Walking in a Wilyabrup Wonderland…

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’ll know I’m a big fan of our South West Western Australia orchids in spring time… and it’s orchid season now. It’s actually just a little bit early for the ones that I know best, but thanks to a local friend, Belinda, I’m learning more about orchids that come in late winter, early spring.

I had some time to kill today before my team play a big footy final tonight, so I figured a bushwalk would be just the thing, and I’d see if I could find some of these new varieties I’ve been hearing so much about.

I parked at a place where I could get my car off the road and go exploring.

And explore I did!

I didn’t worry about getting lost, or about snakes, or anything like that. I have a reasonable sense of direction in the bush, but the good part is I was walking in a place where I could always hear the sound of cars at the nearby road. Even if I’d got terribly lost I would have known which way to walk.

So, there I am, wandering through the bush… and lo and behold I came across this sign:

Now I know this family well… in fact, I really should have called ’em up and asked ’em to put the kettle on! So along Jolliffe’s Track I strolled, getting further from my car… till I started to think, you know, I really have been away from home for a while now, and I (stupidly) didn’t tell anyone where I was going. Actually, I told them I was going somewhere else entirely and then changed my mind as I was driving. So if I’d never returned home, not only would the Jolliffe’s have had a guest for dinner… my family would have been sending out the search party on Juniper Road…

I ventured off into the bush, happy that I could find Jolliffe’s Track again any time I liked, and it would lead me back to the car.

About then, I found this:

Now I thought it was a duck orchid because to me, it looks like a duck bill… but I’ve since learned from my friend Belinda that it’s more rare than a duck orchid and it’s called a ‘warty hammer’ orchid. Okay, so not quite as glamorous by name, but I have never seen a duck orchid OR a warty hammer orchid before (and I still haven’t seen a duck orchid apparently)! I spent some time flat on my stomach taking photographs and this one has come up well.

Eventually, I brushed myself off and headed back toward Jolliffe’s Track… lo and behold, I came across this sign instead:

Butcher’s Track!! Whatever happened to Jolliffe’s Track???

Never fear. I’m sure it’s a great sign of civilisation if I just keep walking. I can’t be far from my car…

About then, I found this!

It’s another newish one for me – a jug orchid. Isn’t it cool!

Hmm… you know what? It’s a while since I heard the sound of a car… I wonder which direction my car is? And as the sky gets a bit grey and a few drops of rain fall… I can’t help the little voice in my head that says: “I hope the Butcher’s of the Butcher’s Track are nice people… and not like ‘The Butcher of Wolf Creek’…

Then I saw this:

and I’m thinking, well, they sound marginally friendlier than the Butcher’s… and I saw this and this:

and finally, I saw this:

and then, this!

Hooray! It’s that very rare thing known as a ‘car orchid!’

And I was home… with a lovely story to tell of my wandering day. And it was almost time for the footy.

Go Eagles!

xx