Tomaree’s wildflowers ~ a winter-spring treat

By Sue Olsson
Coordinator Port Stephens Group
National Parks Association

August 2025

While Tomaree National Park boasts breathtaking views, we often under appreciate our wonderful wildflowers across the Tomaree Peninsula.

Usually from late Winter through Spring they are glorious – though in Autumn many plants are blooming too. And we have a spectacular array of ground orchids throughout most of the year.

This year wildflowers are being celebrated in many ways, from exhibitions to murals to guided walks.

Exhibition the Birds & Bees & Blooms,

Lion Studio
Monday to Friday 9.30-5pm

Yacaaba Wild-Flower Art Walk celebrates wildflowers

Each panel showcases local landscape photographed by moonlight, at midday, or sunset, then overlain various local flower species.

August to October
Cnr Yacaaba and Magnus Streets
Nelson Bay

The Yacaaba Art Walk is part of the Nelson Bay Art Walk which celebrates local artists showcasing aspects of our local environment and Worimi Culture. Be sure to download the Art Walk map.

Wildflower walks, a great way to get close and personal with nature and its diverse wildflowers.

The National Parks Association, local Port Stephens Group, are offering a variety of walks to help you enjoy and appreciate our wonderful wildflowers through the best of the season.

“Wildflower names and curiosities” is a series of short slow-paced walks, just 2.5km, over 2-2.5 hours, with different leaders, including NPA (Hunter Region) President, John Simpson. These are designed to help you learn about our wildflowers, their names and curiosities.

These are offered on Sunday 10 Aug am, Tuesday 26 Aug pm, Thursday 11 Sep am, Saturday 13 Sep pm.

The weekday walks are timed to enable those who do school drop-offs and pick-ups to also participate. More information and bookings here.

Our “Wildflower wander on high trails and low trails” with Barb, is a day circuit walk exploring Tomaree’s floral beauty and diversity, rather than learning the plants, on Wednesday 20 August. More information and how to book.

Pine heath or Jam tarts
Astroloma pinifolium

Broad leaved drumsticks
Isopogon anemonifolius

Diverse heathy woodlands

The walks are in an area of Tomaree National Park’s hinterland, behind Fingal Beach township. These heathy woodlands have some trees and a diverse array of understory heathy-type plants. The sandy soils are nutrient-poor, and the plants have specific adaptations to cope in these conditions and with differing fire regimes, creating a mosaic of floral diversity.

The abundant pollen and nectar in heathlands attract a diverse array of nectar-feeding insects, birds and mammals, contributing to the overall faunal diversity.

Download our pamphlet: Spring Wildflowers in Tomaree’s heathy woodlands (1.7 Mb) featuring many Spring Wildflowers in Tomaree’s heathy woodlands. Ideal for those who can’t make the walk or would like to walk independently. This will help you look for and identify for yourself some of Tomaree’s wonderful wildflowers.

ENJOY your wanders around our wonderful wildflowers.

Pink Wax Flower
Eriostemon australasius

Common Fringe Myrtle
Calytrix tetragona