have wanted to spend it anywhere else (around that time) it was that pleasurable to drive through despite the dusty dirt roads :)



 The purple Royal  Mulla Mulla here is a little different from the tall cousin -

The tall Mulla Mulla was growing every where - as far south as Exmouth region
 I think these little bundles are mini versions of the Mulla Mulla flower
 Grevillea plant that wasn't very bushy

 I saw lots of this white bush around Karijini & it looked stunning against the red earth - I saw it in many places including on ledges with in the escarpments of the gorges


 I think this is the Turkey Bush. This was quite prolific in northern WA & NT
 Blue pincushion


 The candle stick cassia

 Butterfly bush
 Even reed grasses had flowers
 Camel Bush
 Found near Mt Nameless @ Tom Price

 I have no idea what this flower is, but it has a waxy appearance
 Sturt's Desert Pea growing @ Millstream National Pk homestead, south of Karratha

 The Bird flower - an unusual flower & colour

 White Dragon Tree looked really graceful & was a great perfume

 Desert Hibiscus
 another Desert Hibiscus
 Found this stuff a lot of places as well - looks like a white lambs tail



 this flower looked like Mulla Mulla, but was prostrate with a round ball



 small purple flower growing next to water stream
another purple flower :)) I've seen several colours of this shape flower
 Cork wood has a grevillea like flower
 stark contrast against the broken rocks on a walk eastern Millstream



 even weeds have flowers - a prickly burr I think
 found near Exmouth & Cape Range national Pk

 ?? Acacia- wattle

 Tall Mulla Mulla covering this sandy slope between Ningaloo Reef & Cape Range National Pk looked pretty
found this growing @ Coral Bay - some type of succulent with dew drops that are permanent on the stems & leaves
more of that white lambs tail  bush was covering a small sandy slope next to the beach @ Coral Bay
I found this plant growing amongst the rocks with little soil at Point Quobba

this parakeelya was found growing north to Dampier & so far as south as Lessuer National Park.

I think this looks like an orchid, but have no idea what it is
Francois Peron National Pk was covered in wildflower bushes like this 1. It was beautiful driving the 50km sandy track to see the peninsular tip of Cape Peron


 Unfortunately I only took a couple of pics of flowers in Francois Peron National Park.

part 2 coming soon, as I have probably more than enough pics for the Kalbarri area & just south to Jurien Bay on the coast  & north east to Morawa, which is covered in flowers








6 comments:

  1. Hey! my name is Franchesca .I´m spanish and I think that your photos are beautiful.
    I would like to use some photos in my blog:
    http://alasaludporlasflores.blogspot.com
    Because in SPAIN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to find it.
    If you want,you can visist my blog the photos are made for me and Ispeek about the qualities of flowers essences.
    Thankyou for your wonderful blog.
    Many greetings .Franchesca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Franchesca, I'm pleased that you like my photos.
      Thank you also for asking to copy some of the photos.
      Could I just ask you to please acknowledge where the photo came from when you post it to your blog.
      I will log into your blog from time to time to see your lovely flower photos.
      cheers Sue

      Delete
    2. Thank you very much for you amability.
      I like Australian flowers and I use it and my family also.I always thought of writing about them and I have some as bottelbrush, jacaranda, who are also in Spain. I'll write your name in my blog.
      Do you live in Australia? I think it's a great country. Many greetings from Spain. Franchesca

      Delete
  2. I live in Brisbane & this was our 1st trip to WA. I hope you get a chance to visit Australia 1 day as the whole country has a lot to offer for the travelling tourist. Sue

    ReplyDelete
  3. ¡Hello Sue!I am again looking at your blog. Today Isaw some pictures that you and your husband, I think so. You are very handsome in the pictures.
    Hear in Spain, the weather is very, very hot.But fortunately I live near the sea and I am most the day swimming. I am plaining to write in my blog about MULLA-MULLA FLOWER which is very good for everything related to the sun. Ithing you have this photo and I write about it, I will use the photo, saying the name of your blog,
    Much love of the warm Murcia. Franchesca

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Francesca, lovely to see that you're still interested in my flower photos. There seemed to be a couple of varieties of the Mulla Mulla flower. I loved them all. I first saw them in in The Bungle Bungle which is in The Kimberley. You should be able to see those pics in that blog with the beautiful mountain range in the background. I guess you are looking for close up photos though. Thanks for the compliments.

    It is nearing the end of winter in Australia. Here in Brisbane the temps have been down to around 5*-10* Celcius most nights. The days lately have warmed up to 22*- 26* which is really beautiful. The temps are much colder down near Melbourne, in fact Mt Kosiosco - The Snowy Mountains as we call them, has had a great season of snow and again last week.
    You are lucky that you live near the sea to cool your summer temps down. In a few months it will be really hot here again up to 30's*celcius.

    I will look out for your next episode of your blog... I have been following it & translating back to English of course.
    Once again thanks for asking to use some of my photos.
    cheers Sue

    ReplyDelete