Full bloom
The 2023 Wildflower Season has started to bloom in Western Australia's Coral Coast.
Photography by Regional Tourism Organisation
02 August 2023
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Western Australia is home to thousands of species of wildflowers, more than 50 percent of which can be found in Australia’s Coral Coast. Many of these blooms cannot be found anywhere else on earth, making the region one of the best places to see Western Australia’s wildflowers.
From late July to early October, Australia’s Coral Coast bursts into colour as the season spans the region delivering carpets of everlastings and unique species of wildflowers across outback plains and rugged landscapes.
The region is of significant scientific interest when it comes to wildflowers. There are several biodiversity hotspots including Coalseam Conservation Park, Lesueur National Park, Cape Range National Park and Kalbarri National Park. Of these sites, several species are endemic and several rare species can only be found in those areas.
In the south of the region, Lesueur National Park, two hours north of Perth, is one of the most diverse and rich floral areas in the world. Home to approximately 10 percent of Western Australia’s known flora, 111 species are endemic to the region, of which 10 are rare and nine are only found in the park.
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Lesueur National Park boasts an exceptionally diverse range of flora, with more than 900 species comprising over 10 percent of the state’s known flora.
With an 18-kilometre sealed drive trail traversing the park, four walk trails ranging from class one to class four, and trails ranging from a short 2.5-kilometre loop to a 26-kilometre overnight trail with camping facilities, there are viewing opportunities for all.
Located one and three-quarter hours inland, Mingenew Hill offers breathtaking rural views, while a few minutes’ drive from the town, nearby Depot Hill is known for its beautiful wildflower walking trails.
Coalseam Conservation Park is best known for its colourful carpets of pink, gold, cream and white everlasting flowers that burst into bloom each season surrounded by a dramatic terrain of rugged cliffs, rocky outcrops and red soil.
Located an easy one-hour drive east of Geraldton, the towns of Pindar and Mullewa are renowned for the rare and unique Wreath Leschenaultia flower that blooms along the side of gravel roads.
Heading further north, Kalbarri National Park houses 800 species of native flora, including the endemic Kalbarri Spider Orchid. Shark Bay, further north again, has the state’s longest wildflower season with over 700 species of flowering plants from May to October.
The outback town of Carnarvon has some of the state’s more unusual-looking wildflowers, including the Green Bird Flower, which is shaped like a hummingbird and found in and around the town and also in the Cape Range National Park near Exmouth.
The season can be experienced on a self-drive holiday using Australia’s Coral Coast’s suggested itineraries, with recommended locations starting under 2 hours north of Perth.
In the region, there are several tourism operators delivering a variety of guided tours offering expertise on local wildflowers.
Australia’s Coral Coast
The Coral Coast starts just under two hours’ drive north of Perth at Cervantes and runs for 1,100km north to Exmouth, and inland via Wildflower Country.
The region is tied together by one world-class road trip from Perth to Exmouth, the Coral Coast Highway, or accessible via air from Perth with airports in Exmouth, Carnarvon, Shark Bay and Geraldton.
From 30 April to 26 October 2023, Qantas fly direct from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport to Exmouth’s Learmonth Airport twice weekly (on Sundays and Thursdays), providing direct access from Australia’s East Coast to the doorstep of Ningaloo.
Australia’s Coral Coast is the Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) responsible for branding and marketing the Coral Coast region of Western Australia.
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