Solo Steve On The Road: CANNA WA START of the WILDFLOWER TRAIL

We are now on a quest; to find and photograph as many of Western Australia's renowned wildflowers as possible. It is early Spring and the word is that the blooms are already out. It is my intention to follow inland from Geraldton south east down to the mid South Coast and Albany.
One prize that I was keen to secure was to find the elusive Wreath Flower. We had information that examples could be found in an area near Canna in the Mullewa district. Canna started out as a railway siding being so named in 1914 although a Town was not gazetted until 1928. If there was a town here it has long gone with it seems only a rural store, that was closed, and a large grain solo remaining.
We had a " mud map" that suggested that we may find the wreath Leschenaultia about 5 kms along a dirt road that led from the store, right beside the roadway. The plants flourish on disturbed ground, making recently graded roadsides a prime location to find them. They grow in expanding circles, outermost edges of the succulent plant having blooms of vivid deep pink and white that form an almost perfect living wreath. The flower is indeed beautifully unique and I am sure that this may be the only time that I will ever experience them in their natural habit.

The beautiful wreath Leschenaultia

What there is left of Canna

Our "mud map" also indicated that and that there was a place called "The Old Camp" where overnight camping was permitted and nearby dam where many different wildflowers could be found.

On arrival at the Old Camp site came upon a fairly large cleared area with the ruins of an old corrugated iron shack almost centrally located therein. The old building as it transpired was the home of " Frank Ewin Macklin lost his wife and child during World War One. He moved to W.A. and worked on farms in this area until his retirement when he built a shack and lived here for many years. He died in the Mullewa hospital in 1968 aged 85. His was buried in the Morawa cemetery". It was hard to imagine how anyone could live out here in such a basic structure in the heat of summer and freezing winter. There was plenty of evidence that Frank had lived there for quite a while with has rubbish dump full of old tins and beer bottles not far away and a tiny grave that may have been the final resting place of a beloved dog.