Orchid Hunting Adventures, Beverley to Greenhills : Pub Crawl Day 5

List of Orchids Found, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Numerous days, Road Trip, Wallaby Hills NR, Wandoo NP, Western Australian Orchids

11/09/2024

Given our next planned pub stay is only 22kms as the crow flies to the NNE we decide to firstly explore Beverley on foot with Jan and Bob.
We check out the old buildings, numerous murals and artworks as well as the Railway Station precinct.

Leaving Beverley around 9am, we headed northwest to Wandoo National Park to visit Mount Observation.
We started by exploring the picnic areas and car park, then wandered along the roadside.
Overall, we were lucky enough to spot the following species:
Blue beard / Blue fairy orchid (Pheladenia deformis),
Green spider / Fringed mantis orchid (Caladenia falcata),
Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva),
Pink candy orchid (Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea),
Candy orchid (Caladenia hirta subsp hirta),
Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp. flava),
Silky blue orchid (Cyanicula sericea),
Bird orchid (Pterostylis barbata),
Lemon-scented sun orchid (Thelymitra antennifera),
Big clubbed spider orchid (Caladenia magniclavata) and
Clubbed spider orchid (Caladenia longiclavata).

We are currently as far west as out travels will take us.
Heading back east we call into York for a look and take the opportunity for a bakery lunch.
Moving further east along Goldfields Road we pull over for a photo opp. It is here we part ways with Jan and Bob and will catch up at Greenhills our next overnight stop.
Deb and I continue along the road until we stop at the Wallaby Hills Nature Reserve.
Here we go exploring and stumble across the following orchids:
Cowslip orchid,
Blue china orchid (Cyanicula gemmata),
Jug orchid,
Green spider / Fringed mantis orchid,
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis),
Western wheatbelt donkey orchid (Diuris brachyscapa),
and finally
a spent Hare orchid (Leporella fimbriata).

We leave Wallaby Hills N.R. as we need to start our way back toward Greenhills.
We pull into Doodenanning and check out the sports ground, hall and community sheep dip before moving onto the cemetery. (Doodenanning ¹)
Whilst looking around we uncover the following orchids:
Western wheatbelt donkey orchid,
Drooping spider orchid (Caladenia radialis) and possibly a hybrid?
Tangled white spider orchid (Caladenia longicauda subsp. redacta),
Candy orchid and
Stark white spider orchid (Caladenia longicauda subsp. eminens).

Leaving Doodenanning we travel west along the same named road until pulling over to check out a roadside verge. (Greenhills ¹)
As it is now 4.30pm we have a quick wander around and still find the following orchids:
Yellow spider orchid (Caladenia denticulata subsp. denticulata),
Crimson spider orchid (Caladenia footeana) or could it be
Clumped / Strawberry spider orchid (Caladenia denticualta subsp. rubella) due to the less prominent stripes on labellum. Thoughts?
Pouched leek orchid (Prasophyllum cyphochilum) and
unsurprisingly the Western wheatbelt donkey orchid.

It is now past 4.30pm so we make the quick drive to Greenhills where we check into our amazingly restored hotel, the Greenhills Inn.
We found out it had been sold and the new owners are not renewing the liquor licence so it will no longer be a hotel and will be converted to an Artist Retreat.
So glad we got to experience it before it becomes an exclusive place.

21 species found with 1 possible hybrid.

28/07/2024 ….. A week spent wandering – Part 7

Gull Rock NP, Mount Martin Botanical Reserve, National Parks, Numerous days, Other Reserves, Road Trip, Western Australian Orchids

Today we go on our planned quest to find the elusive Queen of Sheba orchid which has been recorded from Gull Rock National Park by many people in the Western Australian Native Orchids Facebook group. We may be too early however as the one around Albany is recorded as flowering from August, so fingers crossed.
First off, we head down Ledge Beach Rd and check out the beach. From here we walk around the parking area, and it is here we find our first orchids for the day.
Just for a change, NOT, our first orchid found is the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata).

Then some other Pterostylis orchids are found. These small snail orchids could be the Coastal short-eared snail orchid (Pterostylis actites) given the short backswept lateral sepals. They are recorded as occurring from Capel to Duke of Orleans Bay and flower from July to September. The rosette has 4 to 7 leaves, and they stand up to 100mm in height.

Another exciting find here was a further patch of the Common helmet orchid (Corysanthes recurva) hiding under an overhanging shrub. Harder to get a clear shot but tried my best. These orchids are found between Mandurah and Albany and flower from June to September.

We now decide to head off on the Mount Martin walk trail which starts from the Ledge beach carpark which is in the National Park however the majority of the walk trail is in the Mount Martin Botanical Reserve. We do not do the entire trail, so I have attached a snip showing approximately where we walked. Arrows show direction and X marks turnaround spots. First orchids found on the walk were further Banded greenhoods together with Slipper orchid leaves and a Redbeak leaf.

Then we nearly step on those things we have come to find. We find very small spiral leaved orchids in bud. A few patches found however none were in flower. Oh well they may be the Queens or possibly just some Curly Locks. We now know to come early August for a better chance of finding them in bloom. Pics taken as proof of the find.

Orchids may be few and far between however the coastal views and other wildflowers make up for it.

We are heading down toward Coal Basket Bay when at a patch of granite, we find some Autumn Leek orchids (Prasophyllum parvifolium) in flower. These orchids flower over the winter months, so the common name seems a bit off.

It is here we turn around as the track is getting rather steep and as orchids are so rare we decide we need to get back to check out other areas of the National Park. At another granite location possibly called Mount Eileen Lookout we find more Banded greenhoods and a nice patch of spent Mosquito orchids.

At the next little patch of granite crossed we are excited to find the Pink bunny orchid (Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber) flowering. These small orchids are found during the months of July to September and are usually found the season after a summer bushfire. Without a summer fire they are flowering much more rarely.

Upon arriving back at the carpark, we make tracks for Ledge Point Road and checked out Gull Rock Beach carpark. Seemed more peppermint trees around with no picnic table so we again had a tailgate lunch. A quick check whilst eating turned up some snail orchids. These ones however have long thin lateral sepals so are a different species to those found earlier today. Possible ID – Brittle snail orchid (Pterostylis timothyi) or Slender snail orchid (Pterostylis crispula). Both have long lateral sepals, flared petals and flower from July. P.timothyi though is not recorded as being found in the Albany shire, however it is the shorter of the two and has fewer cauline leaves, so I am confused. Any help in the ID would be appreciated.

Now to check out some other spots in the National Park. We pull over at a gate off of Gull Rock Road and go for a hike up the track. The track goes through some differing habitats but unfortunately, we only find a few Banded greenhoods flowering.

Further along the road we get excited to actually find a common orchid but one we had not seen so far today. The Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva) is recorded as flowering from August, so we were lucky to find an early twin. Another single specimen was found together with another beautiful Scarlet banksia surrounded by blue flowers.

It was at this sole Jug orchid where we took a very overgrown track into the bush as it provided a much easier pathway off the road. We arrived at a sort of clearing with quite large boulders and pushed up mounds of dirt. It is around this disturbance that we find a few Autumn leek orchids in flower.

Well, that is the last of our orchid finds for today! Back in Albany we have the hard task of where to go for dinner. We decide to try out Little Italy in York Street and enjoy some beautiful pasta.

27/07/2024 ….. A week spent wandering – Part 6

National Parks, Numerous days, Other Reserves, Porongurup NP, Road Trip, Twin Creeks Conservation Reserve, Western Australian Orchids

Today we have decided to head up to The Porongurups to see if we could find the Helmet orchids that we found on a previous visit a few years back. So, we head up Chester Pass Road but as usual we make a stop in a possible orchid location. Napier Hall is surrounded by bush, so we pull up to the gate and make our way on foot to explore the bush surrounding the cleared area that the hall is located on. Unbelievably we only find a solitary Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) in flower.

No need to hang around here so we quickly check out the Yoorlarup Napier Creek parking area but decide we stand a better chance finding orchids in the National Park, so we continue along. We finally make it to the Porongurup National Park and make our way to Castle Rock parking area. First up we decide to walk along the smaller Walitj Meil Walk Trail which is only 1km in length. We find some kangaroos resting but alas no orchids. So back to the Triton where we grab out our lunch. We find a picnic table to have a restful lunch, before the bigger walk to Castle Rock.

OK so now for the longer trek up to Castle Rock where the Granite Skywalk is located. It was along this track we first found the Common helmet orchid, a few years back. We were not to be so lucky this time round unfortunately. All we found were leaves of orchids yet to flower. Oh well back we go to the Triton and move on to the next location.

We leave the National Park and head out to the Twin Creeks Conservation Reserve to try our luck. Well, we were not expecting the place to be so flooded. We were unable to walk along any of the trails so we just had a look around where we could. Only one species was found flowering. The Banded greenhood was found all over with only Redbeak and Slipper orchid leaves breaking up the monopoly.

We leave a bit disappointed however notice a sign at the gate which mentions a Gondwana Link Sculpture is close by, so we make a beeline to check it out. It was an amazing piece of art, just placed in the middle of a paddock.

Pics taken we make our way back to Albany. Tonight, we go out for dinner to Rustlers Steakhouse & Grill on Stirling Terrace. This was another enjoyable way to end a great day out in the great outdoors. Orchids not so great but you get that this early into the season.

26/07/2023 ….. A week spent wandering – Part 5

National Parks, Torndirrup NP, Western Australian Orchids

Our planned adventure commences today as this is our first full day in Albany, our original holiday destination, that is until we decided to head to Perth for the Lightscape in Kings Park.
So where to first?
After weighing up the many options we choose to head out to the Torndirrup National Park.

First up though we check out the Albany Windfarm. There is a great walk trail that winds around the turbines and goes down to the coast for some spectacular views.

Now have a guess as to what the first orchid found is. Not surprisingly it is the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) which is a common wide-ranging orchid that flowers from late April to early September. the first specimen was over 300mm in height and had more than 10 flowers open, whilst those found later in the walk were smaller, under 200mm in height and with only 3 flowers.

However, our luck was about to change as I discovered a small patch of Common helmet orchids (Corysanthes recurva) flowering on an open slope in the surrounding heavily vegetated dunes. These small orchids reach 30mm in height and have a ground hugging leaf 10-30mm in diameter. The Latin name alludes to the way the flower is arched backwards to expose the labellum. They are found flowering in forests, woodlands and shrublands between Mandurah and Albany. Prior to 2002 the orchids were included in the Corybas genus.

Next, we head into the National Park and make tracks for the location that includes both The Gap and Natural Bridge, which are both famous landmarks. Beautiful blue skies add to the views, but it is chilly as it is very windy.

Driving back along The Gap Road we pull into the track leading to the Cave Point Lighthouse and Cable Beach. We pull up at the gate and walk up to the lighthouse looking for orchids along the way. We find what we believe to be Mosquito orchid leaves, spent bunny orchids and some Pterostylis rosettes and buds. No photos taken though. On the way back we check out the rocks above the wooden steps down to Cable beach. Here we find sun orchid leaves all over the place.

Time for a bite to eat, so we head off to Goode Beach where we enjoy a picnic lunch. So now where to go? Back to the National Park and first stop is the lookout over Salmon Holes a popular beach fishing location. However, we need to find some orchids, so we move on to the Bald Head carpark and start the walk trail. We are definitely not walking the whole trail as it will take 5 or more hours. We decide to walk to Isthmus Hill for starters then see how much further we go.
The walk trail is very steep in places with overhanging branches, shrubs etc, so glad we are only going a short distance. Looking at the map of the trail it seems we make it to about the 1km mark, so not too shabby.

Now to record the orchids found on our trek. First up we found some snail orchids, which are hard to ID as they are not fully formed. The long lateral sepals rule out quite a few options, however the rosettes are quite different between the orchids found at the lower section of the track compared to those found higher up in the moss of the granite. So possibly two species found.

Now an unexpected find up on the hill was the Scented Autumn leek orchid (Prasophyllum sp. ‘early’) which is found flowering from April to July between Bunbury and Israelite Bay. The related Autumn leek orchid (Prasophyllum parvifolium) is also found during July over a larger region, including Albany. They are distinguished by their colouring with the latter being more coloured. Both may actually be found in my pics.. Thoughts??

Leaves of other orchids were found, so I will post pics of them just for the record. Leaves from the Thelymitra, Caladenia, Pyrorchis, Diuris and Cryptostylis genus were found. So, a return later in the orchid season should produce results.

We trek back to the Triton and move on to the Albany Historic Whaling Station where we enjoy afternoon tea and buy some gifts for the grandies. Next up we head out to Stony Hill which was the location during World War II of a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Signal Station (1939 – 1943) and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Warning Radar Station (1943 – 1945). Just foundations on the granite rock remain.

Orchids were found in the scrub surrounding Stony Hill. The Mosquito orchid (Cyrtostylis robusta) was found hiding on the edges of the track under the overhanging foliage of the coastal scrub. These orchids have a near circular ground hugging leaf and a very unique flower with thin sepals and petals with a very broad labellum in comparison.

As with Isthmus Hill there are also leaves and buds of other orchids found. This time it is some Diuris, Cryptostylis, Prasophyllum and Pterostylis orchids.

Another spot close by is Peak Head carpark. We trek along the trail a bit and make tracks for some more granite rocks. More Mosquito orchids found plus some greenhood orchids and finally some snail orchids that are fully formed. These little guys appear to be the Fawn snail orchid (Pterostylis parva) which flower from June to early August. They occur from Albany eastwards to Eyre, so we find these back in Esperance as well.

It is now after 5pm so we make tracks back to our B&B. We decide to walk to a nearby fish’n’chip shop for dinner. So glad we made this choice as the Buttermilk chicken salad we had was amazing. Would highly recommend Ocean and Paddock on Middleton Beach Road.

22/07/2023 ….. A week spent wandering – Part 2

Boyagin NR, Midgegooroo NP, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Numerous days, Road Trip, Western Australian Orchids

We awake to a beautiful sunny winters day and enjoy the complimentary breakfast at the Exchange Tavern. Before heading off we go for a walk around the town centre of Pingelly and grab a few pics of the wonderful buildings and parks.

It’s past 10am, so we leave Pingelly and head northwest to our first orchid hunt of the day; Boyagin Nature Reserve. Pulling over on the edge of the road we venture into the bush. First orchid found is the unique and I think special Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) which flowers from late April to early September, over a large range, Perth to Israelite Bay. I never tire of finding these orchids, especially the larger ones with many flowers. They can be inconspicuous due to the green and white colouring, however in this location they stood out against the brown leaf litter.

Nothing else found in the bush so we venture up to the Boyagin Rock parking area, so we could explore the granite outcrop, as an alternative habitat to the bush. Not a great success with the only orchids found being a few snail orchids at the base of the rock in the soggy moss laden leaf litter. The Hairy-stemmed snail orchid (Pterostylis setulosa) is a common inland orchid which comes in many variations in size and hairiness. Only 2 decent pics taken. Maybe later in the season it may be a more productive location.

With a small sense of disappointment, we head off further west and make one final stop in the reserve by making another roadside search. Another Pterostylis orchid is found, this time the small Frog greenhood (Pterostylis sargentii) is found growing near the gravel rock outcrop. These orchids are found flowering from July to early September over an inland range between Murchison River and Mt Ragged.

Further Banded greenhoods are found; however, some have brown colouring to them so they may be the Mallee banded greenhood (Pterostylis arbuscula) which is a smaller orchid with variably coloured flowers. Unlike P. vittata which is noted as having translucent flowers, P. arbuscula is noted as having semi-translucent flowers. The flowers with brown colourings do seem less translucent so I am confident they are P. arbuscula. Any comments in agreement or not are welcome.

Getting peckish, so we move on and pull into our Williams Road location, where we enjoy lunch on the tailgate of the Triton. Satisfied, we go exploring and finally in a location with many orchids, however still only of the Pterostylis genus. More Mallee banded greenhoods, Banded greenhoods, Hairy-stemmed snail orchids and Frog greenhoods are found. Unsure of the ID of some greenhood orchids but will post more pics as a record of all of these orchids.

Now for the exciting part. We find a good number of the Red-veined shell orchid (Pterostylis hamiltonii) which flowers from late May to early August over a range between Toodyay and the Stirling Range. There are also some greener coloured shell orchids which may be P. scabra but I will not confirm that ID as yet.

For the first time ever at this location, we met a fellow orchid hunter. I was able to show him the Frog greenhood, which was a first for him. We said our goodbyes and headed off towards Perth but pull over at the Midgegooroo National Park for one last quick hunt. Not too much found, just a solitary greenhood orchid. Actual ID unknown so will post pic for record purposes. ID with assistance required!!!

OK so now it’s time to reach the city and get ready for the Kings Park Lightscape experience. Went with my in-laws and completed the 2km walk trail set throughout the park. It was an amazing experience, though pushing a wheelchair the whole way was tiring, but well worth the effort, so that dad could enjoy the lights.

28/05/2023 ….. Frozen weekend wanderings – Bromus Dam.

Peak Charles NP, Weekend away

After a long working week, we jump into the Triton, hitch up the camper and make tracks for Bromus Dam, where we catch up with friends Jan and Bob. We are enjoying a weekend away camping. It is bloody cold when we arrive so after setting up camp, we sit very close to the campfire for a drink and a yarn.

After a freezing cold night (minus 2), we awake to clear blue skies and a cold morning. After enjoying breakfast, we check out the dam before jumping in our vehicles for a trip to Peak Charles. We arrive late morning and pull into the day use area. We go for a brief walk and climb a little way up the rock. All the while I am checking for orchids. None found in flower, so somewhat deflated I join the others and head back down to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Bromus Dam
Peak Charles from the North
Peak Charles from the Day Use Area

After lunch we check out the camping area before making tracks back to Bromus Dam. It is just past 4 PM, but it is already so cold outside that we have got thre campfire cranking. I walked over to the dam to capture the beautiful sunset, and it is so peaceful here. Another great night spent around the campfire having a few drinks and solving all the world’s problems. 🙂

Next morning after breakfast I go for an exploration of the pipeline that feeds the dam. It takes me up to a large granite rock outcrop which has a water tank at the summit. I have a quick scout around for any orchids, but alas none found. I decide to walk back along the track to the south of the rock and it is along here I find a spent Pygmy orchid (Corunastylis fuscoviridis) which flowers from March to May over an inland range between Corrigin and Eucla. These small orchids are some of the first to flower in the season and reach no more than 250mm in height.

Once I get back from my walk, we are able to pack up the camper as it had now dried out in the sun; after becoming very damp overnight. Jan and Bob head off home whilst we intend to take a detour to check for any orchid currently flowering.

Our planned detour was to our usual Fleming Grove Road location. Here we found our track had been widened, we assume for a firebreak. This however destroyed a lot of the previous orchid locations which was devastating. Not one Leafless orchid was found, whilst last year we found a good number. Luckily the Hare orchid (Leporella fimbriata) was still located is ok numbers. The highlight was finding a triple headed one. These do flower later than the Leafless orchid; into June rather than May, however the numbers were still affected by the track widening. 🙁

Survived the pushed up earth.
Triple header
The much more common, double header
Size comparison to my hand
Possible pollinator

We backtracked easterly along the widened track looking for some bunny orchids. After nearly giving up we found one lone specimen. I forgot to take a pic of the leaf so will not attempt to formally identify it other than to call it a Bunny orchid (Eriochilus sp.)

Nothing to spectacular found however the 3 headed Hare orchid was a highlight. It was a great weekend away, spent with good friends, even though it was a tad cold at night. Roll on the 2023 orchid season.

17/09/2022 ….. Fishing Trip Findings

Cape le Grand NP, National Parks, Weekend away, Western Australian Orchids

It is the Esperance Offshore Fishing Club Classic and my brother, Geoff and Deb have entered the competition as have friends Bob and Tammy. So, a little group of 6 head out to Dunns Beach for an overnight beach camp, with some to try their luck. I am not a fisherperson so during Saturday afternoon I head into the dunes behind the beach to see if I can locate any orchids. Our son Tim turned up as well to fish into the night.

OK, so into the dunes I head. Immediately behind the first set of dunes the land was flooded, so had to work my way around this to get into the more stabilised dunes where some orchids may be found.

Finally made it to the stabilised dune system, which was densely vegetated, so it proved difficult to transverse. However, I was rewarded with great views, plus I actually found some orchids. Some were finished, others were in bud, but I still found 3 species in flower. I took photos of them all, however they are not great.

Firstly, found is a sole Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) at the end of its flowering cycle. These orchids are known to flower in coastal heath between Perth and Balladonia. Next were orchids in bud, still to flower, which was frustrating. They appear to be Pink fairies (Caladenia latifolia) which are also listed as growing in coastal heath, though over a larger range, Kalbarri to Israelite Bay. Another orchid in bud was one from the Thelymitra genus plus another finished orchid from the Pterostylis genus, which seems to be a Snail orchid.

The next 3 orchids listed were found flowering … So happy to find flowering orchids. The Western tiny blue orchid (Cyanicula aperta) was found first. These small orchids are found between Dumbleyung and Mt Ragged, which seems to be more inland, so finding one in a coastal environment is special. A single Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis) is found growing in a tangle of dead branches of a shrub. These bright orchids flower between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay which indicates coastal shrublands are an included habitat. Final orchid for the day was the Lemon-scented sun orchid (Thelymitra antennifera) which is listed as flowering between Shark Bay and Israelite Bay, growing in seasonally wet areas and creek lines, which covers off on the habitat I found it in.

Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)

I was not expecting to find 7 species to record as being located in the stabilised dunes behind Dunns Beach, which is located in Cape Le Grand National Park, which is great as I don’t have many records for that park listed in my previous blogs.

Back at camp the rest had started fishing with a few small fish caught. It was a beautiful sunset as is common out here on the beach, but I never grow tired of them. Deb does catch a nice sized Gummy shark later in the night. We are so spoilt to live in this beautiful and remote part of the country.

10/9/2021 ….. Stirling Range National Park to Chirelillup Nature Reserve

Camel Lake NR, Chirelillup NR, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Numerous days, Road Trip, Stirling Range NP, Western Australian Orchids

Well after enjoying our 2nd night at the Stirling Range Retreat, we pack up and head out on our exploration of the Stirling Range National Park. We plan on taking the Stirling Range Drive to Red Gum Pass Road, then north to Salt River Road. Then heading east to Formby Road South where we will head north to Gnowangerup. Obviously we plan on making numerous stops to explore for orchids and to enjoy the wonderful outdoors.

First up we head into Bluff Knoll Road to check out the orchids in one further location. Maybe we will find something different without the threat of rain hanging over our heads. Not surprisingly, the orchids found were the same as the ones found yesterday, but photos were taken again of course.

Warty or Slender hammer orchid ?? (Drakaea sp.)

Nearly 10am, so we make tracks toward our next location. On Stirling Range Drive, we make a split second decision to pull over on the side of the road. We manage to find a few orchids on the side of the road.

We jump back in the Triton. We move a few hundred metres down the road. We stop at a spot that had seen a bushfire sometime in the last year. Let us see if this has triggered orchids to grow for us to find.

Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp.flava)

Now it nearly 11am so onward we travel, with our next stop being Talyuberlup Picnic Area. First, we check the picnic area side of the road. Then, we head up the Talyuberlup Peak trail a wee bit. Finally, we scramble back to the Triton. As we had hoped, orchids are found.

Time to consider lunch, so we move onward to White Gum Flat picnic area. We have a bite to eat and then go exploring the nearby area. We don’t venture to far before we find orchids. This time round we actually cross the road and find further orchids including new ones for the day. Turns out the King spider orchid is a new species for us, so that was an exciting find.

King spider orchid (Caladenia pectinata)

Still more of this National Park to check out so onward we go. At the intersection of Red Gum Pass Road, we turn left and check out some locations along the roadside. We found a few orchids including some new ones for the day.

Common spider orchid (Caladenia varians)

We now head north along Red Gum Pass Road. We make a quick stop into the picnic area, where we find a few orchids. Then, we move further north to another roadside location where orchids are located as well.

We eventually reach Salt River Road and turn right. We soon pull over at Salt Lake Nature Reserve to explore. After a quick check, we do not locate much. So, we move on to Camel Lake Nature Reserve. We make a roadside stop along the way. At this final stop, we are lucky to find some new orchid species for the day. We also find previously discovered ones. We took photos of all the orchids found at the locations. This was done to record their discovery near the northern boundary of the National Park.

Joseph’s spider orchid (Caladenia polychroma)

Wowsers, they were amazing first time locations for orchids. 13 possible species and 1 hybrid found, however we must move on as it’s past 4.30pm and we still have nearly 50kms to our planned destination. We arrive at Chirelillup Nature Reserve. We set up camp. Whilst Deb lights the campfire, I have a very quick scout around in the waning sunlight.

Cowslip orchids, Green spider orchid and Daisies

09/09/2021 ….. Stirling Range National Park and surrounds

Formby NR, Mabinup Creek NR, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Numerous days, Road Trip, Stirling Range NP, Western Australian Orchids

We awake to a cold , wet and miserable day, but we won’t let that stop us from going exploring for orchids. Finally the rain stops, so after a bite of lunch, we head up to the Bluff Knoll lookout however the actual mountain is nearly covered in clouds. The feature picture show some of the amazing metal artwork installed there. Some close-up images are included here for your appreciation.

So now is the time to commence our exploration of the area. We have a very quick scout around the lookout and parking area, where we see a few orchids. However on the drive into the lookout we saw some possible spots to check out along the roadside. So it is at these couple of stops, in between showers, that we locate the following orchids.

It’s now past 2.30pm so we only have a few hours of daylight left to explore, so we will keep close to our base. Therefore we make tracks north of the National Park, to visit the nearby Formby Nature Reserve (Google Maps), which is signposted as the Mabinup Creek Nature Reserve. The northern boundary of the park is found to be very weedy and the creek is overflowing, which does not thrill us too much. So we head back down Formby Road South and venture in on the eastern boundary. Next time we need to pack wellington boots as the place is flooded, but we venture in nonetheless, after applying insect repellent, as the mozzies may become troublesome. This place proves to be covered in orchids in large numbers and many species, which is amazing to us. Refer the following images of the orchids found.

I just had to pop in some photos to show how many orchids were at this location as well as the ones we found swimming.

It is now after 4.30 so we head back toward our base at the Stirling Range Retreat, but as per usual we make one more stop. We pull off the road before the Mount Trio turn-off and head down this gravel track. This is a new location for us in the park and it proves to be quite fruitful. Our quick stop though runs into another hour. Luckily the rain holds off. Here is what we found.

With the light running out fast we do a u-turn, head back to Formsby Road South and make tracks for our little cabin. What an amazing afternoon of orchid hunting we have had today, especially given the cold and wet morning we awoke to. I think we found 23 species and at least 3 hybrids which is mind blowing but this National Park and it’s surrounding are like an oasis in the middle of cleared land for agriculture.

WA Orchid Adventures

Come with me on my Orchid Adventures in Southern Western Austalia

National Parks