Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The plans for our trip have taken shape over the past year so we had no way of knowing that Western Australia was drenched with record winter rain this past August. Wildflowers have responded with their best showing in a decade, and lucky for us, our trip is taking us through the prime wildflower territory when they are at their peak. We didn’t know but learned this week that this part of Western Australia has more species of wildflowers than any other place in the world. And we are here now – this year!

The colours by the side of the road are glorious – fields of yellow flowers, not to be confused with the fields of canola, bushes flecked in gold, long slender wands of delicate blue, pinks and roses of all hues and carpets of white. Set against the red road shoulders and the green crops in the fields, it makes for a magnificent drive.

Tonight is another motel. Perhaps we are getting soft in our old-er age but another 5 degree night with wind off the water didn’t entice us to set up the tent.

This area of Western Australia, north of Perth on the Indian Ocean is the home of Australian author, Tim Winton. Named a “Living Treasure” by the National Trust, Winton’s books have twice been short-listed for the Man Booker prize for English literature. I’ve just finished Dirt Music whose characters continue to live on in my head and highly recommend it.

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