A Word About Wildflowers

On our last trip to Australia Sue Wood, ATC host from Melbourne, told us about the spectacular displays of wildflowers in Western Australia and the beautiful Indian Ocean beaches. She told us that people come from all over the world to walk in the fields of flowers in spring. We’ve timed our trip to see the display, and the highlight of our visit to Perth was King’s Park. The wildflowers in their infinite variety were stunning. Admittedly King’s Park is a Botanical Garden but we took a tour with a very knowledgeable guide and had an excellent introduction not only to the flowers but the trees. Did you know that there are 24,000 species of wildflower in Australia and that 12,000 of them grow in Western Australia? Or that they are pollinated not only by bees but birds and animals as well? That is why some flowers grow so close to the ground to attract creatures like the honey eating possum. It’s nice to know the possum serves a purpose in Australia, because it is absolutely reviled in New Zealand. Kiwis make beautiful sweaters, hats, mitts, socks and scarves from its fur!

We returned twice to this gorgeous park to walk its trails and enjoy meals at the very excellent Botanical Cafe with views out over the Swan River and downtown Perth. Tourists can actually take a free bus to reach it. Now how friendly is that? Everywhere we’ve gone so far, people in shops and restaurants ask how we are enjoying our trip and unlike their counterparts in North America with their zombie-like, “Have a nice day” at the end of all transactions, the Aussies (and New Zealanders too) really seem to care. We love it here.