Where can I find wildflowers in WA?
The best place to see wildflowers in Western Australia is in the area aptly nicknamed Wildflower Country. North of Perth and inland from Geraldton, Wildflower Country is made up of a bunch of teeny tiny historic country towns, including Dalwallinu, Perenjori, Morowa, Mullewa, Moora, Mingenew, Bowgada, Three Springs, Carnamah and Coorow. If you’re keen to take a wildflower roadtrip over a couple of days, we recommend you do a loop through them all.
If you can only spare a day for your wildflower hunting, head to Kings Park in Perth or Wireless Hill Park in Ardross, which are both busting with wildflowers in spring.
Are WA’s wildflowers worth the drive?
They sure are. The sheer range of wildflowers here is gobsmacking – Western Australia is home to over 12,000 species of wildflowers, and you can only find 60 percent of them right here in WA. That’s a LOTTA unique flowers.
When are WA wildflowers in bloom?
In Wildflower Country, wildflowers start blooming around late July and start dwindling in early October. It’s important to remember that each season is unique and at the mercy of Mother Nature. 2023, for example, was a disappointing yield, while 2024 has been a bumper crop thanks to a very soggy winter and early sunshine. As a rough guide, everlastings and wreath flowers usually start flowering in July, mid-August to mid-September is peak time for orchids, everlastings and wreath flowers, and mid-September to October is the best time to see wattles.
What’s the best route from Perth to see the wildflowers in WA?
We highly recommend the following loop over two nights/three days, with overnight stays in Perenjori and Coalseam Conservation Park.
Perth – Bindoon – New Norcia – Dalwallinu – Perenjori – Bowgada – Morawa – Canna – Pindar – Mullewa – Coalseam National Park – Mingenew – Three Springs – Carnamah – Coorow – Moora.
Why this is the best three-day itinerary to see WA wildflowers.
After you leave Perth, swing in at the Bindoon Bakehaus to grab yourself a famous pie or sweet treat. The raspberry lamingtons here are hands down the best we’ve ever tasted. So juicy, so soft, so smooshy. Top tip: Bring some change for the roadside stalls that sell cheap-as-chips sweet local oranges and mandarins.
An hour on, you can stop in at New Norcia, Australia’s only monastic town, established by Spanish Benedictine monks in 1847. Stretch your legs around the fascinating architecture and take a gander at the treasure chest of 16th and 17th century European artwork (all plonked in the middle of nowhere).
The drive from New Norcia to Dalwallinu is paved with golden fields of canola for as far as the eye can see (it’s kind of like being in a very pretty dream).
Dalwallini Hotel is a great place to stop for a bite to eat and a beer, before you power on to Perenjori for your first overnight stay. Before you reach Perenjori though, turn off at Buntine Rock which is usually peppered with wildflowers during spring (it’s clearly signposted – you can’t miss it).
In Perenjori, you can either get a room at the Perenjori Hotel, a chalet or campsite at Perenjori Caravan Park, or camp slightly out of town at Jindarring Nature Camp. You should aim to arrive at Perenjori by 2pm at the latest. You’ll want to spend the afternoon exploring Camel Soak, John Forrest Lookout and Rothsay Heritage Trail, where a whole bunch of varietals including everlastings, wreath flowers, native foxgloves, blue cornflower, orchids, yellow bells plus many more may be spotted. Be sure to check out the community garden here and local pioneer museum here, too.
Head off from Perenjori nice and early. You’ll see loads of wildflowers on the roadside between Perenjori and Morawa. Be sure to stop in at Bowgada Nature Reserve, which is carpeted in so many white everlastings that it looks like a ski field!
Morawa is a great spot for a fuel pitstop and to grab a bite to eat. It’s an adorable country town, with a great little museum, heritage windows featuring the town’s pioneering history and a decent IGA if you need to stock up on snacks. It’s also an astrotourism town, so bring your telescope and binoculars if you love a stargaze.
The drive from Morawa to Mullewa is utterly beautiful – it’s the heart of Wildflower Country and is teeming with carpets of everlastings and orchids. Be sure to stop in at Bilya Rock on Morawa-Mullewa Road, home to a large granite outcrop (and a survey marker placed by John Forrest), War Rock and Gnamma Hole (a beautiful site framed by the Moonagin and Karrakarook Ranges) and Karara Rangeland Park, featuring banded ironstone ridges, permanent waterholes and a rich First Nations history. All are clearly signposted and easy to find.
Do not miss Canna! The Old Canna Campsite is not only home to a copious number of wildflowers, it also still has the dilapidated shack of a heartbroken English soldier, who lived out here alone after losing his wife and child in WW1. Bring the tissues, it’s a poignant view.
Take a quick detour to Pindar before continuing to Mullewa. Pindar is by far the best place to spot an exquisite wreath flower.
The best places to see wildflowers in Mullewa are on clearly marked southern and northern circuits. This area is a wildflower hotspot, as it straddles both geological and climactic transition zones. You’ll likely see a whole gamut of everlastings here, including pink stars, pom poms, splendids and pink sunrays. There’s also a 3km walking loop on Lovers Lane, right opposite the Mullewa Caravan Park.
Leave plenty of time for your final destination for the day, Coalseam Conservation Park. You can book a campsite here at Miners Campground or in the overflow camping at Breakaway. The sites at Miners are unpowered but there are long drop facilities and picnic tables, and a communal campfire in burning season. If you don’t have a camping setup, all good – you can head south to Mingenew (a 30-minute drive away) and grab a chalet there instead (there’s plenty of parking for day trippers at Miners).
Coalseam is unmissable during wildflower season. It’s heaving with carpets of wildflowers, which are best viewed on the 3.4km Plateau Loop trail, accessed from Miners. The Irwin lookout features breathtaking views from the clifftops. You can even view a disused coal shaft here from the Johnson Shaft Viewing Platform (yes, that’s real coal in the black bands of the riverbanks). Sunrise and sunset are heavenly here, so we highly recommend camping here if you can!
Head to Mingenew early and grab something yummy from the Mingenew Bakery. The best vantage points for wildflowers around here are on Depot Hill or Mingenew Hill. Depot Hill has a bush track that leads to an historic WW2 army rifle range and is a great spot for a picnic, with its river and leafy gums. Mingenew Hill, an historic droving site, features a stunning lookout over Mingenew townsite and the surrounding areas.
From Mingenew, it’s a two-hour drive to Moora – but don’t forget to stop at three more wildflower hotspots along the way, Three Springs, Carnamah and Coorow. The best place to see wildflowers in Three Springs is down the Robinson Road – Arrowsmith River Crossing scenic drive, or along the town’s heritage walk. In Carnamah, the Carnamah-Eneabba Wildflower Drive showcases one of the largest and most spectacular displays of wildflowers most seasons. In Coorow, head to the Coorow Farm Wildflower Trail, just 1km from the town centre on Coorow Latham Road. You can either walk or drive it, and the ruins of the Long Family Homestead can also be found on it. This was the home of the first white settlers, William and Sara Long, who ran a pastoral station here and built the home using mud from the dam and chopped up rushes. There’s a BBQ and picnic facilities here, too.
Moora is largely considered the “gateway” to Wildflower Country. Wildflowers can usually be found on Dandaragan Road, Prices Road, Namban West Road and Watheroo West Road. However, the drive from Moora to Perth in spring is dreamy even without wildflowers, as it morphs from farm plains, to rolling emerald hills, to daisy and canola lined fields. We recommend stopping in Moora for lunch, too – there’s a gorgeous French creperie here called Jeanne D’Moore, which is quite out of place in a farming town. We fell on a crepe after a few days of parmis and steak sangas at country pubs!
From Moora, the drive back to Perth is just 1.5 hours.
How long do I need to see WA’s wildflowers?
For a roadtrip, we recommend at least two nights/three days. The drive from Perth to Mullewa is nearly five hours, so a return journey in one day would mean a lot of driving and not much wildflower viewing.
Are WA wildflowers flowering? How will I know?
There are a few ways to find the tea on when and where the wildflowers are blooming. Visitor centres in these towns are great sources of information and so friendly and helpful. Mullewa Visitor Centre, Mingenew Visitor Centre and Morawa Visitor Centre can all help point you in the right direction.
You can also join one of many Wildflower Hunter groups on Facebook. We love this group.
Where else can I stay in Wildflower Country?
If you’re doing a Wildflower Country roadtrip and don’t want to stay in Perenjori and Coalseam Conservation Park, your other options include:
Coorow Hotel – hotel rooms.
Morawa Caravan Park – units and sites.
Railway Hotel Mullewa – hotel and motel rooms.
Mullewa Caravan Park – sites only.
Mingenew Caravan Park – cabins and sites.
You can also stay closer to the coast in Dongara and Geraldton.
Can I get mobile phone reception in Wildflower Country?
We were able to get perfect Telstra coverage over the entire route – if you’re with another provider, check to see the coverage.
Don’t forget to:
• Bring bug spray and a fly net! As the weather warms up, the flies can become relentless.
• Fill your car’s wiper fluid before you leave – you’ll end up with a lot of squished bugs on your windscreen.
• We know they’re beautiful, but always treat wildflowers with respect. No trampling them, parking on them or picking them!
• If you’re vegetarian or vegan, bring your own nosh. Country hotel pub grub is limited.
*We pay where we stay and only recommend the special places. Deep Dive is put together with love and lived experience, to help you explore the beautiful state of WA and the world outside of it. If you found this article useful, consider buying us a coffee to help us survive!
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