The 12 best places to see wildflowers in Australia

Where: A world-famous 223-kilometre desert trail running along the West MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia. The track starts in Alice Springs and extends to Mount Sonder. 

Every spring, the Red Centre in Central Australia comes alive in a major kind of way. If you're planning on doing the Larapinta Trail, it's a good idea to do it during wildflower season when the red sands and magenta rocks are peppered with a delicate and complex dusting of flowers. You'll forget about how much your knees hurt. 

What to see: Sturt's desert pea, paper daisy, mulla mulla, wattle, desert fuchsia, native bluebell

When to go: May to September

Where: Australia's Golden Outback in the heart of Western Australia, a five-hour drive north of Perth. 

When it comes to spectacular wildflower sightings, the vast Gascoyne-Murchison landscape (in a good year – i.e. when there's been a lot of winter rain) takes the cake. Every winter, you can see florid carpets of multicoloured blooms as part of what's considered the biggest wildflower show on Earth. Notable locations to check out the wildflowers are Mount Augustus, Kennedy Range, Yagloo and walking trails around Gascoyne Junction. 

What to see: Mulla mulla, native cornflower, eremophila, flannel bush, bluebell, Sturt's desert pea, billy button

When to go: Early July and August 

Where: An expansive 150,000-square-kilometre region, located three hours east of Perth.

At the start of winter, wildflowers begin making their way down into the northern Wheatbelt, with rainbow wildflowers and the canola fields bursting into bright yellow bloom across the region. The Wheatbelt is known as 'Wildflower Country', with its festoons of multicoloured flowers giving reason for the name. The northeastern belt includes parts of the Golden Outback and stretches to the coast, and is washed by bright carpets of everlasting and wreath flowers. A great way to make sure you see as many wildflowers in WA as possible is the three-day Wildflower Way road trip from Dalwallinu to Geraldton, or the seven-day Granite Loop Wildflower Trail.

What to see: Paper daisy, kangaroo paw, wreath leschenaultia, bluebell, banksia, hakea

When to go: August to September

Where: The largest mountain ranges in South Australia, which start about 200 kilometres (4.5 hour drive) from Adelaide.

After the heavy winter rains in South Australia, Flinders Ranges National Park explodes with a dazzling display of wildflowers in every colour imaginable. Whether it's along the highway from Adelaide, off unsealed roads, or around Mount Remarkable or Wilpena Pound, wildflowers are absolutely everywhere. Expect riots of colour, getting off the beaten track, and allowing South Australia to whisk you away to an alternative, floral dimension where free-wheeling exploration is key. 

What to see: Sturt's desert pea, everlasting daisy, mint bush, blue flax lily, native violet, rock daisy

When to go: August to October

Where: In the far northwestern corner of NSW, close to the border of South Australia and Queensland.

If you’re deep in the Aussie outback and feeling a little sick of staring at dusty red sand, drive on over to Sturt National Park. This enormous, protected national park is perhaps best known for the historic Dingo Fence – the world’s longest fence– which runs along its western and northern border. But come spring, a sea of spectacular wildflowers brings colour to the desert, including its namesake vivid red Sturt’s desert pea.

What to see: Sturt’s desert pea, river red gum, groundsel, desert cassia, Sturt’s nightshade

When to go: August to November

Where: At the western end of the Great Dividing Range, a 3.5-hour drive from Melbourne. 

Also known as 'Victoria's Garden', Grampians National Park is home to one-third of Victoria's native flora, including the state's floral emblem: pink common heath – a tiny flower that looks like a hot pink bell. The Grampians have six seasons, including petyan ('wildflower season'), when this vast national park becomes ablaze with hundreds of vibrant wildflower species.

What to see: Common heath, Grampians thryptomene, blue tinsel lily, native orchids, golden wattle

When to go: August to November

Where: Just 40 minutes north of Sydney's CBD, adjacent to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.

In a city that’s not shy about flaunting its natural beauty, it’s surprising that one of Sydney’s prettiest corners is one of its best-kept secrets. Tucked away in the northern suburbs, Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden is a whopping 123-hectare oasis surrounded by classic Sydney sandstone bushland. Every plant found here is native, though not always local, with colourful blooms sourced from all across Australia, including 18 threatened floral species.

What to see: Banksia, grevillea, wattle, paper daisy, gymea lily

When to go: August to September

Where: In NSW's Snowy Mountains region, a 5.5-hour drive from Sydney or 2.5 hours from Canberra.

The lush green meadows and high altitudes of Kosciuszko National Park are basically Australia's answer to the Austrian Alps. Read: You can definitely pretend to be an extra in The Sound of Music here. In the springtime, this usually rugged mountain region becomes washed by a delicate flood of pink, yellow and purple wildflowers. There are hundreds of different flower species that grow up in the high country, including 21 that you won't find anywhere else on Earth. You can spot the blooms at their best on the Kosciuszko Summit Walk, by cycling the Thredbo Valley Track, or driving along the Alpine Way from Canberra to Thredbo. 

What to see: Snow daisy, alpine everlasting, billy button, mountain gentian, alpine buttercup, Australian violet

When to go: August to early October

Where: A 1,947-kilometre return trip from Perth, passing through Fitzgerald River National Park and Cape Le Grand National Park.

Turn your floral adventure into an epic road trip by following the eight-day Esperance Wildflower Trail. Starting in Perth and covering almost 2,000 kilometres, this journey takes you through some of WA’s most biodiverse landscapes that flourish with native wildflowers from September to November. Along the way, you might spot the scrub-fringed dome of Boyagin Rock, rare orchids at Yilliminning Rock, flora-festooned trails of Peak Charles National Park, and more than 1,800 plant species at Fitzgerald River National Park. Cap it off with a visit to Cape Le Grand National Park in Exmouth, where vibrant blooms meet sparkling white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

What to see: Banksias, grevilleas, wattles, hakeas, coneflowers, starflowers, smokebushes, native orchids

When to go: September to November

Where: A beautiful scenic driving route that heads south of Perth towards Dwellingup and Collie, extending all the way to Albany and the Stirling Range National Park.

When September rolls around, follow the bloom to Australia’s South West coast. This spectacular region forms part of Australia’s only biodiversity hotspot – one of only 34 on Earth – home to 80 per cent of plant species found nowhere else on the planet. Come spring, more than 8,000 wildflowers burst into colour. You can catch the show along the orchid-lined Pultenaea Loop in Bunbury, across the rolling hills of Ferguson Valley, beneath the towering canopies of Boranup Forest, or along the iconic Cape to Cape Track (Yallingup to Augusta). Don’t miss the annual Nannup Flower and Garden Festival in mid-August, and make sure to stop for a stroll in both Stirling Range and Porongorup National Parks.

What to see: Kangaroo paws, blue leschenaultia, rare native orchids

When to go: September to November

Where: Lavendar farms are found across the state, from the Huon Valley and Port Arthur to just outside of Launceston.

Okay, so this one isn't wild per se, but it is pretty special – plus, it's more accessible for anyone who isn't up for a rugged, remote hike through national parklands. Blooming at their best in the summer, Tassie's lavender fields are the sweeping, purple fabric that dreams are made of (sometimes, quite literally). Bridestow Lavender Estate is generally considered the best place to see lavender in Tasmania, and it's also the biggest privately owned lavender farm on Earth. Although you have to pay to get in, the incredible sight and smell of these vast lilac fields are worth the dollars. Plus, you can get a scoop of lavender ice cream onsite to sweeten the ride. 

What to see: Lavender 

When to go: December to early February 

Where: A large region of Queensland, including Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, which starts just a 90-minute drive from Brisbane. 

Because variety is the spice of life, we've put the ultimate, summery flower on this list – the sunflower. Best seen, in our opinion, in massive, free-growing fields under the blazing Queensland sun. Most sunflower fields (although not wild, alas) can be reached by driving two hours from Brisbane City on the 'Sunflower Route', which is a 26-kilometre round trip from Warwick. This drive will take you through literal fields of gold (hello, feeling like you're in a Sting song) across Southern Queensland's summer plains. Where exactly the sunflowers bloom changes every year, so make sure you contact the Warwick Visitor Information Centre to find out where the flowers are before you hit the road.

What to see: Sunflowers

When to go: Late December to March (peaks in January)