You won't get a better year for wildflowers in the Wild West! After a great start to our winter, the mid- and lower-West's wildflower showing is at its best. The phenomenon of the early winter rain bands streaming from the tropical Indian Ocean this year doesn't happen very often. It's got things fired up exceptionally, both in the red dirt country and sand plains north of Perth. Photographs of those phenomenal carpets of Everlastings and Immortelles are run out by the tourist honchos as a lure, but it's not just about that amazing red-dirt showing. The sand-plain country has its own appeal with a huge range of species that might not be so in your face, but are fascinating in their own right. Many of the plants are smaller but intriguing and unique, no less interesting to the serious wildflower seeker. Camera close-ups can convert a small subject into an exceptional eye-catching image to wow friends and cajole you to keeping going with the box-brownie.

The trick is to stop along the road and take a short walk into the scrub. Just a few metres off the beaten track you'll be surrounded by a fantastic display. Road verges can be a goldmine. Getting good images can be challenging with wind and light playing their tricks. It makes successes all the more satisfying and having you back for more.

When the spring showing is winding down, it's not all over. Out in the mallee country of the eastern wheatbelt and the Yilgarn goldfields, the eucalypts commence their flowering with perfect timing so as not to compete too much with the smaller species. From the whiter than white of the Eastern Talleracks to the shades of cream through pale yellows and pinks, the eucalypts amaze. (Tip.. go for a walk and be fascinated by the exotic insect life getting stuck into the flowers!) And there are always plenty of the smaller flower types to add to the show. It can all go on into early summer. What a year for the bush-travelling wildflower fan!