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Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Showing posts with label bushwalking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bushwalking. Show all posts

Sunday, 11 October 2026

Wildflowers in the Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia

 Hi all, I hope you and yours are doing well. Here in Western Australia spring has sprung, and we have had a mixture of rain and cool nights, and then a burst of summer sun. 

I hope you enjoyed my last post from our recent camping trip with our friends, and Meeting a Numbat and other Wildlife in the Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia. As promised I am back to share some wildflowers from Dryandra with you. 


Dryandra Woodland National Park, located just a couple of hours south of Perth, and north east of our home in the South West of Western Australia, has a several walking tracks ranging from 1km to 12.5 km, so there is plenty of opportunity to see wildflowers, especially during spring. 

Spread over 27,000 hectares, there is a mixture of woodlands in Dryandra, ranging from marri, jarrah, wandoo, sheoak and mallet trees, and soil types creating environments for over 850 species of plants. With less than 7%of the original vegetation remaining the the western wheatbelt, Dryandra is of critical conservation importance. 

We camped at Gnaala Mia campground, so our first walk was along the 3km walk trail that circles the Gnaala Mia campground. If you recall in my last post, we saw numbats and echidnas along this trail, as well as wildflowers. 


Please note I am not a botanist, but I will do my best to identify the plants.

Below is the Pink Coneflower - Isopogon crithmifolius - a shrub which grows to about 1.8 metes tall with gorgeous showy pink flowers August to November.  



Below are three examples of different Petrophiles. The one on the right is Tanlged Petrophile - Petrophile divaricata. 


Below is the Golden Dryandra - Banksia (Dryandra) bobilis. There are 92 species of Dryandra, all entirely endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In 2007 the species of Dryandra was abosorbed into the family of Banksia. 

In the collage below you can see 4 stages - the flower forming, known as the perianth. As the flower opens the styles detach and curl or loop outwards. The final stage is a pincushion look. 


The Golden Dryandra is a tall shrub to four metres tall, and its flowers are up to 50 millimetres in diameter. Old leaves persist giving the shrub a brown, shaggy appearance. The shrubs can form dense impenetrable stands which provide safe havens for woylies to nest in.  
I think they look very sculptural and somewhat prehistoric. 


I believe this is another of the Dryandras - possibly Pingle - Banksia (Dryandra) squarrosa. You will note the prickly leaves that are a feature of Dryandras and Banksias. Hence why the bushes are impenetrable!


Below is Parrot Bush - Banksia (Dryandra) sessilis. The Noongar peoples know the plant as budjan or butyak. Below you can see the stages of the flower forming.



I believe this to be the King Dryandra - Banksia (Dryandra) proteoides. The large flower heads are surrounded by reddish-orange bracts which remain on the branches for many years. I'm sharing this photo that I took on a trip to Dryandra in June 2023. 


Below is Styphelia acervata (kick bush) a low prostrate ground hugging plant which features stiff, tough foliage with sharp tips on the end of each leaf. 

The plant produces small berries (karlburi) that are a traditional bush tucker food. The local Noongar people (who call the plant Cadgeegurrup) traditionally use a stick to carefully pick through the sharp leaves to harvest the fruit, however early settlers used their boots to kick the flat clumps over to expose the underside. Not very eco friendly! 

I thought I had a photo of the whole plant, but found that I don't.


Below you can see two types of Quandongs - on the left the Desert / Sweet Quandong - Santalum acuminatum -  with the broader leaf. On the right with the narrow leaf is the Bitter Quandong - Santalum murrayanum. Both are parasitic plants belonging to the Sandlewood family. Both are also edible, but the Sweet Quandong has a much better flavour. I have made jam with them in the past, and they are delicious. The green ones in this picture are not yet ripe. Trust me you don't want to sample the Bitter Quandongs - yes very bitter even when ripe!


Below is the Painted Lady - Gompholobium scabrum. This slender shrub grows to about 1.5 metres tall. The beautiful pea flowers range in colour from pink to mauve and flowers July to October.  We saw this bush on the way to the Lol Grey walk trail. 


Below is Sandplain Poison - Gastrolobium microcarpum - a bushy shrub to 1.5 metres tall which flowers August to October. You see them all over Dryandra. It contains fluoroacetate, which is highly toxic to introduced mammals, such as cats and foxes, but has little effect on native mammals. This toxin has been manufactured synethetically and is called 1080, and has been used to reduce numbers of introduced foxes in Dryandra under the Western Shield program. You can read more here - Australian Geographic - the plant that saved the numbats


Below are a few wild orchids. We found the best place to find them was on the flat grasslands around the old rail formation on Congelin Siding walk. There is also a camping area in this area. 

Below you can see clockwise from top left - Primrose spider orchid, one of the red spider orchids, jug orchid, possibly the Blue Beard orchid, Little Laughing Leek Orchid, one of the cowslip orchids, a group of cowslips, Sugar orchid, and in the centre, my favourite the Lemon Scentred Sun Orchid also known as the Vanilla Orchid. 


Lemon Scentred Sun Orchid also known as the Vanilla Orchid - Thelymitra antennifera. Flowering September to early October, it is a common orchid from Shark Bay to the Great Australian Bight, and inland to the Goldfields. Only 2-3 cm wide, I love their little faces which look like, to me, like they are wearing sun glasses. 


We had never seen the Primrose Spider orchid before - Caladenia xantha.  It is always lovely to see something new. At first we thought we had discovered the rare Lemon Spider Orchid - Caladenia luteola - but were advised it was actually the Primrose Spider orchid. No matter - it was a special find for us. 


And those flowers I shared last week? I believe these to be 3 varieties of Hakea - a genus of about 150 species of shrubs and small trees in the Proteaceae family and closely related to Banksias and Grevillias. I am thinking as they were growing near the Arboretum, they were probably planted. But so gorgeous don't you think?  More info here - Dryandra Aboretum 


If you would like an overview of Dryandra, the 23km Darwinia Drive is a good one to follow, with information boards at five pull-over bays, with short walks. The information bays highlight the different soil types and plants of Dryandra. It is a good gravel road suitable for 2WD, and easily done in a morning or afternoon, but why not slow down and take a picnic!


One of the walks we did was the Woylie Walk, a 5.5km circuit trail starting at the Old Mill Dam picnic area. The walk went through a variety of woodlands of wandoo, powderbark, knongam heath, jarrah, rock sheoak and mallet plantations. 

The ground beneath mallet trees is unusually bare. The bark has a 55% tannin content - one of a group of chemicals that prevents other plants germinating, resulting in bare earth under the trees. This is known as allelopathy which reduces competition for nutrients, water and light. The trees dense canopy screens out sunlight, further inhibiting undergrowth. The bare earth also inhibits bush fires. 

I wrote a comprehensive blog post about mallet trees in 2023 - where you can read about the mallet trees, the plantations and the mallet industry here - Walking through the mallet trees in the Dryandra Woodland


Honestly there are so many wildflower species in Dryandra - over 850 in fact - it would take me forever to photograph, identify and share them with you. But below are a few more. 
The gorgeous red one in the centre is the Grey-leaved Bottlebrush - Beaufortia incana 


I hope you have enjoyed coming to Dryandra with me. 

More info at - 


From my blog you might also like - 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate every one of you and value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

If you are looking for a translate button - it's there near the top on the right hand side. 

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Saturday, 19 September 2026

Meeting a Numbat and other wildlife in the Dryandra National Park, Western Australia

 Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are doing well. I feel a bit snowed under at the moment with too many projects on the go, and an art market coming up at the end of November. I know that sounds a long way away, but I need to get myself organised, and get some new work completed before then. 

However, today I want to introduce you to the Numbat and other wildlife that live in the Dryandra Woodland National Park in Western Australia. 

Can you see him? Look carefully. As we walked along scanning the bush, we suddenly saw a blur, a glimpse of something small, fast running through the bush. It was our first day in Dryandra - could it possibly be? We could see where he had stopped, sitting on a log, so little by little we wallked slowly forward through the bush, using the trees to shield us from view. As we got closer the black and white stripes and the brush tail were obvious. A numbat! 

We have visited Dryandra a numerous times over the years and I have blogged about it several times before - you can see a complete list of posts further down this post. 

Located about 170 kilometres south east of Perth (about two and a half hours drive), and about the same distance from where we live in the south west, Dryandra is a easy place to visit for the weekend. We can leave home in the morning and be there and set up by lunch time. 

Comprising of 17 blocks of woodland totaling 28,000ha, Dryandra is the largest area of remnant vegetation in the western wheatbelt. It is a valuable conservation area, home to over 850 plant species, 25 mammal, 100 bird and 50 reptile species. 

In 1970, Dryandra was saved from bauxite mining by renowned naturalist and conservationalist Dr Vincent Seventy.  Dryandra became a National Park in January 2022. 

There are three campgrounds at Dryandra suitable for tents, camper vans, and caravans - one at Congelin and two at Gnaala Mia, peacefully situated in bushland in the west of the park. These are easily accessed off the York Williams Road north of Williams. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a camp kitchen, and long drop toilets. 

There are also cottages for rent on the eastern side of the park. Here is a map. 


We have visited Dryandra twice in the last month or so. Once in the first week of August for a long weekend with my photography group, the Photography Group of Bunbury, and wildlife photographer Alex Cearns, and then again in the first weekend of September with friends who have been travelling through Western Australia from Queensland, who we met on our Kimberley Cruise in 2025. 

We camped at Gnaala Mia campground. Gnaala Mia is an indigenous Noongar word meaning "our home". We enjoy the quiet bush setting of Gnaala Mia, and have had nocturnal animals come into our camp in the evening.  



There are eight walk trails ranging from 1km to 12.5 km, and a 23km drive trail, that features 5 pull-over bays with information boards and revealing the different natural features of Dryandra. 


These walks are a great way to experience the wildlife of Dryandra which is a haven for animals. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions undertakes the Western Shield baiting project to reduce the impact of feral cats and foxes on the native wildlife.

Below you can see, clockwise from top left - echidna (spiny ant eater), Mala, joey (young) kangaroo, Rufus Tree Creeper, Bilby, Painted Button Quail, Purple Crowned Lorikeet, Bobtail Lizard, and in the centre the Numbat. 


We considered ourselves very lucky to see the endangered Numbat marsupial (Myrmecobius fasciatus), as in all the times we have visited Dryandra, this is only the second time we have seen a numbat. The local Noongar indigenous name is noombat. 

Historically, numbats occurred right across southern Australia with populations in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and the Northern Territory, in a wide range of habitats, from mulga woodlands and spinifex sandplains to eucalypt woodlands and forests. 

However the numbat has since disappeared across much of their previous range due to habitat destruction and the introduction of cats and foxes. This is where the Western Shield baiting program and the breeding program at the Perth Zoo which  re-introduces juvenile numbats into the wild, are so important to the survival of this tiny creature. The numbat has recently been reclassified from "endangered" to "near threatened" and is estimated to now have a wild population of 2,000 to 3,000 after crashing to 300 in the late 1970s. However there is still a long way to go. Numbat news July 2026 at Numbat.org

The adult numbat has a body length of 20 to 29 centimeters (8 to 11.5 inches) with a bushy tail adding another 12 to 21 centimeters (4.5 to 8 inches), making the total combined length roughly 35-45 centimeters.  It holds it's tail up in the air when running. 

Numbats are only active during the day. In the colder months they are usually only active between 10am to 4pm. In hotter months between 8am-12 noon, then an afternoon siesta and more activity 3-7pm. They stay in their log or burrow on cold, wet and windy days. Numbats exclusively eat termites, eating up to 20,000 a day - that's a lot of termites! The Numbat has a long, slender sticky tongue (approx. 10–11 cm long) that it uses to dip into narrow cavities in logs, leaf litter and into small holes in the ground to collect termites.

Because they are active during the day, they also may be taken by birds of prey and reptiles.  

I found this website from Project Numbat which has lots of great information - Numbat.  Also more information at Australian Geographic. 

We felt very lucky to see two numbats while bushwalking in Dryandra plus another four dashing across the road, bushy tails held erect - but too quick for us! 

There is a 3km walk trail around the Gnaala Mia campground. It takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on how often you stop to take photos! There are a wide range of wildflowers along the trail, plus the opportunity to spot numbats, echidnas, birds and reptiles. As well as seeing two numbats, we enjoyed seeing two echidnas. 

The Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a native Australian mammal and one of only two egg-laying mammals - monotremes. The other one is the platypus.  Echidna babies (called puggles) hatch from a leathery egg into the mother's pouch. 

Echidnas feed on ants and termites. They have big claws which they use for digging and pushing aside rocks and branches and digging to get to the ants. If you approach they will often hunker down into a spiny ball. They have a waddling type walk. Echidnas can grow up to 40 cm and 7 kg. 

I have blogged about echidna's before here - Meeting an Echidna in the Dryandra Woodland - 2023

Here is some information from Bush Heritage Australia about echidnas. 

I didn't know until today that there are actually five sub-species of echidnas. For example, the echidnas in Tasmania hibernate during winter, and have long hair amongst their spines. You can read about them here and see a pic - The Conversation - Echidnas are really remarkable - it really is fascinating reading. 




You will most likely see kangaroos at Dryandra. If you don't see them bushwalking, you only need to go to the big grassed area near the cottages where they seem to hang out. 

The usual kangaroo found in Dryandra is the Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), also known locally by its Noongar name, Yongka.

In the photos below, top left is a joey kangaroo, below which is a mother with a joey looking out of her pouch, and across the bottom is a big boomer (male kangaroo), lounging but taking an interest in us. You don't want to mess with these fellows. 

Like all marsupials, kangaroos have pouches where the joeys are reared, drinking milk from mammary glands. Females have one young annually, however they're able to keep extra embryos in a dormant state (embryonic diapause) until the first joey leaves the pouch, or until conditions are better. They can have a joey at foot, one in the pouch, and another in diapause all at the same time. More info at Bush heritage Australia

In the evening at Dryandra you can book a noctural experience at the Barna Mia Nocturnal Animal Sanctuary (fees apply). 

Barna Mia is a native animal sanctuary where threatened noctural animals can be seen in a natural habitat. Using special red-filtered spotlights at the feeding stations in the 4ha enclosures you will hopefully see marsupials such as the bilby, boodie, woylie, quenda, marla and possum. And at the same time learn what Barna Mia and Dryandra is doing to preserve these unique creatures. I have blogged about them before - Meeting a Bilby in the Dryandra Woodland - 2016

Tour duration is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Advance bookings are required. (see more info below). During the tour the areas were lit with a special red-filtered spotlight that doesn't disturb the animals. I have converted the images to black and white. 

Clockwise below from top left - Marla (Rufous hare-foot wallaby), Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) Ring-tail Possum with baby on her back, Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong), Bilby, and another Quenda. 


Below is another photo of the Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) and a Mala which I took on a previous visit. The bilby has very long ears It spends its daylight hours deep in a burrow and emerges after dusk to feed on insects, grubs, seeds, fungi and bulbs. The female has a rear-opening pouch. Bilbies constantly turnover soil, improving soil health by mixing through organic matter and bringing deep soils and their nutrients to the surface.

There is some interesting information here from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature - WWF-The Bilby. Bilbies in the wild are hanging on in small isolated populations, and it is feared they will become extinct. They are threatened by cats, foxes, other preditors, land clearing and fire. When we were in Queensland in 2023 we went to the Charleville Bilby Centre and learnt about what they are doing to help save the Bilby. I have just read that it was National Bilby Day on 13 September. Save the Bilby Fund

The Mala (Rufous Hare Wallaby) is a herbivore, which is now extinct on the mainland. This species survives only on some offshore islands off the Western Australian coast and in predator-proof enclosures such as Barna Mia. 


If you are lucky, you may have some nocturnal animals come into your camp. In the evenings we had woylie's bouncing around under the caravan, and around our camp. They are used to people, but please don't feed them. The Woylie top right (below) has a baby in her pouch. She was very friendly. 

The Woylie, also known as the Brush Tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata), feeds on underground fungi, tubers, seeds and insections. It builds a nest of woven grass and bark beneath low thick vegetation. 
This small nocturnal marsupial is considered an important ‘ecosystem engineer’ because its digging and foraging helps turn over topsoil, cycling nutrients and improving aeration and water infiltration into the soil.  Australian Wildlife Conservancy - Woylie

The spotted one is a Chuditch - Western Quoll.  Chuditch's are nocturnal, solitary and are Australia's largest endemic carnivore. They are not born with spots, which develop as they grow. The spots help break up the animal's outline, making it more difficult for predators and prey to see them. They have excellent sight and hearing. During the day they rest in hollow logs and burrows. They can range several kilometres from their burrow. 


Another little animal we saw when we were bushwalking was the Yellow footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster) - indigenous name is Mardo. This is a mouse like, tiny, furry carniverous marsupial weighing about 20-75 grams. They live in hollow logs and tree hollows and eat insects, small lizards, spiders, nectar, and fruit. They are very quick and you need to have very observant eyes to spot one. 

More information at  Re-wild Perth and Wild Life Watching Australia

Dryandra has 50 reptile species including snakes, though we didn't see any. However we did see a Bobtail Shingleback Lizard (2 top photos below, with slightly different colourations), and a Burtons Legless Lizard. At first glance you might think the Burtons is a snake. It has cleverly discarded its limbs to enable it to move quickly and silently. 

The birds we could hear seemed to be way up high in the trees, too high up for us to photograph. But we managed to snap a few. Below clockwise from top left -  Painted Button Quail, Pink and Grey Galah, Rufous Tree Creeper, Grey Currawong (that wanted to join us for breakfast every morning), Boobook Owl (which we saw at Barna Mia), and Purple Crowned Lorikeet (sitting in a hollow tree trunk, preparing to nest we think). 


The Rufous Tree Creeper. I bought a new 100-400mm lens for my camera before we went to Victoria earlier in the year, and I was particularly pleased with how it could cope with both bird and wildflower shots on our trip to Dryandra. I haven't been able to do much bird photography previously. 


That's about it from me for now. We had a wonderful few days in Dryandra catching up with our Queensland friends, and enjoyed showing them around, and showcasing our unique flora and fauna. They particularly enjoyed the woylies coming into camp as we sat around the camp fire in the evening. 

Next time we will take a walk through the Dryandra Woodland to look at wildflowers. We'll go bushwalking, drive the Darwinia Drive to explore the various vegetation types, marvel at the diversity of wildflowers, and hunt for tiny wild orchids. 

Where is it: Dryandra is located about 170 kilometres south east of Perth, about two and a half hours drive.

Camping: There are two options on the west side of the park off the York Williams Road. Both offer options for tenting, camper vans and trailers, and caravans. There are two loops at Gnaala Mia with 35 marked campsites which all have fire rings, and picnic table. There are long drop toilets and a covered camp kitchen. 

At Congelin campground there are 8 caravan bays, and space for group camping and tenting. 

You can also book a cottage at the Lions Dryandra Woodland village. 

Fees apply for camping, however spots are not bookable. We found best time to visit is on weekdays. Please take your rubbish away with you. 

Please ring for tour times at Barna Mia as the tours are not on every day, and to make a booking for the Barna Mia Nocturnal Experience.  Please call (08) 9881 9200 between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM

More information at Explore Parks-Dryandra.

Want to read more? You might be interested in other blog posts I have written about Dryandra over the years - Please click on the links. 

Camping in the Dryandra Woodland - 2015

Banksia or Dryandra? - 2023

Meeting a Bilby in the Dryandra Woodland - 2016

Time out in the Dryandra Woodland - 2023

Walking through the Mallet Trees in the Dryandra Woodland -2023

Meeting an Echidna in the Dryandra Woodland - 2023

Dryandra Woodland in the Early Morning Light - 2012

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of the animals and birds of Dryandra and will visit next time to see the wildflowers. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

If you are looking for a translate button - it's there near the top on the right hand side. 

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