Traipsing north to see where the wildflowers are

Sturt’s desert pea. Photo credit: Tom Price Visitor Centre.

Though the torrential rainy season in Western Australia often casts a grey melancholy over Perth city, in the north, it means the start of something magnificent — wildflower season.

This unpredictable spectacle moves from north to south as the year goes on, but promise is budding on the rocky horizon of northern WA.

“From the winter months to early spring is the best time of the year for wildflowers in the Pilbara region,” Tom Price Visitor Centre coordinator Kate Girnth said.

Around Tom Price, June to October marks the season of the Sturt’s desert pea.

“This is a vibrant red pea-shapedflower with a black centre commonly found along the Manuwarra Red Dog Highway, which stretches from Tom Price to Karratha,” Ms Girnth said.

“Mulla mulla plants are also well adapted to the Pilbara region, which is characterised by its arid climate, rocky terrain and sparse vegetation.

“They are known for their feathery flower spikes and are commonly found within Karijini National Park.”

While often a pit stop for those trekking further north, Carnarvon is often overlooked as a wild ower destination.

Wooramulla Eco Cultural Journeys owner and tour guide Rennee Turner is passionate about keeping up with the seasons, and she holds rich knowledge about the flora of the Gascoyne region.

“If I was visiting Carnarvon, I would definitely be heading out towards Miaboolya Beach,” Ms Turner said. “It’s a beautiful place and is full of wildflowers during peak season.

“Anywhere from Billabong Roadhouse up to Quobba Blow Holes and even Denham coming from Shark Bay – the whole southern part of the Gascoyne region coming up to Carnarvon is just popping with green.”

The plants in this region hold special meaning and uses for Ms Turner as a Yinggarda woman.

“What is a wildflower and a weed to most is food and medicine to me,” she said.

“Back in our ceremonial times, we moved about with our seasons.

“Lots of those indicators come from our flor and fauna, but specically our flora.”

Ms Turner recalls her childhood fondly when the acacia, also known as bohemia, would begin to flower.

“When the acacia starts popping a really bright yellow, for us this means a particular fish is full of fat and it’s time to start travelling towards the coast because winter’s starting to settle in,” she said.

“Mother Nature is providing for us by showing the colour of the fat in that fish is the same colour as the acacia.

“Back in the day, when those trees would pop with colour, my mum — who is now in her 70s — would say, ‘come on, get in the car. We’re going to go catch some fish’.”

Among other brilliant wildflowers to see in Carnarvon is the pink groundcover called bubamardu in Yinggarda language.

“It’s so fluorescent pink, even trying to take a photo of it can be hard because of the glare,” Ms Turner said.

“You need a good season to get them and at the moment, it is abundant.”

In line with her predictions from 2023, Ms Turner said this year had the ideal amount of rainfall occur at the best time and place.

“This year, we had the right pockets of rain at the perfect time, so I predict we’re in for the season of seasons,” she said.

As it appeared in the 2024 August 11 edition of The Sunday Times.