WA's Coral Coast rolls out the carpet for wildflower visitors

Western Australia is home to 12,000 species of wildflowers, with nearly two-thirds of which are found nowhere else on earth. And the state's Coral Coast region is renowned for its spectacular wildflowers and everlasting flower carpets.

With the wildflower season starting around mid-August this year and running until the end of October, now is the perfect time to plan a trip to the region - which extends from Cervantes to Exmouth and east to Wildflower Country.

According to Australia's Coral Coast chief executive David O'Malley, significant rainfall in June and July has pushed germination and flowering out, resulting in a late start to the season and the chance to see a diversity of unique blooms including the popular wreath lexchenaultia, many varieties of orchid and several native bush flowers.

"Early blooms of individual native flowers are out now with the first everlasting carpets expected to put on a show from mid-late August through September," he said.

"We are predicting the 2019 season to be just as good as 2018, which was one of the best seasons in a decade."

Best locations for viewing wildflowers include a number of hotspots such as Lesueur National Park through to Eneabba which includes Coalseam Conservation Park (WA's top hotspot for everlasting flower carpets), Kalbarri National Park to Shark Bay, and the Carnarvon basin.

Mr O'Malley siad the heartland of wildflower country and the many inland towns of Coorrow and Mullewa are already reporting sightings of a variety of orchids, eremophilas, wattles and hakeas in flower, with plenty more species well on their way.

The everlastings are also beginning to appear and are generally more prolific east of Carnamah.

A bucket list item for flora lovers, the wreath leschenaultia, is expected to be on full display by September according to Mullewa Visitor Centre's Colby Elliot, with early buds already evident.

The wreath leschenaultia is a low-growing plant found on sandy or gravelly soils and when viewed from above, has a wreath-like form during its flowering period from August to November.

The Coral Coast is home to three of Australia's 15 National Biodiversity Hotspots. These are Mount Lesueur-Eneabba, Geraldton to Shark Bay sand plains, and the Carnarvon Basin.

If you can't get to the Coral Coast this spring, blooms can be seen along the entire coast all year, in places such as Lesueur National Park, Cape Range National Park, and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.

For details on Coral Coast's wildflowers click HERE

For travel deals and bookings on the Coral Coast Highway click HERE