A welcome to the new year with many flowers to admire.   However because of the high temperatures this walk will be fairly short.

1. The flowers at the entrance to the Visitors Centre are so picturesque.  They include the Christmas Bells, Blandfordia grandiflora which display the bell shaped dusky red and yellow flowers on long upright stems, Rhododendron viriosum, has differing bell shaped red flowers seen among the foliage and Sturts Desert Pea Swainsona formosa bearing its large dark centred red  pea-shaped flowers in yet, another pot.
2. Edging Banks walk flowers include Hibbertia vestita [Section 174] a creeping prostrate plant with bright yellow open flowers.
3. Kangaroo Paw, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Pioneer’ [Section 174] bears its ‘paw’ shaped yellow flowers on long upright stems.
4. While Flannel Flowers, Actinotus helianthi [Section 174], also in a pot, displays its renowned soft velvety white flowers with its velvety grey foliage.
5. Follow the road edging the Rainforest Gully where Clerodendrum floribundum var. attenuatum [Section 125] is seen as a small upright tree crowned with dense foliage mixed with loose white flower clusters which will mature to dark fruits surrounded by a dark red calyx.
6. Take the curved road to the right where Grevillea bipinnatifida ‘Jingle Bells’ [Section 124] stands erect crowned with rough prickly leaves and large red pendulous flowers.
7. Rounding the curve a vine, Pandorea jasminoides ‘Lady Di’ [Section 124] displays its bright pink flowers as it twines up the nearby tree.
8. Edging the road, Scaevola ‘Mauve Clusters’ [Section 124] is a dense spreading ground- cover profuse with small fan-shaped flowers.
9. At the next road division where the Pryor Tree, Eucalyptus mannifera [Section 10] with white trunk and limbs, stands majestically, take a right hand path to meet the Main Path, turning left.
10. Pass by the bed of yellow daisies, and in the distance view the crowd of kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos ’Bush Baby’ [Section 7] with flowers coloured burgundy and ‘Bush Dawn’ with flowers coloured yellow.
11. Edging the path, Grevillea treueriana [Section 30] is a small open woody plant with few small sparkling red toothbrush-like flowers.
12. Banksia petiolaris [Section 25] is a dense prostrate plant with upright deep lobed leaves and few yellow, tinted pink flower spikes, all appearing to rise from the ground.
13. Towards the next corner Grevillea sericea subsp. sericea [Section 27] is a shrub of medium size bearing white lacy flowers.
14. Grevillea ‘Coconut Ice’ [Section 25] is a low dense shrub displaying its soft pinkish lemon flower clusters with long red stamens.
15. Before returning along this road, cross over to view Grevillea ‘Lady O’ [Section 26] a  low-growing shrub with long lateral branches and pendular loose red flowers.
16. A Geebung, Persoonia acerosa, [Section 26] is a small dense shrub with pine-like foliage and small yellow tube shaped flowers.
17. Almost opposite, edging a small path, Banksia caleyi [Section 24] is a dense small shrub with ageing red flower spikes amid the foliage  The spikes are downturning differing to most banksias with upturned spikes.
18. Edging the return road, Banksia robur [Section 25] is a large spreading shrub with large leathery leaves and flower spikes coloured bottle green before they age to a chocolate colour.   Other floral beauties can be enjoyed along this return road.

Barbara Daly.