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Western Australia is a well recognized destination for its stunning annual display of wildflowers.
Around 11,000 flora species are found in WA and over 75% are found in the south-west, one of the top 10 biodiversity hotspots in the world
This tour gives visitors an insite into the local flora of the Karri understory and travels through the coastal heath..
PEMBERTON WILDFLOWER TOURS
Wildflower season in Pemberton & the Southern Forests region
Our Beach & Forest Eco Adventure takes on a whole new character during wildflower season.
Travelling through four different ecosystems — from the karri forest and wetlands through to coastal heath and the Yeagarup Dunes — means there are different plants flowering at different times throughout the journey.
It’s a wonderful way to experience the changing seasons of Pemberton, with plenty of opportunities to stop, look, photograph and learn along the way.
The tour suits a wide range of ages — our oldest guest was 96 and was still yelling “Yee-haa!” from the back seat.
From time to time we are also joined by special guests with additional knowledge of our local flora, fungi and birdlife, including Wendy Eiby, Melissa Zappelli, Sophie Xiang, Peter Donecker and ornithologist Christine Wilder or Peter Taylor.
Some specialist departures are also offered during Northcliffe's Blooming Wild Festival.
To join us, simply check dates on our live calendar and select the Beach & Forest Eco Adventure.
About our wildflowers
Western Australia is internationally recognised for its extraordinary diversity of wildflowers, and the South West is one of the richest areas for plant diversity.
Pemberton, surrounded by karri, jarrah forest and the coastal landscapes of D’Entrecasteaux National Park, is a wonderful base for experiencing the wildflower season.
Here, the season starts well before the main spring display. From late winter we begin to see flowering orchids, including Helmet and Midge Orchids, along with the deep purple flowers of Tree Hovea (Hovea elliptica).
As spring progresses, the karri forest changes through different flowering phases, with purples, yellows, oranges, pinks, whites and blues appearing at different times.
Common flowering plants in the karri understorey include Water Bush (Bossiaea aquifolium), Karri Hazel (Trymalium floribundum), wattles, Tassel Bush (Leucopogon verticillatus), Coral Vine (Kennedia coccinea), Flame Peas (Chorizema spp.), Native Wisteria (Hardenbergia comptoniana) and White Clematis (Clematis pubescens).
And then there are the orchids.
More than 30 species of terrestrial orchid can be found around the Pemberton area. Spotting them can become a bit like a treasure hunt — and, once you find your first one, slightly addictive!
The Pemberton region also contains areas of jarrah forest, with their own seasonal wildflower displays.
Closer to the coast, D’Entrecasteaux National Park supports a completely different range of heathland plants. Many of these flower earlier than those in the karri forest, which is one of the reasons our 4WD journey can reveal such variety in a single day.
There are plenty of beautiful drives and walks around Pemberton where you can discover wildflowers yourself. But travelling with a local guide gives you the opportunity to explore several different environments, stop when something interesting appears and learn more about what you are seeing.
Don’t forget the camera.
Discover wildflowers beyond the highway
Our Beach & Forest Eco Adventure travels from the karri forest through wetlands and coastal heath to the Yeagarup Dunes and the Southern Ocean.
During wildflower season, that journey gives us the chance to see completely different plants flowering across several ecosystems.
We stop when there is something worth seeing — an orchid tucked beside the track, flowering shrubs through the forest, birds, fungi or simply a landscape that has changed since our last visit.
Photography opportunities are everywhere, particularly in spring when the colour and light can change dramatically throughout the day.
Then there are the Yeagarup Dunes.
These massive mobile dunes are constantly shifting, and the contrast between forest, heath, white sand and the coast makes this much more than simply a wildflower tour.
Every departure is different because nature decides what we find.
BOOK NOW
Tours depart at 9am or 2pm depending on availability (usually one time)
Tours seat a minumum of 2 passengers and maximum of 19 in 2 vehicles (larger groups available on request)
Tours include lunch or afternoon tea, National Park Entry Fees and GST.
Please note: You are welcome to contact us direct via email info@pembertondiscoverytours.com.au or phone 08 9776 0484 as we may have availability that has not been updated and also prefer to get to know you a little before we take you out!
An Outstanding Adventure For All
We have done many guided family tours around the world and this has been one of the best.
In four hours we walked in a massive Karri forest in D'Entrecasteaux National Park, drove across (and ran down!) amazing sand dunes out to see the Great Southern ocean (whales spotted).
We felt safe and secure with our knowledgable and friendly guide.
In Spring the tour is worth the trip to Pemberton just to see the wildflowers alone.
Richard 2015
OTHER TOURS
Ready to explore?
Our Beach & Forest Eco Adventure operates throughout the year. During wildflower season, the tour takes a floral twist.
Morning departure: 9am
Afternoon departures: available on request
Small groups: maximum 13 or 11 guests
Private tours: available and maybe preferable
National Park entry: included
Wildflower enthusiasts, photographers, families and curious minds are all welcome.
Book your Beach & Forest Eco Adventure online or contact us to discuss a private experience.
Additional specialist wildflower tours may also operate during the season — keep an eye on our website and social media for confirmed dates.
Detailed Itinerary
For those of you who want to know EVERYTHING before you go, this is the longer version. - however we find it really hard to describe... so please read our trip advisor or facebook reviews - the people who write those are our actual clients and have written from the heart.)
We travel the same route as our Beach & Forest Eco Adventure, but during wildflower season there is even more focus on the flora we find along the way. We stop more often, look more closely and follow what is flowering on the day.
Departing Pemberton, we travel through farmland and into Warren National Park, where the landscape changes quickly into towering karri forest and dense understorey.
Wildlife can include kangaroos, emus, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and other forest birdlife, depending on the day and season. The journey through the karri also gives us plenty of opportunities to talk about the forest, early settlement, old tracks and how this landscape has changed over time.
From the Warren National Park we continue towards Lake Yeagarup and D'Entrecasteaux National Park, where we stop to stretch our legs and take in the changing environment before heading onto the sandy 4WD tracks.
The Yeagarup Dunes soon appear ahead of us — a huge wall of moving sand advancing through the landscape. We stop to explore the dunes on foot, take photographs and experience just how different this environment is from the forest we have just left behind.
The dunes are constantly shifting. Wind and weather reshape the surface from one visit to the next, so even for us, no two trips ever look quite the same.
From the southern side of the dunes we travel through coastal heath, where the vegetation changes again and the wildflower display can be completely different from what we have seen in the karri.
We then continue towards the Southern Ocean and Yeagarup Beach, where there may be opportunities to see coastal birdlife and explore the mouth of the Warren River. Depending on seasonal conditions, the river mouth may be open or closed, and the whole landscape can look dramatically different from one week to the next.
Along the way we take time for photographs, short walks, questions and whatever nature happens to put in front of us that day.
Depending on the departure, we enjoy either a picnic lunch or afternoon tea before making our way back to Pemberton.
Graeme and Toni Dearle established Pemberton Discovery Tours in 1999 and have spent more than 25 years helping visitors experience this remarkable part of the Southern Forests.
Today, our tours continue to provide access to the Yeagarup Dunes, remote coastline and other places that many visitors would otherwise never get to experience.
Our other services include private tours, wine and food tours, tag-along 4WD tours and Bibbulmun Track transfers.
