Spring Wildflower Season: In Search of Orchids

     I have long maintained that the Spring Wildflower season in Western Australia is  an incredible visitor experience undervalued by various tourism organizations in this state. (Click here to read previous rant and rave on the topic)  Due to the size of this state, the season is long and the flower variety changes with geographical latitude.  If one does not have a car, a formal bus tour or very sturdy legs on a more sturdy bicycle would be required as the flowers are not all nice and neatly arranged in one area.  Bit of a treasure hunt really.  And we have a working car and a free weekend. We're off.

     We've had great success finding fields of Everlastings and a bumper crop of Wreath flowers. This particular trip I wanted to see orchids in the wild.  And like many flowers (not of the Everlastings or Wreath variety) one has to get out of the car and do a bit of bushwalking to see them.  None of this whizzing past at 60 miles per hour to 'get as much possible in' stuff. But this is OK.  A little exercise won't kill anyone and I did mention that it is a bit of a treasure hunt, didn't I?

bushwalking for better viewing

delicate lovelies

'

I never could have spotted these tiny flowers from a speeding car window.

Cowslip

       A name a remember from a book read in my youth, "Cowslip, A Slave" by Betsy Haynes.  A young slave girl whose master had named her Cowslip. Such an unflattering name, she pouted. But her mother told her otherwise saying it was a beautiful flower.  And Mom was right.  Cowslips were plentiful this spring and far from the only oddly named flower around.

Cowkick

Kangaroo Paw

Running Postman

Need I say more?

I couldn't begin to tell you how some of these flowers  got their names.  But Snottygobble?
Really?  Even the posted explanation doesn't quite cover it.

Fuxxy Ground Flower

Bird in Red Wattle

OK. Some I have no idea what they are called and not sure I care but they sure were fun to spot. The bird in the very common Red Wattle was actually spotted in Kings Park which boasts its own Spring Flower extravaganza.

Cute pink pine flower and purpley durpley.  Not very scientific sound but worked for me. Non-poisonous spiders aplenty.

Spider Orchid

  

Metropolitan Gnomeville

     And what would any road trip south of Perth be without a quick visit to Gnomesville? Started organically by some larrikin, G-ville is now being cared for by the shire which finally recognized its tourism potential.  A bit of urban sprawl now as Gnomesville seems to have suburbs and squatters on neighboring private property.

Dardanup Bakery

Let's keep the fun and  wheels going. By chance I spotted this bakery hiding in a shed behind  the owner's home. [Hey, maximizing one's resources is a wise move.] The Dardanup Bakery has some seriously good bread. I rarely find a good sourdough bread, so naturally I had to bring some of their superior goods home.


 

Boyup Brook Museum.

Oh, let's pop into the Boyup Brook Museum.  Boyup Brook is best know for its annual country music festival, but it has its other charms. Like the museum. A small back room to its visitor center that features the locally donated  doll, butterfly and scarab collections.


And now we have crammed in as much as possible in one weekend.  Officially, a rather successful treasure hunt. 

 

Gnomesville

We like to investigate new areas whenever we get the chance. This past Labour Day weekend we headed for Ferguson Valley to investigate the coal mining town of Collie [very clean and the sidewalks were littered with coins. I'm richer by 75 cents!] a number of wineries [count on that for any trip] and Gnomesville.

From mysterious beginnings more than a decade ago (no-one knows for sure who started it), a couple of meek lawn ornaments plonked near a roundabout in Dardanup has grown into a sprawling citadel, a virtual world of more than 1000 roadside gnomes. Garden variety gnomes, sports-playing gnomes, fishing gnomes, partying gnomes from all corners of the globe – they’re all left here with accompanying names and messages, usually richly pun-related. (Like The Rolling Gnomes, the Gnoman Empire, Sweet Gnome Alabama and travelling seniors like The Gray Gnomads.) The gnome community is self-protected by the rumour that incredible bad luck will befall anyone foolish enough to steal from or damage Gnomesville and it must be heeded as there is relatively little damage done here. Also rumored is that wishes are granted to those who add to the collection when they visit. Try to find space! Many are hiding in foliage, up in trees or after a bit of a walk in this once tiny map-consulting park space.

Kitschy? You betcha'. And it attracts all types passing through, near or around the area. It is not unusual to see a motorcyle posse or cruise ship tour bus join families, backpackers, retirees with caravan in tow, local civic groups, politicians and the occasional winery hopper walking about for a guffaw at the puns, photo opportunity or placement of their own gnome.

After all, there's no place like Gnome.