Boat Harbour September 13 - 15 2024
 
  South and east. Past Albany, to the coast.

We are traveling in about 300km days, with rests.

A last glimpse of the Stirling Range.

A wrong turn in Mt Barker meant we missed the north side of Potongerups Range. But our legs probably weren't up for another steep walk, however short.

     
  We are crossing the southern part of the wheat belt.

Though we are seeing mostly sorghum.

And alternatives to vertical siloes.
     
  The water table, and salt, are never far from the surface.
     
  We drove in dog legs, alternately east then south.

At the northern end of Kojaneerup West Road we skidded to a halt to admire some bright red flowers.

Small, just on the roadside. A few patches.

We haven't seen many red flowers - mostly white, yellow or purple.

     
  Once stopped we investigate further.

Purple.
     
  And a single orange flower on a chest high bush.
     
  Plus the, apparently, bacon and eggs flowers.
     
  Looks like we are having a botanical day. Not often do we see flowering grass trees.
     
  And so to Boat Harbour. Part of the larger Cheyne Bay.
     
  Greeted by small flowers.

We draw a couple of circles in the sand, lest we tread on the flowers.

The closed that night, and withered the next day. Presumably job done.
     
  And a room with a view.

The washing carried wet all the way from Cranbrook.
     
  An evening walk along the beach to the east end, and a look around the corner.

Looks like a campsite accessible from the beach.
     
  The beach is soft but driveable. There's a barbecue plate, the cook arrived. The motorcyclists arrived for bbq. Well disciplined they set off at 5 second intervals. Like the start of the Isle of Man TT races.

They exit to the left, towards Trev's camp. Trev is an unofficial caretaker who, after 15 years living in a caravan, is a permanent fixture. He looked after us.
     
  Next day a hike westwards.

Still practicing wild flower photography.
     
  A little bit up and over. Our campsite tucked in to our left.
     
  Along the rocks for about a km.

Good fishing. Trev seems to catch a feed of herring at will.
     
  On to Long Beach (colloquially Jack's Beach).

We'll exit about a km along, a vehicle access to a track along the cliff top.
     
  But a bit of a plod along soft sand.

Hard on our tired old legs.
     
  The crawl up the soft vehicle track.

Looking further west.
     
  And looking east.

There's a stiff breeze blowing. It would be nice to have a calm day at the coast. Nick's Camp at Warroora was draughty, and it hasn't stopped. Just changed direction a little.
     
  At the top of the vehicle track is a campsite. But more importantly a little sheltered spot, with flowers.

Try as I might I can't seem to find a rational explanation for the variety. And I can't find anything about lifecycle - are they annuals, perennials,or ..... ? The commercialisation of google is sufficiently complete that all I get is companies trying to sell me seeds.

Its not often I can't find a way around to find useful information, but this time I'm stumped. And of course annoyed.
     
  I suspect with the prolific number of flowers, and the seeming lack of pollinators, that they are perennials, the same plant with a bulb, or a corm, or a tuber, in the ground, flowering afresh each year.

As mentioned previously, a cycle of ever more flowers competing ever more brightly for limited pollinators.

Though I did read this year that bee keepers have noticed fewer flowers.

If there are fewer, a good year must be overwhelming.

I've also read that this is a good year.

Perhaps "local" vs "state" or some such.
     
  For us we are happy to be surprised. We knew we would see wild flowers, but the effect of variety and extent, plus the variation as we move south, is beyond my limited vocabulary to describe.
     
  I doubt we will tire.
     
  More red, a single flower on a stem,
     
  white, with multiple flowers on a stem,
     
  and purple, another single flower.

We have been drawing extensively on school studies of basic flower structure.

Of stamens, and petals, and sepals, and ........ strange what the memory can recover.

Some flowers are difficult to interpret. But even in WA the basic structure survives.
     
  We climb higher, and look wester.
     
  Finding a whole plant, the flowers are always attached to something, and the variety of leaf shapes is as intriguing as the flowers.
     
  Over the top. Looking east.

Our campsite is just below us.

But we have to walk a bit more east, the cliff is a bit steep, and a bit fragile.
     
  Next day, a look at the rocks.

A crab .... we haven't seen crabs, or seaweed, for a long while.
     
  The rocks are granite. Very distinctive.

An outcrop at each end of the bay.

Perhaps an eroded dome? Perhaps wishful thinking?
     
  More crabs.

And a day of rest.
     
Thomas River, Cape Arid National Park September 16 - 19 2024
     
Gateway
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