Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 9 . PERTH & WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Tip-Toeing Through the Wildflowers
Every year from August to mid-November, Mother Nature blesses just
about the entire state of Western Australia with a carpet of 12,000
species of white, yellow, mauve, pink, red, and blue wildflowers.
This annual burgeoning is matched by an explosion of wildflower
shows and festivals in country towns throughout the state, and coach
and rail tour companies go into overdrive ferrying petal enthusiasts
from all around Australia and the globe on wildflower tours. Conveniently,
the blossoms cluster in the cooler southern half of the state,
where you can easily explore them on day trips from Perth, or on
longer jaunts of up to 5 days or so. September and October are usually
the best months. The most popular route is what the tourism authority
calls the Everlasting Trail running through sparsely populated country
north of Perth. It follows the Great Northern Highway to Wubin,
272 km (170 miles) north of Perth, and on to the country town of
Mullewa (another 222km/139 miles north), which puts on one of the
state’s best wildflower shows for a week every August. From here,
head west 98km (61 miles) to Geraldton and 424km (265 miles) back to
Perth down the Brand Highway for more floral sensations. This route
has little of interest except flowers; instead, you can combine wildflower
watching with wine tasting on a jaunt to the much prettier, less
isolated Southwest (see “Margaret River & the Southwest: Wine Tasting
& Underground Wonders” later in the chapter). If time is short,
don’t despair. You can see ample blossoms right in Perth at Kings Park
& Botanic Garden, which conducts free guided walks through its 200
species during its 10-day Wildflower Festival every September or October.
Because Australian flora is adapted to desert conditions, it tends
to sprout on dry, sunny days following a rain shower. For this reason,
the Western Australia Tourist Centre (see “Visitor Information” above)
runs a Wildflower Desk during the season to keep you up on whatever
hot spot is blooming brightest that week, and book you on one of the
many coach, rail, or 4WD wildflower tours. Interstate buses and trains
and hotels fill up in wildflower season, so book ahead.
Campervan Rentals, has an office in Perth (& 1800/331 454 in Australia, or 08/
9478 3488).
TOUR OPERATORS Australian Pinnacle Tours (& 1800/999 069 in Australia,
or 08/9417 5555; www.pinnacletours.com.au) specializes in coach tours
around Perth and throughout the state. Overland 4WD Safaris (& 08/9524
7122; www.overland.com.au) runs 4WD safaris from Perth with an off-thebeaten-track
bent.
Aerial tours make sense in WA Look into the personalized or pre-set tours
offered by Complete Aviation Services (& 1800/632 221 in Australia, or
08/9478 2749; www.casair.com.au) or Kookaburra Air (& 08/9354 1158; www.
kookaburra.iinet.net.au). Their tours from Perth can take you throughout Western
Australia, including the Kimberley, the Top End, and the Red Centre.