Dryandra
So for one of our weekend outings, we decided on Dryandra, not far from Perth
Dryandra Woodland is a valuable nature conservation area featuring the largest remnant of original vegetation in the western Wheatbelt. More than 25 mammals, 100 birds and 50 reptiles call Dryandra home, including Western Australia’s state mammal emblem, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus).
Sometimes as much fun as getting somewhere, is the journey, and the stops you can make. Like this rest stop…
…with birds?
We just had to go investigate.
There are times, like this one…
…lovely birds in a beer garden, at a rest stop…
…you’re not in Kansas anymore!
Also at the rest stops here? Ice cream!
Interesting on outings, is what you see driving through, like this cute sign in Wandering.
And the things on the side of the road are interesting too. Old barns….
….rusty farm equipment.
Watching farmers do their work.
At last we’re at the big open roads of Dryandra.
We loved seeing the flora…
Like this sun orchid…
These everlastings…
Or this Eucalyptus macrocarpa, or Mottlecah. A favorite of ours.
And these red beauties with birds hiding and chirping inside of them.
Our biggest happy surprise was seeing this beard orchid.
So we didn’t get to see a numbat straight on, something we were looking for, but I am sure I saw one scampering in the woods as we were in the car.
The fauna of the area we DID get to see….
A willy wagtail that didn’t seem to mind having company….
one very large kangaroo that I almost walked into. He noticed me before I noticed it and off it hopped off in the distance.
Rufous treecreeper
But one of the coolest things we got to see was this Sand goanna, a large Australian monitor lizard, also known as Gould’s monitor, the sand monitor, or racehorse goanna. It was very patient with me as I took a number of photos and crept closer and closer.
John was not as patient with me, indicating I was wasting precious time.
One more photo before we go. 
Close to the beard orchid we saw this bug. As bugs go, this one was a beauty with its markings. I think I have finally ID’d this one, Poecilometis sp nymph Eucalyptus Shield Bug nymph. This nymph looks to be about the third instar (stage) in its metamorphosis.
As the sun got lower, we made our way back home.
With a pause at this farmhouse framed by this tree.
So we didn’t get to see any numbats, but we had a lovely day in Dryandra, much of it spent trying to figure out where we were in the park.
I knew exactly where we were.
Together. My favorite place.
