Western Australia has incredible wildflowers that burst to life towards the end of winter. One of the best spots to see carpets of wildflowers in WA is Coalseam Conservation Park, located a 4.5-hour drive north of Perth. In August 2021, we jumped in the car and set off on an epic road trip to seek out some of the best of the WA wildflowers.
In this guide I’ll be sharing all you need to know about planning your own adventurous self-drive wildflower road trip.
About WA’s Wildflower Country
One of the best places to see carpets of wildflowers in WA is north of Perth in “Wildflower Country”.
The area is located inland of the coastal city of Geraldton. This collective of nine local government areas consists of the small and charming country towns of Carnamah, Coorow, Dalwallinu, Mullewa, Moora, Morowa, Mingenew, Perenjori and Three Springs.
In between Mingenew and Mullewa, you will find the mecca of wildflowers, the beautiful Coalseam Conversation Park.
For more places to see wildflowers (and the best time to see them), check out my detailed guide on Western Australia wildflowers.
Self-Drive Road Trip Wildflower Map
The map below (click to open in Google Maps) shows the route we took on this road trip, based around the wildflower towns of Mingenew and Mullewa.
Best Time to Go
The WA wildflower season varies each year depending on the amount of rain, but usually it is around early August to mid-September in Wildflower Country.
2021 was a bumper season thanks to lots of rain over winter. Visiting in mid-August was fantastic with lots of everlastings to be seen. By the first week of September, the everlastings were beginning to seed but the pom poms were still going strong as were the orchids.
Tip: Peak wildflower season can vary by up to a few weeks each year based on the weather. For example, in 2022 the everlastings reached full bloom a few weeks later compared to 2021.
The best way to keep up to date on the wildflower blooms progress is through the regional visitor centres and tourism offices. I’ve linked the relevant Facebook pages below.
How to Get There
From Perth, you can take the coastal Indian Ocean Drive, Brand Highway or Bindoon-Moora Rd.
I prefer the latter two options, because there is usually less traffic, and you can admire the endless fields of golden canola on the roadside.
The drive is an easy one, with sealed roads and lots of fuel stops along the way. There are unsealed roads within Coalseam Conversation Park and a few of the other sights outlined below, but they are all 2WD suitable.
If you need to hire a car in Perth, make sure to compare hire options to get the best price on your rental.
Taking the coastal route? Stop by at Lancelin Sand Dunes for a fun mid-way stretch break.
How Long Do You Need
Perth to Mingenew is about a 4-hour drive.
To make the most of the long drive, spend at least one or two nights in the area. You could do a day trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it – it would be a very long day with lots of driving!
In August 2021, we did a weekend trip and spent one night in the town of Morawa.
Places to Stay on Your Wildflower Road Trip
Mingenew, Mullewa or Morawa all make a great base, but accommodation is fairly limited. I’ve included some options below.
More accommodation options can be found in Geraldton (1hr 15m to Coalseam). The small town of Dongara (1hr to Coalseam) is also an alternative.
Camping is available within Coalseam Conversation Park, but it can get busy during peak wildflower season. Bookings are now available online for the Miners Campground and overflow Breakaway Campground.
If you are staying overnight, make sure to visit the town’s local country pub for a hearty feed!
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Wildflowers WA Accommodation Options
A tip on accommodation – don’t expect modern hotels with the usual amenities! The accommodation in these small country towns is mostly basic chalets or country pub rooms, perfect for a short stay for a wildflower trip.
- Mingenew Caravan Park: A small number of cabins available along with camping sites
- Inspirations Mullewa: Small but comfortable rooms in the middle of Mullewa, perfect for wildflower hunting.
- Railway Hotel Mullewa: Choice of motel (donga style) units or hotel rooms with shared facilities
- Morawa Caravan Park: We stayed here in one of the Units – it was clean, tidy and comfortable for our one night stay and cost $110 (2021 pricing) for the night.
- Coorow Hotel: Slightly further out from Coalseam (1hr 30m), but a good option if you are working through wildflower country from south to north, or if other closer options are booked out
- Dongara Tourist Park: Modern chalets overlooking the beachfront
- Geraldton: lots of accommodation options depending on preferences and budgets
- Belair Gardens Caravan Park: basic but convenient lodgings
- Hospitality Geraldton SureStay: for those wanting more of a hotel experience, including a pool
Coalseam Conversation Park Guide
Coalseam Conversation Park is the best place to go to see the carpets of wildflowers that blanket the park!
Located 30 kilometres north of Mingenew, this conversation area is rich with geological & cultural history. This 100 year old site was home to the first mined coal deposit in WA. Winding through the park is the Irwin river (usually dry), with ancient fossils previously found along its banks.
Entrance Fees
There are no entry fees to the park. Camping fees are $15 an adult per night (2024 pricing).
Camping at Coalseam
The main campground is at Miners with unpowered sites and long drop facilities available. Not surprisingly, this spot gets busy during wildflower season, with overflow camping at the Breakaway site.
Miners has picnic tables and separate parking bays for day use area.
Things to do at Coalseam Park
When visiting, plan to spend at least a few hours or more at Coalseam.
- Visit the Johnson Shaft Viewing Platform: From Miners campground, you can walk along the riverbed to see the disused coal shaft. The black bands in the surrounding riverbanks are actually coal.
- Plateau Loop trail: This ~3km Loop Trail is the best place to see carpets of wildflowers at Coalseam. Park at the Miners day use area and take the path to the very top to reach a ridge with views across the valley.
- Irwin Lookout: A short drive from Miners up a hill is the Irwin Lookout. You can take a short walk here through small sections of wildflowers and cliff edge views across the river below
Other Wildflower Hotspots & Sights
Mingenew
You’ll pass through Mingenew on the way to Coalseam and Mullewa.
Make sure you stop at the Mingenew Bakery to pick up a tasty pie or sweet treat. The visitor centre here isn’t manned but there is a sign on the door with the latest wildflower sightings in the region.
Depot Hill, located ten minutes outside of Mingenew, is a great spot for wildflower spotting including everlastings and orchids.
Closer to town is Mingenew Hill, where you can drive to the top of the hill for a scenic lookout over the surrounding fields of green crops and golden yellow canola. There are lots of yellow pom poms to be found here, and it’s a great sunset spot too.
Another spot worth checking out is Yandanooka.
Yandanooka South Rd had pink everlastings which are always a favourite. Yandanooka Hall is also a free camping spot (but with no facilities) that is said to have fantastic stargazing thanks to minimal light pollution.
Mullewa
Mullewa Visitor Centre is fantastic and is worth stopping by if you want to get some local tips.
Make sure you pick up their informative map (or download it here), as it suggests two self-drive trails and other places of interest.
Another worthwhile stop in town was the Helen Ansell Gallery.
During the 2021 wildflower season, they opened a coffee shop in the gallery. Stop by for a coffee and browse her beautiful range of native floral inspired art.
Mullewa Walking Trails
There are a few different walking trails in Mullewa which offer wildflower sightings and history about the area.
Wildflower Tip: lookout for the plastic tape markers that show where someone has spotted a more uncommon or rare wildflower or orchid.
- Mullewa Wildflower Walk: this 3 km circuit loop is located opposite the town’s caravan park on Lovers Lane. There were information posts along the way on different wildflower sightings. We also saw some beautiful native orchids!
- Mullewa Bushland Walk & Scenic Lookout: This walk starts and finishes at the town’s scenic lookout with a 2.5 km loop. The scenic lookout provides informative signs with background on the town’s heritage and history.
Pindar Wreath Flowers
Pindar consists of a few old historic buildings and a little bed and breakfast.
The main reason for visiting is to see the rare Western Australian wreath flower. You’ll find them 8 kilometres north up the unsealed Pindar-Beringarra Rd.
There are lots of signs on the way in to make sure you end up at the right spot.
Getting the name from its unusual circular shape, the wreath flowers are the most interesting wildflower. It loves to grow out of the dirt and gravel on the side of the unsealed road.
As we neared the spot of the wreath flowers, we came across a fork in the road where it indicates to park in the clear way on the left hand side. After pulling over you will see a few wreath flowers on the roadside here but take one of the paths through the bush back onto the main road to see countless wreath flowers in all their glory!
Wreath flowers can be seen in smaller numbers near Perenjori and Morawa. Drop by the visitor’s centre to get more up to date information.
Tips for Viewing the Wildflowers
Rules & Etiquette
As the wildflowers are a fragile ecosystem, it is important not to trample them! If people walk through them, we might not have beautiful flowers to enjoy in future years.
- Don’t trample or step on the wildflowers
- Stay on the marked trails wherever possible, and be careful where you step
- Don’t pick the wildflowers or remove animals, plants, rocks or other cultural items
- Always take your rubbish with you
- No pets are allowed at Coalseam
- Respect private property and don’t trespass
Wildflower Photo Tips
Here are my tips for taking the best photos of the wildflowers.
- Get low: With short stemmed flowers like everlastings, the best photos are usually from a low perspective. This works well if there is a small patch you can stand behind, which allows you to create the illusion of sitting in an endless field of flowers.
In the photo with the pink everlasting below, the patch is about two metres deep and I’m sitting in a grassy dirt patch, but you can’t tell due to the framing.
- Framing: Use the flowers to frame the shot or create a bokeh (blurred) effect
- Higher angles: For photos of the canola or large fields of flowers, height helps to get the full perspective of the flowers in. In the photo below, my husband was holding the camera quite high above his head.
Put your camera on multiple shooting mode to give you options since it can be hard to see what you are taking when the camera is held high!
- Drone shots: If you have a drone, it can be hard to capture the wildflowers. The best bet is to take top down shots or angled shots and highlight areas of contrast e.g. red road vs the coloured patches of flowers.
- Know your flowers: it looks like I’m standing in a field of flowers here – but these are actually a weed called Pattersons Curse. I could run through this field and trample these pests without remorse!
Final Thoughts – WA Wildflowers Self-Drive Road Trip
Seeing the remarkable wildflowers in full bloom is one of the most spectacular sights in WA in my opinion.
The road trip to Wildflower Country is a lot of fun, with so much to do and see along the way. Make the most of it with at least one night away, but you could easily spend 2 or 3 nights exploring the delights of WA’s Wildflower Country.
Like me, you will probably arrive back in Perth with a very content heart (and full camera roll!) after a weekend of exploring and chasing wildflowers. If you have any questions, feel free to head over to our WA Road Trips Facebook Group and ask them there!
Continue Reading:
- The Ultimate Western Australia Road Trip Guide – with Suggested Itineraries & Maps!
- Ultimate Perth Itinerary: Fun 3, 5 and 7 Day Itineraries
- 23 Ideas for the Best Day Trips from Perth
- Visiting the Araluen Tulip Festival
- A Local’s Guide to the 8 Best Perth Jacaranda Spots
- Rottnest Island Day Trip: Perfect One Day Itinerary
- Best Places to Stay in Perth – Picked by a Local
- Pink Lake WA: Guide to Visiting Hutt Lagoon
Thanks. Really useful information. I notice you CAN book the Coalseam Conservation Park campsites now.
Hi Jane. Glad it was useful! And yes, you are right they are now book-able! Thanks for the reminder to update my guide 🙂