Just an hour from York, travelling east on York Road, 572 hectares of wildflowers and walk trails await at Quairading Community Nature Reserve. This conservation area is a haven to many declared and priority species of Lamiaceae shrubs, Acacias, Hakeas, rubiaceae, and Proteaceae. The rare Banksia cuneata flower can also be found here from September to October. For a picnic lunch with a difference, continue east on Bruce Rock-Quairading Road to reach the turn-off for Kokerbin Nature Reserve and Kokerbin Rock – Australia’s third largest monolith. Look for orchids among the tea trees, sheoaks and sandalwood trees, as well as Verticordias, Dampiera, Banksia, Acacias, Hakeas, quandongs and poker Grevillea. Walk trails also lead to caves and the rock’s summit for impressive views over the surrounding plains. Avid wildflower spotters may be interested in taking a one-and-a-half-hour detour south to the small town of Babakin, where you can challenge yourself in a search for the rare underground orchid. Or, continue east for the one-hour drive to Bruce Rock, where the town’s museum offers unique insights into the harsh realities of life for 19th century pioneers.