In the midst of what many farmers are calling the driest winter ever experienced on Western Australia's south coast, fragile native orchids are still going strong.

The striking Queen of Sheba orchids are popping up in droves, while hardy species such as grasstrees and banksias are dying off in sections of bushland near the coastal town of Bremer Bay.

Orchid lover and explorer Terry Dunham has been keeping an eye on the number of orchid species growing at confidential sites across the Great Southern region.

"They appear very delicate, but orchids are extremely resilient," he said.

"They have a tuber root system that grows deep into the ground so during a dryer season they may start later but they have a good energy source. Once the days get longer and warmer they will power away."

Terry Dunham documents native flora on Western Australia's south coast ( ABC Great Southern: Ellie Honeybone )

Orchid haven in the south

Mr Dunham journeyed to Tozer's Bush Camp in late July, a week after spotting the year's first flowering Queen of Sheba orchids in the Gnowangerup area.

He caught up with close friend and fellow orchid enthusiast Robert Tozer to discuss the dry season and to see how the Queen of Sheba buds were faring.

The dry winter is a stark reminder for Mr Tozer, who made the unconventional decision to leave 700 acres of his family farm uncleared after a similar dry season in 1996.

His farming friends all called him mad at the time but since he wasn't sure how much longer his farm would survive, he chose to keep the remaining bushland pristine.

"I knew nothing about orchids when I started the camp," he said.

The leafless orchid is another species doing well. ( Supplied: Terry Dunham )

"People were coming to stay and telling me about the different species and after a while my interest started to grow.

"I now get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing all the visitors, how far they've travelled and how excited they get to see the orchids."

Mr Tozer said the dry season had not impacted upon the number of people searching for wildflowers so far.

Mr Dunham says his love of orchids started young. ( ABC Great Southern: Ellie Honeybone )

"Folks are already on the road travelling, they don't really know about the conditions, so it hasn't affected the flow of traffic," he said.

"It has impacted the bush though. Species are dying that I have never seen before, but the orchids are still there.

"Only about a week or so ago I found these little Dark Banded Greenhoods growing on ground I would compare to a concrete floor. It was rock hard and yet this little orchid has come up and is still flowering. They are pretty solid and pretty resilient."

A lifelong orchid obsession

Mr Dunham developed his appreciation for orchids as a child, roaming around on his family farm in Kukerin.

"We used to jump on the back of Grandad's Falcon ute and go look for big white spider orchids to pick for grandma," he said.

"I have always had an interest in the bush and just started to study the different orchid species after a while.

"WA has more than 460 named species of orchid and another 100 unnamed species — it's a never-ending list and there is always something new to learn."

Mr Dunham said the immense variety of orchids was what really drew him in.

"A lot of species mimic nature like the Bird Orchids, Spider Orchids and Duck Orchids," he said.

"Their pollination processes are amazing and there is always something in flower, no matter what time of year.

"If you get a good, sharp image you can blow it up and look deep into the labellum and see all the beauty in there."

While he struggled to pick just one favourite species, Mr Dunham said the Queen of Sheba was clearly a standout.

"She is beautiful," he said.

"It's not a common occurrence for me but recently I sat and watched one open for an hour and a half.

"I took a photo every ten minutes and it was quite special. The first Queen of the year is always an amazing experience and no two are the same."

Robert Tozer and Terry Dunham at Tozer's Bush Camp. ( ABC Great Southern: Ellie Honeybone )

Tips of the trade

According to Mr Dunham, you don't need any fancy equipment to become a fully fledged orchid hunter.

He takes most of his photographs with a cheap digital camera and records the names of the orchids he finds in an old notebook.

However, Mr Dunham does believe that keeping the location of certain rare orchids a secret is important for the conservation of the species.

"I think it is easier to show people where the orchids are, instead of telling them where," he said.

"People can walk around all day searching and if they don't know what they are looking for they can trample things in the undergrowth.

"The foot traffic just here at Tozer's is unbelievable.

"I still encourage people to go looking but do a bit of research and be careful where you walk. Go on a designated tour or at least make sure you have plenty of water and be aware of the bush."