Searching for Wildflowers in Southwest Western Australia
Crazy Wildflowers, Whales, and Birds in Fitzgerald National Park
September 2017
Fitzgerald River National Park lies on the western end of the southern coast of Australia, and we were hoping to find more interesting flowers there. We found some pretty cool stuff, but I think we were a little early this particular year.
As we drove into the park, we didn't see any sprawling expanses of wildflowers in bloom; but when we stopped and got out and wandered around we found lots of variety in individual wildflowers. Since we arrived in the afternoon after a long drive, we headed towards a campground on the beach. Along the way we kept stopping to see what all the colorful things were alongside the road.
Wildflowers in Fitzgerald National Park
Flower Xxx Pea Violet
Three Lobed Grevillea
Flower Xxx Psammomoya
Royal Hakea
Flower Xxx Honeysuckle
Scarlet Banksia
Flower Xxx Pink
Flower Xxx Pink
Wow! The Waters of the Great Australian Bight
While the southern coast of Australia is not technically far enough south to border the Southern Ocean, it is exposed to a huge swath of open ocean to both east and west, and as a consequence there can be pretty good winds blowing most of the time. Our campground was right on the beach, but fortunately our campsite was sheltered by thick brush. There were a few hardy birds flitting about, not nearly as bothered by the wind as we were.
A Place to Hunker Down
Silvereye
New Holland Honeyeater
Welcome Swallow
We were delighted to see Southern Wright Whales in the bay in front of the campground, but unfortunately they never surfaced enough for a very good picture.
Southern Wright Whale
The next day as we hiked around we found a few more birds, an occasional butterfly, and more crazy flowers. Life as a butterfly here must be hard with all that wind.
As we were walking through the bush, it seemed like mostly just scratchy shrubs, but if you stopped and looked at your feet it was amazing what you might see down there!
Hooded Plover
Australian Shelduck
Butterfly Xxx
Flower Cluster
Flower Xxx White Pink
Three Lobed Grevillea
Flower Xxx Blue
Flower Xxx White
Flower Xxx Yellow
There was this weird flower which had the blossoms down on the ground instead of up at the ends of its leaf stalks.
Flower Xxx White
Corky Honeymyrtle
Flower Xxx Pink
Flower Xxx Hypocalymma
Flower Xxx Hypocalymma
Flower Xxx Pink
Flower Xxx White
Flower Xxx White Blue
Flower Xxx Yellow
There were some pretty cool plants and flowers growing in the sand at the edge of the beach by camp. Fortunately, the dunebuggys that had been tearing up the place had left by the time we got there; only their tracks remained, to be wiped out by the next high tide.
Fitzgerald NP
Flower Xxx
Flower Xxx
Flower Xxx White Blue
The next morning we left the park and headed back "left" (West) along the coast.
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