​Heading out of Perth - 28 to 31 August 2017

Moore River is a fascinating river. Its mouth is often closed with sand (a bit like the Murray) and then water levels rise and all sorts of local changes occur in the aquatic life. In many places it is stained tea colour like the rivers of Tassie. Quite beautiful.

So where was I .....? We seem to be retracing our steps - or close to it. After a delightful 5 days with family in Perth, we back-tracked to Moore River, Guilderton for a couple of days to catch our breath. It's such a delightful and tranquil place. Our last morning there was spent wandering in misty rain through a reclaimed sand quarry looking for orchids and other lovelies. As the rain drops pearled on leaves and petals, they created miniature magnifying lens turning the world upside down and drew your eye for a closer look - fascinating and captivating. Highly romantic I know but flowers tend to transport you (or at least me) into other worlds.

This reclaimed sand quarry was replanted as a memorial garden by O'Deas the funeral family. The only quarrying going on these days is by the ants! It's a very tranquil place where here and there you stumble on a memorial.

Ah one to tick off for me! The gorgeous donkey orchid (Diurus drunmondii). The structure is like many orchids, quite intriguing. It gets the name Diuris meaning double tail from the two green hanging sepals. But it's the two petals on top looking like ears that give the orchid its name.

You might guess that I spent a fair bit of time crab walking and squatting looking at these beauties. The rain drops suspended on this darling really hooked me. For the scientists among you, think of the surface tension etc that allows these little jewels to just hang there. Then explain it to me!

The next few days we meandered through inland wild flower territory on our way to the Great Northern Hwy which would take us back north through gold mining areas to Marble Bar and beyond. Everywhere we went people kept telling us that the flowers this year are not as brilliant as they have been in previous years. We saw few carpets and banks of colour, but we found amazing beauty in colour and form in coastal, inland and desert flora. You just need to look a little closer!

After much searching I think I have this lovely pink tiara identified - but don't quote me! I reckon it is the Isopogon dubius. However I am still a little dubious! If I have it right then its common name is pincushion cone flower. Pretty eh!?

This is Kennedia prostrata or scarlet runner. Leaves are a bit chewed but the bright flowers leap out from the ground

Now this little star which I have always called a fairy flower - don't ask! Maybe it's the sort of thing fairies in childhood books wore on their heads. In reality it is classified as a weed - Guildford grass and other names. I like it! It is endemic to Sth Africa.

Banksia prionotes but I prefer its common name Acorn banksia. The ants were having a field day

Saw only a few of WA's floral emblem - the Anigozanthos manglesii or Mangkes kangaroo paw. This is not a good specimen but it's the best I could find.

This delicate plant is the Guichenotis macrantha (large flowered Guichenotia). A rather ugly name for some a delicate flower. I went looking for the origin and discovered that it was named to honour Antoine Guichenot, the gardeners boy on the scientific journey led by French explorer Baudin to Australia in the early 1800s. It is redeemed!

Just take a look inside! If you were an insect why wouldn't you crawl inside to enjoy the soft mauve light.

No idea what this is other than very pretty. Zoom in and look at the amazing 'landing pad' this flower offers to attract insects to its nectar-depths or stores of pollen.

Blue is not a common colour in the flower world so these Dampiera incana grab your attention. It certainly did that for William Dampier during his second voyage to New Holland in 1699. Hence the name.

The roadside was festooned with banks of the Dampiera. Lindsay and I spent some time looking and clicking.

We didn't see too many massing flowers so when we came upon any, we came to a screeching halt and leapt out of the car with cameras in hand. These are Velleia rosa (pink velleia).

Pink Velleia. Pretty little darlings belonging to the Goodenia family.

Now like me some of you probably thought that all flowers have petals. Right? Well you'd be wrong - like me. This is Keraudrenia integrifolia, or Common Firebush. Its purple 'petals' are the calyx. Quite fascinating. I've learnt a little about calyces but more on that later. (Of course there are the Bougainvillea - I have a lot of learning to do!)