This morning we drove the 18 km loop through Leseur National Park, one of the most important reserves for flora conservation in Western Australia.  There are many endemic and rare species here, and September is prime, spring wildflower viewing time.  On the drive we saw many of the 900 species of flora in the park, including acacia (which reminded us of Africa), orchids, kangaroo paw (along with a few kangaroos), and loads of everlastings.  We had no idea how to identify the majority of what we were seeing, but stops along the way provided quite a bit of information.  It felt like we stopped every few feet to snap a photo of something new.

After leaving the park, our drive continued through the coastal towns of Dongara and Pt. Denison, Greenough, with its leaning trees, bent over by incessant wind from one direction, and others before arriving in Geraldton. We checked into Foreshore Backpackers, located on the main street in an old house.  It was a cool old building, with nome neat antiques, but other than that a pretty typical hostel.  We’re still finding prices a bit high, so we ate some instant noodles for dinner, and spent the evening chatting with fellow travellers.  There were a number of people who were working in the area, trying to earn some money to continue on their way, or save up enough to take some more time off.

More Wildflower pics.