Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe

 

With only a few weeks left on my own in WA I headed to some areas I had hoped to return to visit before getting rained out when I drove across a few months back. I also heard from Quentin that we had quit his job and was on the road again so we touched base about returning to some places with the intention that we might travel in the same areas, but not always go to the same places. I was happy to travel with him, but also was looking forward to a bit of solo time after spending 3 weeks in the car with someone else. Not that it wasn’t great, I absolutely loved it, but traveling together the way we did we shared the car, tent, and room and we were never apart and I have been traveling by myself for quite some time now and it was definitely an adjustment.

We both had wanted to go to Ravensthorpe which is famous for its annual wildflower festival and it was the last few days of the festival. There was a really great community hall filled with clippings of hundreds of local wildflowers. Each species in its own little vase with a card explaining what species it was. Many plant groups also had plaques describing the ones unique to the area, ways to identify them, and other cool tidbits. There were artists who did botanical paintings, chandeliers made entirely of flowers, and so many little displays. It was so cool.

I spent 3 nights in the campground at Fitzgerlad National Park which is a nice areas with quiet campsites near the beach. The weather was perfectly sunny and warm for hiking and sitting outside and on the second night there I went to a wildflower sundowner thanks to the encouragement and financial support of my mom. At the sundowner there were about 35 people, most of them retired plant enthusiasts, but there were a few younger people as well. As I chatted I learned at 5 of them worked for Kings Park and we quickly started excitedly talking plants and conservation. I got contact details from them and they promised me a private tour of the park when I return to Perth. They were so nice and friendly and I really enjoyed talking to them. It was a great night punctuated by wine and snack with a sunset view of the mountains.

The next morning Quentin and I met for a few short walks along the coast before he headed to the west side of the park. I stayed enjoying a slow day of working in the warm sunshine and coming up with potential future plans.