Esperance Wildflower Trail

From Perth, take the one-and-a-half-hour drive through the Darling Range to Brookton, via the Tonkin and Brookton highways. Your first wildflower stop, at Boyagin Rock, is just a 10 kilometre drive south-west from here.

Pack your breakfast or brunch and enjoy a picnic against a beautiful backdrop of orchids, Dryandra, Drummond’s gum, Grevillea, Kunzea, Hakea, Isopogon, Petrophile, Leucopogon and Hibbertia.

Or follow the loop trail and explore one of the last remaining preserves of the native flora that once dominated this region of the Wheatbelt.

Heading south, via Pingelly, on the Great Southern Highway, you’ll reach one of the world’s flora and fauna hotspots in under an hour – the Dryandra Woodland. It’s the largest remnant of original woodland in Australia's Western Wheatbelt and a haven for more than 100 species of birds, 850 varieties of wildflowers and many rare and endangered native mammals.

Take a drive, stroll, cycle or horse ride along Dryandra's many trails, looking out for flora varieties including golden Dryandra, prickly Lambertia, purple-tangled Grevillea, pink and lemon rainbows (Drosera) and orchids.

For a close encounter with the fauna of Dryandra, join a guided spotlight tour at the Barna Mia Animal Sanctuary.

Accommodation-wise, you can set up camp in the wandoo forest at the Congelin campsite, book a heritage-listed forestry cottage, or stay in the nearby towns and farm stays.

If you’re travelling by 4WD, pick up fuel, water and food supplies and head east on the Lake King-Norseman Road to the Rabbit Proof Fence and Frank Hann National Park to explore 61,420 hectares of native heath flora.

The unsealed track continues east to Peak Charles National Park where two ancient granite peaks offer superb views of the dry sand plain heaths and salt lake systems.

The park lies within the significantly flora-rich Great Western Woodlands – home to the tuberous rooted one-sided bottlebrush.

If you’re travelling in a 2WD, make the two-and-a-half-hour drive by sealed road to Esperance via Ravensthorpe. You’ll arrive in plenty of time to spend an afternoon on the Great Ocean Drive or exploring Cape Le Grand (see Day 4).

Settle in at the park’s campground at the base of Peak Charles for a night under a star-filled outback sky.

Alternatively, continue on to join the Coolgardie-Esperance Road for the one-hour-and-15-minute drive south to overnight in Esperance. End your day here with a sunset stroll along Tanker Jetty, or join the locals for a spot of fishing.

Take a ten-kilometre drive out of town to the beautiful bushlands, lakes and coastal landscapes of Monjingup Lake Reserve.

Enjoy a breakfast picnic and walk the trails searching for red kangaroo paw, showy Banksia, four-winged and blue Mallee, Pincushion Hakeas and flowering Christmas trees.

Leave Esperance, heading west on the South Coast Highway to Stokes Inlet Road and Stokes National Park. Here, you can view one of the most picturesque estuaries along Western Australia’s southern coast from the shade of the paperbark trees and spot the unusual bell-fruited Mallee.

Those travelling by 4WD can choose to venture a little deeper into the park.

Just over an hour to the west lies Ravensthorpe – your gateway to more south-coast wildflower wonders, including the Ravensthorpe Range.

Make your first stop at the visitor centre for information on local scenic drives and walk trails to view the region's wildflowers, including Ravensthorpe bottlebrush, nodding Banksia, Beaufortia, blue Scaveola, Leschenaultia, one-sided bottlebrush, Verticordia Grandiflora, claw featherflower, everlastings, Qualup bells, Dryandra and poached Dampiera.

Follow the Archer or Ethel Daw scenic drives to the lookout or, if you stay an extra day, follow the Mount Short drive to tackle the summit trail.

Overnight in Ravensthorpe.

It’s well worth spending another day in Fitzgerald River National Park, exploring the western end from Bremer Bay. Allow one hour to reach the western entrance to the park (via Quiss Road and Pebalup Drive) from Ravensthorpe, or one and a half hours from Hopetoun.

Make regular stops along the drive trails within the park to marvel at the unique curly grass, pincushion Hakea, Baxters Banksia, cauliflower Hakea, Ashby's Hakea, coneflowers, starflowers, smokebushes and numerous orchids.

Choose from a number of walk trails leading from the Twertup Field Study Centre, or take in the spectacular coastal views from West Mount Barren.

If you time your visit to the park between July and October, head for Point Ann instead – it’s one of just three special locations in Australia where southern right whales come to calve in large numbers.

For a unique overnight experience, stay at the accommodation in the heart of the park, or camp out at Point Ann or Hamersley Inlet. Otherwise, return to Bremer Bay.