Murchison River, Kalbarri National Park.

The first inklings of the Mid West spring were starting to peak out of the ground as I explored the Murchison gorge.  Very infrequently one was lucky enough to come across a tiny beauty like this native orchid.

A broad cross section of Tumblagooda Sandstone can be seen in this image of part of a wall of the Murchison gorge.  The river, responsible for carving the gorge, can be seen in the very bottom of the image.  Over 500 million years old, the sandstone is thought to contain some of the earliest fossilised tracks of terrestrial creatures in the world.

Layers of sandstone form the walls of the Murchison gorge.

The floodplain within the Murchison Gorge stretches out before the eye revealing a broad spectrum of ground colours and cover.

The Murchison River flows for some 650 kilometres before plunging through layers of deposited sandstone to form the Murchison Gorge, part of the Kalbarri National Park.  I’ve just spent the weekend there for the first time and I have to say it’s one of the most impresive natural parts of this country I’ve seen.  I’ll be posting quite a few photos from this region over the next few weeks and intend to return there in a month or two to explore again, in the midst of the wildflower season.

Only for a few brief months of the year do the Yarra Yarra Lakes near Carnamah become inundated with water, but when they do they make for a fantastic sight.  From the viewing are several kilometres away they seem to shimmer and sparkle with water gradually moved from side to side by the wind.  Up close, they take on an ethereal quality; it can be hard to tell where the lake ends and the sky begins.

Aviation navigation communication tower near Carnamah.

One of the joys of living in Western Australia is this time of year.  As a kid growing up in Australia you hear about the ‘wildflowers’ and see photos but figure it’s just that, select images and stories.  Turns out that it’s all that and more.  As of about last week, for example, the highway that I drive on to my day job has begun to erupt in colour; native bushes covered in pink, white and yellow flowers.  Wattle trees too are beginning to bloom with soft yellow pompoms and soon carpets of everlastings, orchids and others will begin blooming from about 700ks north of Perth to 400ks south.  I’m hoping ot make a definite effort to chase the wildflowers this year and hope to be able to share them here.  For now, a bright little bush spotted in John Forrest National Park.

Hovea Creek hurtles across smooth polished rocks that just two months ago were stagnant pools.

John Forrest National Park