Eight spring wildflower hikes in WA

It’s hard to think of a better celebration of spring than seeing WA’s wildflower season unfold in the lower half of the state. You don’t have to be a hardcore botanist to appreciate the riot of colours and patterns as the landscape comes back to life after a parched summer and wet winter.

The diversity of flowers is, quite literally, like nothing else on Earth. Our state has an extraordinary 12,000 species of wildflowers blooming each year, with around two-thirds of those blooms unique to WA.

It’s not just the wilderness emerging from hibernation, of course. Spring is a great time to head back outside and get active. With that in mind, we’ve tracked down eight trails that should please flower fans and keen hikers alike, running from Perth through the South West and Great Southern to the far south coast and following the wildflower season as it shifts from September to November.

Each of the trails offers the chance for adventure and scenery, as well as the promise of blooms. The trails vary in difficulty, but even experienced hikers should remember to let someone know where they are going and how long they expect to be. (On longer hikes, it’s usually a good idea to also check in and out with the local ranger.) Those trails that are loops are noted, while on the others you’ll need to retrace your steps or to arrange a designated driver to meet you at the other end.

So grab your boots and favourite wildflower- spotter’s guide and check out some of the best wildflower hikes to be found this spring from Perth to the Great Southern.

Kitty’s Gorge - Serpentine National Park, Jarrahdale

Just an hour’s drive from Perth, the popular Kitty’s Gorge Trail is ideal for day-trippers. Starting and ending in the historic timber town of Jarrahdale, the trail can be accessed from either the cemetery or Serpentine Falls carpark. If you do start at the cemetery — and if 17km seems too daunting — the shorter Stacey’s Loop (2.3km) offers an easy but still scenic introduction to the local flora, while the Blue Loop (8km) takes a leisurely two hours to complete. The trail winds through woodlands, past waterfalls, and across granite outcrops, with a few steeper sections and uneven ground requiring a reasonable level of fitness. Wildflowers are usually in evidence from the first section, which takes the hiker through a jarrah forest as it follows the Serpentine River and Gooralong Brook. On a good spring day, you’ll likely spot hovea, myrtle, couch honeypot and maybe even a spider orchid.

Wildflower Walk Trail - John Forrest National Park

From August to November, this loop along a fire trail through the state’s oldest national park offers a stunning gallery of endemic blooms. In fact, there is so much colour on offer it’s hard to offer a solid estimate on how long the walk will take. Much depends on how much time you allow to stop and smell the bird orchids. The landscape takes in babbling brooks, granite outcrops, heathlands, open wandoo woodlands and mixed jarrah, marri and wandoo forest. There are steep and slippery sections, with some narrow zigzags the kids will enjoy zipping along, but most of the slopes are gentle up and down. Parents will appreciate the nature playground, barbeques and toilets. If you’re here in winter or spring, it’s worth ending your walk with a detour to Hovea Falls — particularly if the rains have been heavy.

Cape Naturaliste to Sugarloaf Rock, Cape to Cape Track

Few walking trails offer the promise of both whales and wildflowers, but both seasons coincide between July and October, allowing visitors the chance to make the most of both floral and coastal views. On the whaling front, you might glimpse humpback, southern right, and blue varieties, while wildflower treats include spider orchid and one-sided bottlebrush. Sugarloaf Rock is a gigantic granite rock close to the mainland and, being within a designated nature reserve, is a favourite spot for birdwatchers, nature lovers, and photographers. This wheelchair and pram-accessible track — taking in hard limestone, a sealed path and an amazing boardwalk — commences at the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse on the western edge of Geographe Bay and heads south. This trail is just the start of the Cape to Cape track, which ultimately stretches 120km to Cape Leeuwin. The section is accessible from car parks at either end, so consider asking someone with wheels to meet you at the other end if you don’t feel like doubling back.

Gloucester Route - Pemberton

Towering trees are the defining element of this stretch of the Bibbulmun Track. Starting out from the Gloucester Tree picnic site (the tree itself is closed and unable to be climbed), the trail loops through the karri forest in the Gloucester National Park. Clambering over hills and down gullies might be a challenge for some, but the greenery on offer makes it worth the effort — not to mention the creeks and waterfalls, the latter to be crossed (carefully) via moss-covered logs. Wildflower enthusiasts should keep an eye out for species including spider orchids, kangaroo paw and hovea, but it’s also a hotspot for native birdlife and marsupials. If it’s a wet spring, best bring your boots as the paths can turn muddy and treacherous.

Bald Head Walk Trail - Torndirrup National Park

Recommended for experienced hikers with a high level of fitness, this return trail climbs over steep terrain over Isthmus Hill and along the narrow ridgeline of the Flinders Peninsula. The views back to Albany and King George Sound or out across the ocean are extraordinary but be prepared for difficult climbing up and clambering down over granite. The path is a combination of boardwalk, packed limestone, and hard granite sections, and there is plenty to see and photograph along the way. The trail ends at Bald Head — so named for its round, bold headland of domed rock. But, of course, it’s the less sparsely covered sections that we’re here for. Expect to see a wide range of flora, including fairy orchids, purple eyebright, cushion fan flower, sand wattle myrtle, and banksia. The trail was upgraded a few years ago to install new boardwalks and steps to guide hikers but remains one of the more challenging walks.

Delaney Trail - Walpole Nornalup Inlets National Park

Following the Bibbulmun Track from Coalmine Beach to Hilltop Lookout in the Tingle Forest, this trail offers a striking mix of coastal scrub and forest greenery. After tracing the shore of the Nornalup Inlet, walkers cross the South West Highway and climb uphill among tall karri and broad-trunked tingle trees before arriving at a lookout offering sweeping views of the Southern Ocean. The mix of flora means there are wildflowers of all shapes, sizes, and colours to be found along the way, including karri wattle, tassel flower, Australian bluebell, clematis, and the holly flame pea. Orchid fans will be spoiled with purple and pink enamel, cowslip, and flying duck orchids all on offer to a keen botanist’s eye. Those more taken with fauna should keep an eye out for quokkas, although these are usually harder to spot. Unlike their islander cousins, these marsupials tend to be wary of humans and only come out at night.

Great Ocean Trail - Esperance

Starting at the Pink Lake Golf Course (the eponymous lake is no longer all that pink, sadly), this beginner’s trail winds through beautiful natural bushland along the coast from the serene Pink Lake to the iconic Twilight Beach. The bitumen path makes the trail as popular with pram-pushers and cyclists as it is for flower-hunters, although there are a few gentle rises and falls along the way. The area, with its bright banksia woodlands, is famed for its orchids and flowering shrubs, with colourful treats including one-sided bottlebrush, showy honey myrtle, pom-pom darwinia, and the appetisingly- named egg and bacon plant. Approaching Twilight Beach, you’ll be greeted with panoramic views of the Recherche Archipelago and the dramatic Esperance coastline.

Nancy Peak Circuit, Porongurup National Park

Porongurup National Park is home to around 700 native and 10 endemic species, which makes it prized territory for wildflower hunters. Alongside flowering plants such as native wisteria and the holly-leaved mirbelia, you’ll find a rich batch of orchids, including dragon, zebra and — according to one recent visitor — the rare queen of Sheba orchid. Starting at the Porongurup carpark, the trail climbs past the famous, if ailing karri boya-k (Tree in the Rock) and up some beautiful stone steps to the top of the mountain’s ridge. You’ll climb through karri forest and mossy glades before emerging atop granite outcrops to gaze out across the Southern Ocean and Porongurup Range. From there, the trail dips into a pass between Nancy Peak and Devil’s Slide — and through a couple of tight squeezes — before concluding with an easy walk home through the forest.

An app to help you stay on track

Thankfully, technology means no hiker is ever truly alone. The WA Parks Foundation offer their Smartreka maps of WA’s national parks within the free Avenza mapping app. The maps allow you to pinpoint your real-time location with help from your phone’s GPS. Once downloaded, this can be done even when you’re not in mobile phone range.