I think there are so many beautiful orchids natural to where you live, consider adding those to your collection. Half the battle is having an environment to grow them. You have plants that like it there. Try them...

Perhaps Arthur might have some specific ideas.

I have a few native/naturalised orchids in my collection. There are quite a few dendrobiums (hard cane type) that grow around here. Their flowers are usually brown so they camouflage well. I have no pictures of those unfortunately.

I do also have a Phaius Australis growing in a pot with two large spikes and a third spike just starting. It's not native to my location, but it is an Aussie orchid and does still seem to love it here.

Phaius spiking in my garden now.

I have a Cooktown orchid as well, but it could be doing better. It took exception to the late rain season this year and is sulking. Hopefully I can get it thriving again. Normally we get rain during the summer and pretty much none over winter but this year was terrible. We didn't get much over the summer but had plenty at the start of winter and almost all my dends decided to stop growth of their new canes.

I plan on joining my local orchid club/association and learning more about the local native orchids, as well as anything else they are willing to teach me!

I've always liked Thelymitra, I don't know if they grow in your area but if you could grow them as garden plants I would be envious .

The way to get past the slow growth is to have so many plants that you can't pay attention to them all at once.

I like that dend. Small plants with big flowers are cool. I also think Phaius are under rated, they are much easier to grow than Phals and they put out a nice display.

Sorry its taken me so long to reply. I got busy with life.

I did a little research, and two of the Thelymitra orchids are meant to grow here, but I have never seen any. I'd like to get my hands on some and see how they go, they sure are pretty.

Most Australian Native Terrestrial Orchids are difficult to grow. Some info.in the link.

Cultivation notes fror AustralianNativeTerrestrials

Re. the so slow. From the flowering spike first appearing to the flowers opening takes about

110 days. Might be faster in the warmer climate up there.

Thanks for that info Arthur. It sounds like they would grow happily here provided I bring them under cover in summer to keep them dry. I have a few other terrestrial orchids that thrive here, but they are the easy types (phaius and spathoglottis).

I just need to get to be able to get my hands on some. So far I have only found them available as seeds (not gonna happen) or as flasks but I don't have the funds for a whole flask, not do I want that many baby plants.

I'll keep looking to see if any turn up.

The phal spikes grow a bit faster here, but it still seems slow when I just want them to bloom already! The vanda spike seems to be growing 1cm each day, so it seems much quicker. I also have some soft cane dends growing buds and one of my catts has two bud clusters forming. There's going to be flowers everywhere here soon :-D

Are you in Cairns

Nah, Mackay

Ah ok. If you get a chance you should try and visit Lake Barrine. The gardens around the tea house are filed with orchids.