The Simpson Desert is the world’s largest sand dune desert, occupying approximately 176,500 square kilometres of dry, red sandy dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. Largely uninhabited, the dunes stretch as far as the eye can see featuring a wide variety of desert wildlife, extensive playa lakes, spinifex grasslands and acacia woodlands. But it is the witnessing of a spectacular colour show after the rains as the wildflowers bloom across the sand dunes, that draws visitors’ sighs of admiration.
After rains, are carpets of daisies (Asteraceae) extending as far as the eye can see. The dunes can be covered with fluorescent yellow with senecio daisys, and sparkling silver wild stock Blennodia canescens. There will be parakeelya (genus Calandrinia) which has bright purple flowers and succulent leaves that provided Aboriginal people with moisture. There will be areas covered with wild parsnip Trachymene glaucifoliaas well as billy buttons, bluebells, and the stunning poached egg daisy, Myriocephalus stuartii, with it yellow yolk and creamy white, fine bristles that are easily dispersed by the wind.
