My back, hip, and knee were all out of whack, and I was in bad need of a Chiropractor, but decided to go to John Forrest carrying all my camera gear on my back and enjoy the beautiful day we had here in Perth. The things I will do to see an orchid, as it ended up being a 5 mile hike.
John Forrest National Park is one of Australia’s oldest conservation areas and Western Australia’s first national park proclaimed in November 1900.It became John Forrest National Park in 1947, in honor of the famous explorer and statesman, Sir John Forrest, who was Premier of Western Australia between 1890 and 1901.Several trails run through various parts of the park, including the Railway Heritage Trail, which follows the alignment of the old railway line to York. Visitors can walk through the only historical railway tunnel in WA – the Swan View Tunnel.
I think of my children and grand children each time we come, knowing they would have a great time on the rocks.
Common names for Xanthorrhoea include grasstree, grass gum-tree (for its resin-yielding species). These trees were all over the park.
We spotted this couple on our way. The galah, also known as the pink and grey cockatoo, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.We went on our way when they started to get a bit amorous.A view of the other side from where we were walking.
At last we see the orchid we came to see. Pheladenia deformis, commonly known as blue fairy orchid or blue beard is the only species of the flowering plantgenusPheladenia in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia.
This orchid has had a confusing history. Originally classified as Caladenia deformis, it was then placed into the then new genus Cyanicula with a number of other orchids that were also originally in Caladenia. Recently, new research including DNA work has resulted in this orchid being placed in a genus of its own. It is very common and widespread across the south west.
Sundews backlit by the sun. One of the carnivorous plants in Western AustraliaMore sundews.
Hovea flower, also back lit by the sun.
On our way back we spotted a Euro. The common wallaroo or wallaroo (Osphranter robustus), also known as the euro or hill wallaroo is a species of macropod. The word euro is particularly applied to one subspecies (O. r. erubescens). The eastern wallaroo is mostly nocturnal and solitary, and is one of the more common macropods. It makes a loud hissing noise and some subspecies are sexually dimorphic, like most wallaroosIt was sweet watching it there all alone. Later below in the valley we saw a group of kangaroos, this one was hopping among the rocks.This one paused to look us over.A mother, her joey, and another in her pouch.
