Road Trip Saturday (part five)
The next part of the day trip took us to Wongan Hills. “Wongan” is derived from the Indigenous Australian name “wangan-katta”, “wanka” and “woongan”. “Katta” is known to mean “hill”, but the meaning of “wongan” is uncertain. It may be related to “kwongan”, an indigenous word for sandplain, or “whispering”, in which case “wongan katta” would mean “whispering hills” (katta is a word for hill).
A quick stop to the visitor center and we were given a map of where we could find purple enamel orchids, something we hadn’t seen yet.
We were told to find this path marked with pink ribbons.
Not too far in, we found the purple enamel orchids. A lot of them.
John was stopped by a tourist and chatted away while I kept snapping away at the orchids.
As I find these two together, the gentleman was kind enough to tell John that his Mrs shoes were untied, and John was tempted to tell him, “That’s ok she came out of the package that way. (My family will appreciate this).
Almost as pretty as the orchid itself is the underside.
Aren’t the spots just lovely?
One more out of all that I took….John later learned these pink ones aren’t another flower completely but rather older purple enamel orchids.
A sweet pink trigger plant.
Calytrix
In the middle of our walk, these amazing trees. I wonder if Australians take their beauty for granted Because their so used to them? I just love them all so much, I guess because they are new to look at.
Calothamnus quadrifidus, one sided bottle brush.
Not sure what these are. Glischrocaryon flavescens? But their yellow color caught my eye. As most yellow does.
Now this was an odd little surprise that was all over the place. Not sure they always feel wet, but they were wet today because of the rain. Felt like wet little cotton balls. Trachymene ornata or Sponge fruit.
Not sure what this one was, but anything being lit by the sun today was a welcome sight.
Diplolaena ?
It doesn’t take a Marylander long to know when the skies look threatening.
Making our way to the car…
And the worst must have passed over us, but we got this.
A look down the path.
I am sure a few people thought me mad when I ran to the car to get my camera that I hat JUST put away with the fear of the rain coming, yelling something like, “I LOVE Australia.”
And I do.
