Actinotus helianthi Flannel Flower
As we stumbled through the bush near Manley beach, we came across quote a few of these Daisy like flowers. They seemed to me like typical garden escapes so at first I didn't photograph them as there are so many aliens to be found in Australia. In the end, for completeness sake, I took a few photos. The petals are quite thick, soft and velvety which give the plant its common name.
Good job Ii did, because this is actually an Australian native plant which is popular with gardeners the world over. It isn't a daisy though. Would you believe that it is a member of the Apiaceae family (Cow Parsley, Hogweed et. al.)? Mostly found in Eastern Australia, there are some related plants found in New Zealand.
Bush near Manley, Eastern Australia 8th October 2015
Added on June 16th 2018