Just Wild About Waratahs

Missed the Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens Wild About Waratahs festival which ran from the 24th September to 9 October, 2011. Instead of scones, we were hunting around the bush near Hyams Beach for Waratahs. In the wild they are quite delightful when you happen upon them singly, in pairs or groups. We only found a few but they were worth the walk, although the occasional strong winds meant keeping our wits about us.

Waratah’s  are a protected native plant which can’t be picked or removed so we only took photos. Waratah’s used to be found by the thousands in the Blue Mountains but now you need to be lucky or know where to look. In early October, National Parks held a guided Wild Waratah Walk from Pierce’s Pass on the Bells Line of Road, and Gadara Wildfowers Farm Open Day had a thousand waratahs, including a white waratah and visitors could buy cut blooms. Hawkesbury Tourism had these and other waratah events on their October Calendar. Perhaps, next year!

Here’s some photos we took around Blackheath a few years ago. Don’t the waratah’s match the Crimson Rosella well. Discovered Birds in Backyards, a good site for identifying birds, sydney region plant lists and a bird finder to help us novices. Time I refreshed my brain about native plants and birds!