From Siesta Park, to Orchid Hunting, Berry Farm, and Margaret River
Staying at Siesta Park, makes it easy for the orchid hunter, like us, to access where they grow.
So we started our orchid hunting day early.
The day started without a lot of fanfare, which occasionally happens at Siesta Park
John on the jetty, getting a photo of our subdued sunrise.
Soon we were off, looking for the spots our book that mentions where orchids can be found.
When your husband stops the car, turns around, and I open the door to see the first orchid of the day.
A closer look at this spider orchid
A few steps down, some donkey orchids.
Further south down Caves Road and to a side track, we found a new orchid for me, King-in-his-carriage, Drakaea glyptodon.
Drakaea is a genus of 10 species in the plant family Orchidaceae commonly known as hammer orchids. All ten species only occur in the south-west of Western Australia.
This looks like a not yet open and ready for flight, flying duck orchid. Paracaleana nigrita. How excited I was to see it, even if it was closed!
A double King-in-his-carriage
Down the track a piece, a Narrow-lipped hammer Orchid.
Another King-in-his-carraige.
Getting down on all fours, taking photos of orchids is hard work. Orchid hunting just makes one very hungry, and when you’re this close to Margaret River, you might as well stop in to the Berry Farm Cafe for some lunch.
New Holland honeyeater, perched on empty water bottles, at the Berry Farm Cafe.
I had my usual Champagne ham and cheese on turkish bread, but this time, the relish was a plum relish, and it was amazing.
John had his usual as well. Scones with jam and cream.
John with his scones.
The silver eyes wanted some jam, too.
This little white-browed scrub wren was happy on the Berry Farm Cafe Floor.
This was my favorite bird shot of the day, a honey-eater perched on the back of a chair.
This one decided to help itself to John’s left over jam.
After lunch, we went up the coast. It was a very windy day.
John thought with the rain we’d been having that perhaps the Margaret River might actually reach the sea today, his hunch was right.
I decided to video how and what happens when two bodies meet. It was rather dramatic and lovely.
With the wind and waves coming in, I am not sure I felt safe where I was standing, between these two bodies of water…
The waves made one feel so very small.
Some Margaret River Trivia…
Margaret River was also visited in the 1966 documentary film The Endless Summer . On 25 April 2009, on Sky television’s Soccer AM, Hugh Jackman called Margaret River the best place he’s ever been to, citing the surf, the beaches, the food, the wine, the people and the air as his reasons for thinking so. In 2013, many locals featured in the film Drift, starring Sam Worthington, as well as many surfing scenes being shot on location at local surf breaks. Surfing locations included popular breaks such as Grunters and Main Break.
We were losing light, so we decided to get to a spot to photograph the sunset. This was the view as I walked up the hill.
The day’s sky ended as it began, rather subdued.
We soon lost all light but hung on to watched the mighty wind mist the coast.
We always seem to run into one of these guys on our way out.
The light from the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse told us it was time to scoot and get back to Siesta Park
What a perfect day to absorb and delight in His perfect creation!
