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Ellis Brook Valley Reserve is recognised as the richest wildflower location in Perth Metropolitan area. It is home to over 550 varieties of spring flowers.
Wildflowers at Ellis Brook Valley Reserve
The best time to visit the park is during spring when most of the widlflowers are blooming. It can be very hot in summer and sometimes the park is closed during hottest time.
One of the most fascinating wildflowers in Ellis Brook Valley Reserve for me was Drosera. It is the plant that loves insects and insects love this plant :). Drosera (or Sundews) capture and digest insects using their long tentacles with a sticky gland on top. These droplets look like dew glistening in the sun (hence the name Sundew). They are very pretty to human eye, and attractive to insects. The glands also produce enzymes to digest the insects. How creative nature can be!
The reserve is home to a lof of birds, including splendid fairy wrens, cockatoos and honeyeaters.
Walking trails
Ellis Brook Valley Reserve is also an excellent hiking place. There are four hiking trails of various length and difficulty. Reserve also has picnic facilities with bbqs, picnic tables and toilets.
Sixty Foot Falls trail is the most challenging but definitely worth the view. It looked quite magnificent in September with the water flowing at the waterfall.
Location
Ellis Brook Valley is located on Rushton Road in the suburb of Martin, in the Gosnells region and is half an hour drive from Perth.
Wreath flowers (the scientific name is Lechenaultia Macrantha) are very rare and unique flowers which only grow in the Mid-West region of Western Australia. They flower between August and October, depending on seasonal rainfall. These circular shape low lying plants grow on sandy soils, often on the side of the road. One of the biggest displays of wreath flowers can be found near Pindar, east of Mullewa (mainly along Pindar-Beringarra Road). Tourists go there in big numbers, cars lining up, just to see these beautiful flowers, which grow there on the side of the road.
It was my dream to see these unique and unusually shaped flowers. So, I planned a trip around the Wildflower Country, which included visiting Coalseam Conservation Park,Depot Hill near Mingenew and Mullewa. We parked our car on one side of Pindar-Beringarra Road, following the directions from the Mullewa Visitor Centre and then walked across, through a small patch of bush to the parallel road to find the wreath flowers. The track was very picturesque by itself – especially the combination of blue Native Cornflower (Brunonia australis), yellow Waitzia acuminata (Orange immortelle) and orange Bush Pomegrante (Cheyniana microphylla). That place is full of colours, shapes and is just pure delight.
A 12km drive northwest of Mingenew in the Mid West region of WA is a magnificent reserve of Depot Hill. It is a wonderful place to spot many wildflowers all year around, but especially during wildflower season. Pink, orange, yellow, white, purple, violet – this place was full of colour when we visited it at the end of September. A stunning display of wildflowers in their natural environment.
Depot Hill is also a place of historical s significance. Following the bush trail all the way up through the reserve, you will find World War II Army Rifle Range with one remaining bunker there.
The bush walk was easy and very pleasant. Allow minimum 30 minutes for a return walk, but if you are a wildflower or photography enthusiast, you’ll probably spend a lot more time in this beautiful reserve – tranquil, yet very alive and vibrant.
If you are wondering where you can stay while visiting Depot Hill, we recommend camping at Coalseam Conservation Park, which is also another stunning place to view wildflowers.
Located 33km north of Mingenew, Coalseam Conservation Park is best known for its stunning display of wildflowers, especially everlastings, which are best seen in August-September. Even though we missed the prime time of the wildflowers blooming by about 3 weeks, due to work and study commitments, we still enjoyed what was left of them. In fact, there is a certain beauty in the dried everlastings – maturity combined with beauty of gold.
Cephalipterum drummondii Pompom head Podolepis aristata with insectOrange immortelle Waitzia acuminataRhodante chlorocephala Pink white everlasting Rhodanthe chlorocephala Pink white everlastingWaitzia suaveolensThysanotus tuberosus Fringed LilyYork gumYork gum with ants
Coalseam is also rich in history and geology. It is the site of the first mined coal deposit in Western Australia, and exposed bands of coal seams can still be seen. The coal there turned out to be of not high enough quality to mine profitably, so the mines was eventually closed and the reserve became Coalseam Conservation Park. The part of the reverse near Johnson Shaft was turned into Miner’s camp ground.
Old Mine Shaft site
Camping at Coalseam Conservation Park
There are two campgrounds at Coalseam Conservation Park. We stayed at Miner’s camp which was very popular when we arrived on 25 of September, just at the beginning of school holidays. We were lucky to get one last out of 25 spots at around 4pm in the afternoon. Our lovely and friendly camphosts collected our money ($11 per adult, $3 per child – prices back in 2021), car registration and other necessary information. For those fees we enjoyed a spacious site to park our 4WD and caravan, beautiful views all around, clean drop toilet, company of the neighbours and communal fire every night. I would imagine this place looks absolutely stunning during the peak of wildflower season but it still looked very pretty even at the end of the season.
Miner’s Camp at Coalseam Conservation Park
Not just the wildflowers
With 3 days to stay at Coalseam, we had plenty of time to go for numerous walks around. Going for a walk is not only a relaxation, exercise and leisure, it is also an opportunity to explore the area and see the beauty and extraordinary around us…. like the beautiful tapestry of the spider web .
Tapestry of the spider web
Kids found their own entertainments during our stay at Coalseam. One of the new fun games they discovered was building and shooting paper rockets. Some of the rockets flew as high as 60 meters up! What a thrill! Thank you, Daddy Brian for teaching the kids this fun activity.
Can you fly a paper rocket 60 meters high?
Kids also played with freesbie and….. a shoe! Can you spot a flying shoe? 🙂
Have you found where the shoe has gone? 🙂
The night skies in the outback are dark and full of stars. It is such a relaxing and rewarding experience to look at the Milky Way and spot occasional stars falling.
Night skies at Coalseam Conservation Park
Lookouts and walking trails in Coalseam
There are a few other things to see and places to visit apart from wildflowers in Coalseam Conservation park. 2km away from the Miner’s camp, there is Irwin River Lookout. An easy 500 meter loop walk to the cliff edge provides spectacular views over the Irwin River.
Irwin River Lookout
Below it (you would need to drive back and around to reach it) is River Bend, where you can view the banded layers in the cliff above. It is a nice picnic spot with bbq and toilets.
River Bend
Seeing a snake is always a little bit terrifying but also exciting! After all, it is an opportunity to see it in their natural environment. We saw this Stimson’s python (also known as Children’s python) on our way to Irwin River Lookout, about 2km away from the Miner’s campground.
Lesmurdie Falls, located within Mundy Regional park, approximately 22km east of Perth, in the hills, is one of the most spectacular waterfalls around Perth. You can view this 50 meter waterfall from a number of a places within the park, approaching it from the top or the bottom.
Lesmurdie Waterfalls Our 9 year old (Ariel) son’s experiment in taking the above picture
We started our day with the Cascade trail – a centrally located, 300 meter trail. As we walked along, admiring many different cascades, we absorbed the sounds of nature – the gurgling of the flowing water, the cheerful chirping of the birds and crackling of the dry leaves under the feet. It was a bright sunny day but without the heat of summer.
Cascades
After the lunch we walked to the top of the Falls, where there are a couple of viewing platforms.
Lesmurdie Falls
Then we hiked down to the bottom of the Falls (2km return trail) to get the best view of the Falls. It was a picturesque trail, where we spotted lots of wildflowers and a kookaburra.
Kookaburra
Lesmurdie Falls is a great place to go hiking, relax and enjoy nature. Spring is the ideal time to visit, when waterfall is flowing and wildflowers are blooming.
Daviesia speciesGraceful HoneymurtleOne-sided BottlebrushRunning PostmanGrevillea speciesOne-sided BottlebrushSome of the wildflowers in Lesmurdie Falls Park
While we do not have dogs, I must mention that it is a dog friendly place.
What a wonderful day, full of impressions and exercise, it was!
John Forrest National Park is rich in history, natural beauty and wildflowers. It is Western Australia’s first (and Australia’s second) national park. It was declared as National Park back in 1900 by WA’s first Premier Sir John Forrest and renamed as John Forrest National Park in 1947 to honour the great politician and explorer. The park is located in the Perth Hills, approximately 30km east from the city centre.
The State’s main railway passed through the park until its closure in 1966. Now it is a Heritage Trail where you can see famous Swan View Tunnel. It is a 2.2km from the picnic area.
Water dops from the ceilingSwan View Tunnel
The park has a number of hiking trails, ranging from easy 300m Promenade loop around a small nature based playground to 16km loop trail.
The Promenade trail with man made waterfalls and nature based playground.
There are two natural waterfalls within the park, bbq and picnic facilities.
National Park Falls – 1km from the picnic area
The park is rich in flora and has about 490 species of plants. Late winter and spring are particularly good times to view spectacular display of wildflowers.
Lemon scented DarwiniaParrotbush banksia sessilisJacksonia SternbergianaIsopogon DubiousSwan River MyrtleGeraldton WaxAcacia aphylla Leafless Rock WattleCommon Hovea TrispermaGastrolobium Bacon and EggsDaviesia sp.Yellow Buttercups Hibbertia hybericoidesHypocalymma angustifolium whiteAcacia pulchellaPetrophile bilobaHypocalymma angustifolium pinkWildflowers
We enjoyed our visit to John Forrest National Park. It is a great place to visit over the weekend to learn about history, hike, relax and admire the views.
Weused Carnavon Mullewa Road driving from Mount Augustus back home to Perth and we enjoyed exploring so many hidden gems along the way. The section of the road (from Glenburgh) down to Mullewa is nealy 400km. It is mostly unsealed, quite well maintained, with some occasional traffic. The best thing about this road is that it provides a true outback experience with some interesting things and places to explore, picturesque landscapes, beautiful wildflowers to admire and free camps along the way to stay for the night.
Occasionally, there are river crossings. We stopped in front of it, trying to decide how deep the water was.
There was no way to go around the water hole and we were not turning back, so the only way was to drive through! Driving in the outback on unsealed roads is a real adventure!
One of the crossings on Carnavon Mullewa Road
Bilung pool
The first place where we stopped was Bilung Pool. Located 150km north of Murchison on Carnavon Mullewa unsealed road, this place is not to be missed. We stopped by to admire the beauty of this natural water hole carved by the Wooramel River. A place of respite for drovers and their cattle in the old days, it is now a nice picnic or a free overnight camping spot. It is also rich in Aboriginal history. The Wajarri name for Bilung Pool is Birlungardi. The Warjarri people believe that Rainbow Snake (Gujida) rests here, so they throw sand into the water to show their respect. The visitors are advised to do the same. It is something kids would be happy to do!
Bilung Pool
Wooramel River Gorges
We decided to drive further down for another 5km where we found another free camping spot. This was our stop for the night. This place (about 2km off the road) is very spacious and quite open, offering beautiful views and many wildflowers to admire.
Flannel BushWooramel River Gorges
Old stock well – an insight into past
Life in the old days was very different. Water was precious and required quite a bit of an effort to get. This old stock well on Wool Wagon Pathway (55 km south of Murchison on Carnavon-Mullewa Road) gives us an insight into life some 100 years ago. Built in 1895, the well was used by drovers moving their stock. Now, it is a tourist attraction. Our kids had a lot of fun exercising their arms while figuring out how the well used to work in the old days.Water is still very scarce and precious when you travel in the outback – all the more a reason to appreciate it and use wisely.
Old stock well
Wildflowers and weeds
As we travelled further down Carnavon Mullewa road, we stopped a few times to admire carpets of wildflowers.
Peplidium AithocheilumCarpets of peplidium aithocheilum
Alongside with the wildflowers, there were a lot of pretty but nasty weeds Ruby Dock.
Ruby Dock weedRuby Dock – pretty but nasty weed
...and some other types of wildflowers.
Mulla mullaSwainsona pterostylisWildflowers along Carnavon Mullewa road
Greenough River
Greenough River roadside stop (this is how it is called in wikicamp) was our last overnight stop for this trip. It is a nice and quiet free camping spot, just off Carnavon Mullewa Road in Nunierra, WA. We were the only ones camping there, enjoying the solitude, the tranquillity and natural beauty of the nature.
Greenough River stop
If the sunset was beautiful, the night was absolutely stunning! I stayed up late in the freezing cold (while everyone else has gone to sleep) to take the pictures of the milky way until my camera lens became too foggy from the cold and mist to continue taking pictures.
Starry starry nights in the outback
Early hours in the morning, before the sunrise, in the outback are quite magic. It was worth getting up early with only 4 degrees inside our caravan (and apparently, about the same outside too) to take these pictures of the Greenough river.
Blue hours in the outback are majestic!
The mist just above the water was very mysterious. As I walked further along the banks of the river, I saw these huge footprints (they were at least, 30-40 cm long), and they looked even more mysterious as I didn’t know at the time whom they belonged. The nature is very creative in what it can produce.
Kangaroo footprints
It is amazing how quick cool blue colours changed to warm glow as the sun started to rise.
Sunrise at Greenough River
Under the warm golden colours of the sun even the grass looked amazingly pretty.
Morning at Greenough River
And this is us, happy and refreshed after a wonderful 9 day return journey to the biggest rock in the world!
Did you know that Mount Augustus is claimed to be the largest rock in the world? It is almost twice the size and considerably older than the more famous Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the Northern Territory of Australia. Mount Augustus in the Upper Gascoyne (roughly 1200km north east of Perth) rises 715m above the surrounding plain and covers the area of 4795 hectares. It has a central ridge, almost 8 km long, which is estimated to be more than 1600 million years long.
Mount Augustus
The road to the rock
The road to Mt Augustus (from Kennedy Ranges) is a good unsealed road, a bit dusty (especially when another vehicle passes by) and with lots of wandering stock. It took us 6 hours to reach Mt Augustus from Kennedy Ranges. We stopped a lot because we believe that travelling is not about reaching your destination but it is the process of travelling that is meaningful and enjoyable.
The road to Mount Augustus
Camping around Mount Augustus
We stayed at Mount Augustus Tourist Park (pretty much the only place you can stay there). It is a large (actually huge) and nice caravan park with powered sites and cabins for those seeking a bit more comfort on one side and a huge bush campground on the other side. We stayed on the other (bush) side of the park. It is a drive in and choose your own spot place, with a number of bushes which provide some privacy.
Mount Augustus Tourist Park
Nights being cold in July, it was wonderful to have a camp fire to keep us warm. The kids were happy to roast marshmallows every night, receiving a considerably larger portions of them than they would have at home . Oh, well, camping means doing something different and unusual, after all .
Mount Augustus Tourist Park
Aboriginal history
Mount Augustus is rich in Aboriginal history and Dreamtime tales. It is considered to be traditional land of the Wajarri people. Wajarri name for Mount Augustus is Burringurrah. In Aboriginal Dreamtime story, Burringurrah was a boy who escaped the rigours of his tribal initiation, only to be found and speared to death. The Wajarri people say the shape of Mount Augustus is the boy lying as he died on his belly with his left leg bent up, beside his body.
View of Mount Augustus from Tourist Park
Hikes around Mount Augustus
There is a 49km loop drive around Mount Augustus which provides views of the changing faces of the rock and access to feature sites. A number of trails lead to the different parts of the rock, from easy and short hikes to long and difficult trails leading to the summit (12km return trails).
We only had one full day to explore the Mount Augustus, so opted to do a few short walks.
Three of the featured sites have Aboriginal engravings on the rocks, the most impressive being Flinstone rock along Flinstone-Beedoboondu trail. To view Aboriginal engravings we crawled under Flinstone Rock which was great fun for kids.
Aboriginal engravings at Flinstone Rock
Petroglyph Trail is the shortest hiking trail (only 300m return) which leads to an engraved wall of Aboriginal art.
Aboriginal engraving along Petroglyph trail
Ooramboo trail is another place to view Aboriginal engravings. It is an easy picturesque half an hour hiking trail, leading to a spring, which at that time was dry.
Aboriginal engravingCotton bushOoramboo trailInteresting rock formations along Ooramboo trail
Saddle Trail is a longer trail (1km return) that leads to the views of the Pound (the place used for holding cattle before moving it to Meekatharra in the old days) and over the Lyons River valley. It was the longest trail for us, because there were so many wildflowers to admire.
EremophilaGomphrenaHalganiaTribulusWildflowers along Saddle trail
Cattle Pool
Cattle Pool (known as Goolinee among the Wajarri people) is another attraction in Mount Augustus National Park. It is a permanent pool on the Lyons River, which in the old days was a place where cattle quenched their thirst. There is a short (1.2km return) hiking trail along the banks of this picturesque pool. Lined with white river gum trees, this tranquil and beautiful place attracts a lot of waterbirds.
Cattle Pool
It was nice to have a picnic and relax there and to learn more about this place. According to Wajarri Dreamtime story, the snake Gujida inhibits waters at the eastern end of Cattle Pool, so Aboriginal people avoid swimming there. They do, however, swim at the north east end of the pool, so long as they sprinkle sand into the waters first to show their respect to the Gujida. An important lesson we can learn from Aboriginal Dreamtime stories – treat nature with respect.
For the lovers of Australian outback Kennedy Range National Park is a special place.
Kennedy Ranges
Kennedy Ranges is an elevated sandstone plateau in Upper Gascoyne region, rising about 80 meters above the valley, 75km long and 25 km wide. The nearest town to Kennedy Ranges is Gascoyne Junction, 62km away with only basic necessities, including fuel, so you need to be quite prepared when going to this remote area, carrying enough fuel, water and other provisions.
Getting to Kennedy Ranges
Driving from Carnavon to Gascoyne Junction (for 172km), we enjoyed this sealed picturesque Carnavon-Mullewa Road with lots of claypans and stock on the road.
Claypans near Carnavon, on Carnavon Mullewa RoadStock on Carnavon Mullewa Road
The unsealed Ullawarra road from Gascoyne Junction was in a great condition, allowing us to drive around 80km/h, towing a caravan. There were a few river crossings but all were quite shallow.
Ullawarra Road from Gascoyne Junction to Kennedy Range National Park
Camping at Kennedy Ranges
We camped at Temple Gorge – the only official place to camp in Kennedy Ranges. It is a bush camp nestled among rugged cliffs with magnificent views all around. The only facility it offers is a single long drop toilet, which gives you an a real feeling of camping in nature.
Temple Gorge campground in Kennedy Ranges
This place is so remote, yet we were surprised to see the campground full (with around 25 camper families there) in July. But lovely hosts managed to accommodate every arriving vehicle.
Temple Gorge bush campground
A communal fire every day from 5pm is an opportunity to get warm during chilly nights and meet new people, many of whom we met again and again during our stay at Kennedy Ranges.
Communal fireplace at Temple Gorge
Sunrise is very beautiful at Temple Gorge. The sun was casting its rays onto the cliffs, making everything look softly orange.
Sunrise at Temple Gorge
The nights in Kennedy Ranges are majestic. You can see an endless beautiful sky full of stars.
Starry night at Temple Gorge
Camping in the bush often means that we go without showers for days, ocassionally using only a small amount of water for washing. Here is Brian washing hair with his portion of 250ml of water. Water is very precious and every drop counts.
At Temple Gorge bush campground
Hiking at Kennedy Range National Park
There are 6 hiking trails to suit every level of fitness and experience, each offering a unique opportunity of enjoying nature in its pristine form.
The Escarpment Trail in Kennedy Ranges is one of the longest. It is a 3.4km return hike, Class 4, which means it is rough and steep in some places. We started at Temple Gorge campground in the morning and hiked for nearly 3 hours. It was a great exercise and an enjoyment along the way.
Hike along Escarpment TrailEremophilaSenna plant
The view from the top of of the range was definitely worth the hike.
Escarpment Trail – view from the top
Honeycomb Gorge is the most picturesque in Kennedy Range National Park. A mass of holes created by wind and water spray from seasonal waterfall above the cliff face makes this unique and beautiful pattern, resembling a honeycomb, which gives this gorge its name. It is easily accessible (apparently, our camp host even cycles daily from Temple Gorge to Honeycomb Gorge) and you can spend some time there marvelling at mother nature’s creation.
Honeycomb Gorge
One of the shortest hikes (from the car park) is Sunrise View platform, from which you can view the sunrise (as the name suggests). We got up early and drove (then hiked) there to take these pictures.
The view of Kennedy Ranges at the sunrise
More tracks and other experiences at Kennedy Ranges
There are a couple of rough tracks in the Kennedy Ranges (we’ve only been to the eastern side of the escarpment) but there is nothing a good 4WD can’t manage.
Some rough tracks in Kennedy Ranges
A couple of more pictures from Kennedy Ranges, taken by our young photographer, 9 year old Ariel.
Red sand dunes, rocky cliffs, spinifex, wattle trees, lots of pink, violet and blue mulla mulla is what truly Aussie outback is all about. Bushwalking provides an excellent opportunity to fully soak the experience. This is what we thoroughly enjoy.
We loved Kennedy Ranges! 2 days we spent there wasn’t enough. Surely, we’ll be back!
Walyunga National Park is about 40km north-east of Perth along the Great Northern Highway. It is a wonderful place for a day trip. Camping is also possible and requires prior arrangement with the ranger.
Walyunga National Park is located in the Avon Valley where the Avon River joins the Brockman River to form the Swan River. The river runs through the park, forming a number of tranquil pools, as well as rapids, which are part of the annual Avon Descent race.
Numerous pools and rapids in Walyunga National Park
There are a number walking trails from an easy 1.6km return trail to moderate difficulty 11km return trail. We took the easiest – considering that we stopped so many times to take pictures, it took us a lot longer than indicated 1 hour :).
Along Walyunga Heritage Trail
Like all national parks, Walyunga is a photographer’s paradise. We visited this place in June, which is not the wildflower season. Yet there were many other interesting living things to look at.
Being easily accessible and in a relative proximity to Perth (only about 1 hour drive), it is quite a popular place. There are two picnic sites with barbecues, picnic tables and toilets. Entry fees apply and dogs are allowed.
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. Oh, well, camping means doing something different and unusual, after all 
