|  HOME  |  REGIONAL OVERVIEW  |  MAPS  |  BEST SCENIC SPOTS  |  NATIONAL PARKS  |  WILDFLOWERS  |

 |  WHALE WATCHING  |  RAINFORESTS  |  LINKS  |

WHEN AND WHERE TO SEE WILDFLOWERS ON THE CENTRAL COAST

Introduction

The Central Coast region of New South Wales is a very rich area for viewing wildflowers. It is part of the Sydney bioregion (defined as the area stretching from the Shoalhaven River to The Hunter River and west to include the Blue Mountains), which is one of Australia's most renowned regions for wildflowers. In fact, there are over 1,500 species of wildflowers occuring within a one-hour drive from Sydney, and many of these can be viewed on the Central Coast.

This guide is primarily intended for sightseers who wish to see wildflowers from the comfort of their cars, or via short, easy walks along roads and fire trails.

The images below show a small sample (29 different species) of the Central Coast's wildflowers. They come from my photo CD, Wildflowers of the Central Coast, which can be purchased for $30 including postage. To find out more about the CD, click here.

Click on any of these images to enlarge

When to see wildflowers

The Central Coast's wildflower display begins around late-July and peaks during September. By mid-October the best of it is over, at least in terms of the sheer range of species in flower. However, some species, such as flannel flower (Actinotis helianthi), continue to put on spectacular displays. Overall, what you will see depends on when you visit the region, as many of the species have fairly limited flowering periods and it is not possible to see all of them at any one given time.

Where to see wildflowers 

The two best spots for car-based wildflower viewing are Munmorah State Conservation Area and the area around Patonga Drive and Warrah Trig in Brisbane Water National Park.

Munmorah State Conservation Area offers excellent opportunities. Along any of its roads you will see a wide variety of wildflowers, with distribution of species varying according to aspect, soils, moisture etc. However, it is the heaths which put on the most spectacular display. In particular, the section of Wybung Head Road from just west of Wybung Trig Lookout to Wybung Head is, in my opinion, one of the best wildflower spots on the Central Coast. If viewing from your car the most conspicuous species are flannel flower (Actinotis helianthi), coastal tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), pink wax flower (Eriostemon australasius ssp. australius), wedding bush (Ricinocarpos pinifolius), Hibbertia sp., Dillwynia sp., slender rice flower (Pimelea linifolia), pink spider flower (Grevillea sericea), native iris (Patersonia sp.), honey flower (Lambertia formosa), match heads (Comesperma ericinum) and drum sticks (Isopogon anemonifolius). This section of road is also a good spot for orchids (Diuris sp.). However, these are small and not so obvious from a car. If you don't mind a bit of walking, you can park at Wybung Head and walk back along the road to Wybung Trig.

Another good spot for seeing orchids is near the park entry booth at Birdie Beach Drive. You can park at the small parking area and walk up the hill for several hundred metres. Other common species along this section of road include pink buttons (Kunzea capitata), pink spider flower (Grevillea sericea), native iris (Patersonia sp.), match heads (Comesperma ericinum), lesser flannel flower (Actinotis minor), cone sticks (petrophile pulchella) and drum sticks (Isopogon anemonifolius), as well as various species of pea flowers. You will also find fringe lillies (Thysanotus sp.) at this spot from mid-October.

Other spots in Munmorah State Conservation Area that are worth checking out are the first lookout on Snapper Point Road, and along Campbell Drive (which has really good displays of pink wax flowers (Eriostemon australasius ssp. australius), Dampiera stricta, Philotheca salsolifolia and coral heath (epacris microphylla) during early spring, and masses of flowering tea trees (Leptospermum sp.) in September and October).

Brisbane Water National Park puts on a great wildflower display along Patonga Drive. You can then turn left into the fire trail which leads to Warrah Trig (unsealed but accessible to 2WD vehicles). This section of road is an absolute carpet of wildflowers during September. You will find many of the species common in Munmorah State Conservation Area (listed above) as well as those such as grey spider flower (Grevillea buxafolia), fuchsia heath (Epacris longifolia) and boronia sp. which seem to be more confined to the southern parts of the Central Coast region. While you can view this wildflower display from you car you will see so much more if you park at the car park at Warrah Trig and walk back along the fire trail towards Patonga Drive. Another option is to take the Tony Dolye Track to Warrah Trig Lookout, with a bonus of a great panoramic view over Broken Bay.

Finally, please note that if you are intending to do any walking through the bush, even if it is only for 500 metres, you should always wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and read the National Parks and Wildlife Service's safety tips before you go: General Safety Information.

This page was last updated on: January 13, 2008.

All text and images © Peter Graham 2006-2008.