Wongan Hills long weekend

A long-standing member of our bushwalking group, a lovely Japanese lady called Katsu, left us some money in her will. We didn’t really know what to spend it on, since walking costs nothing. Eventually, one idea surfaced: to go away for a long weekend and have one night’s accommodation paid for from the legacy. This was useful, since a booking in Wongan Hills in the wildflower season had to be done well in advance and the cost of the first night paid as a deposit. This is the weekend and about 20 people are expected.

Since I was there a year ago, I knew the ropes. On the way, the route passes the Rika Erickson Reserve. Rika was a well-known Western Australian naturalist. Much of her work is now in the State Library, so I’ll go and have a look when I get back to Perth. They sell prints of her botanical drawings. Her interest in wildflowers began when she was a country schoolteacher in remote village schools.

This is an example of her work:

On the way to Wongan Hills, a must-do halfway stop is at the Bindoon Bakehouse, where they do a roaring trade to all the grey nomads passing by:

We stopped for lunch later at the Rika Erickson Reserve:

Val’s car in a shady spot.


Spider orchid.

Blue Leschenaultia.


Cowslip orchids.


Lake Ninian, a final stop on the way.

Lake Leschenaultia

It’s a awhile since I joined the Bushwalkers on their Sunday outing. Today an easy walk was planned around Lake Leschenaultia. A sunny day was forecast so I thought I could just about make it. (Since my Kimberley trip I’ve not been too well: a terrible cough laid me low and I needed antibiotics to get rid of it). I didn’t get up early enough for the 10.00 am start, but I drove to Leschenaultia anyway, thinking I might catch up with the group en route, which I did. There were quite a few new faces today. They were all surprised to see me walk out of the bush as they were having morning tea.

Lake Leschenaultia: it’s just over 3 kms to walk round it.


There were a few wildflowers, but there will be more in a few weeks:

There were pools of water everywhere after all the heavy rain; many of the paths were flooded:

When we stopped to eat our picnic lunch, we were surrounded by Twenty-Eight parrots hoping to steal some tidbits:

Wildflowers

South of Geraldton is a wildflower corridor that is just starting to spring into bloom after the rain. I stopped the car on Beekeepers Road, a spot I had visited previously with the Nats Club:

Further down the highway is Coomallo Reserve, where a 850 m loop goes on a walk through the bush, rich in wildflowers:

Geraldton

The weather is getting decidedly wintry as I get nearer to Perth. I’m also getting a bit tired of travelling and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. There has been a succession of short, sharp downpours on the road today and this rain is starting to bring out the wildflowers.: pink and white and yellow. I should really have stopped to take a few photos, but I just wanted to get to Geraldton and enjoy the view from my room in the Ocean Centre Hotel.

There are two huge container ships in the port, seen here in the early morning.

Eclipse

On April 20, 2023 visitors to Exmouth will have front row seats to one of nature’s most phenomenal occurrences – a Total Solar Eclipse. At 11:27am, the shadow of the moon will graze the tip of Western Australia in a 40-kilometre wide track, as it travels over the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo region near Exmouth, making it the most accessible land-based place on Earth to view the spectacle.

https://ningalooeclipse.com/

Exmouth will be packed. Accommodation is already booked up apparently. I’d like to see the eclipse, but I’m not sure how this small town will be able to cope with the influx of visitors.

Exmouth

Yesterday we had some rain: lots of it! On the way from Onslow, I stopped at Nanutarra Roadhouse where it started to drizzle. From then on, all the way into Exmouth, it rained harder and harder. The only good thing was that it gave my car a good wash. It had been covered in bird droppings after I parked under a tree at Fitzroy,

No photos were taken all day and I didn’t go out at night as it was so wet. I’m staying for two nights at Ningaloo Lodge in the centre of Exmouth. This is budget accommodation one step up from being a backpackers. There is a really good communal kitchen, well equipped and always clean and tidy.

Exmouth is all about visiting Ningaloo Reef, which is quite a drive out of town. First stop was Vlamingh Head Lighthouse:

This area is preserved from World War 2 with a row of defensive sandbags.

Looking south from the lighthouse towards the reef.




On entering the National Park, there is an entrance fee: $8 for concession holders, all automated now.




I kept driving south and stopped at the Milyering Visitors Centre. There are models of all the flora and fauna:

You can swim with these monsters (whale sharks) if you are a proficient snorkeller. Not me, but C has done it.


Wedge tailed eagle: they are always by the roadside eating roadkill, such as kangaroos that have tangled with cars.

My final stop was Turquoise Bay, a prime snorkelling spot. There is a drift loop, which I have done in the past, but not today on my own. The current is surprisingly strong and can carry you out to sea through a gap in the reef if you don’t watch out.

I might just settle for a swim in the pool later: