The wildflowers of Western Australia are one of the most spectacular flower displays in the world.
Between July and October, splashes of colour appear, like a painter’s brush daubed across the landscape.
Wildflower season starts up in the Pilbara and North-West of Australia around June or July and sweeps down the country. Blooming times and the flowers change each year, depending on rainfall and climatic conditions. No season is the same.
Poor soil, low rainfall and a harsh climate have created unique wildflowers in the Western region, many of them are only found in Australia.
One of the joys of the wildflower season is that you come across flowers almost everywhere you go. Roadside kerbs, bush trails, paddocks and coastal dunes come alive with colour.
I discovered this myself on my big road trip across Australia. The further West I drove, the more flowers appeared. At first, I didn’t pay much attention. But then, on a little bushwalk, I stopped to look at each patch of colour along the way and discovered the tiny detail in each flower, so incredibly unique and determined to survive. That these flowers grow in such a dry, dusty landscape is a miracle.
Wildflower season is the best time to go road tripping in the West. Fields of bright yellow canola flowers also add to the colour at this time of year.
Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show
Every September the tiny town of Ravensthorpe hosts the biggest wildflower show in the world.
The town hall is transformed by a beautiful bounty of around 2000 wildflower species, foraged by passionate locals and proudly presented for all to enjoy.
The 2-week festival includes wildflower walks, photography and art displays and of course, fabulous Devonshire teas.
The show raises awareness of the wildflower diversity in the region and encourages their preservation.
Ravensthorpe is about 540km south-east of Perth, and the festival is well worth a drive if you’re in the area (botanical enthusiasts from around the world travel to attend the show).
Wildflower season in Margaret River
My upcoming hike in the Margaret River coincides with wildflower season in early October, yay!
“Hikers on the Cape to Cape Track enjoy an amazing show. Wildflowers, native orchids and a host of native trees including peppermint, jarrah and marri put on a stunning display.”
The Margaret River region forms part of one of only 34 internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots in the world.
The best time to see the area splashed with wildflower colour is September to November.
Wildflowers tell us about country
Josh Whiteland of Koomal Dreaming says ‘Every two months on the Noongar calendar the season changes. It’s the wildflowers, trees and plants that indicate these changes. This dictates the food we forage, the animals we focus on, and the best areas to camp. Flowers tend to tell us more about country, weather and seasons than technology.’
Wildflowers from my trip across Australia
In this blog post I wanted to share my fav wildflower photos from my road trip… I hope they inspire you to see them one day.
Hi, I’m Shannon, a travel and food blogger living on the Gold Coast in Australia.
My favourite things are long lunches, bike rides and food tours.
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I hadn’t realised how much I was missing your posts until this one showed up. Gorgeous pictures Shannon, and interesting blog to go with them.
Beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing and for the lovely words too. Keep them coming….!