Pink Beard-heath - Leucopogon ericoides

Firstly, this is the general habitat of the Budderoo Plateau. We are looking from "heathland" (not visible because of the long-lens image) out over a lower section of Eucalypt forest. Clearly this is part of a sandstone plateau. In the medium distance you can see the one of the bluffs in the Barren Grounds (to the centre left), and to the right is Broughton Head, a free-standing ridge which is an ancient remnant of the Illawarra Escarpment.
You are looking through Broughton Pass. Broughton Head is an isolated outcrop of rock which separates Kangaroo Valley from the coastal strip. It is the dominant mountain located behind the village of Berry, on the Pacific Highway. In the far distance, one can just make out a flat coastal stretch of land, with the Pacific Ocean just visible as a light blue line below the horizon. From the map, this would be where Gerringong is located, south from Kiama.

You can see that while the Budderoo Plateau area is quite high (approx 740 metres), the climate is definitely influenced by its proximity to the Ocean. It is cool and very high in rainfall, and subject to sudden fogs, especially in summer.

Leucopogon ericoides (Pink Beard-heath) is a very dense-growing heath plant from out on the sandstone country on the Budderoo Plateau. It has a quite strong perfume, which is noticeable as you walk along the road, close to where these plants are growing.
In this photo you can see the flowers, the buds (with a red sepals, from which the white flowers can be seen to be emerging- see the buds at centre right of image). The narrow, dark leaves are visible, and on the far left one can clearly see the striped and slightly recurved underside of a leaf. All these features are diagnostic of this species.

Below is a photo of a stem with pink buds and the pointed leaves. The fact that these flowers appear in groups, in the leaf axils is also diagnostic. Most of the colour actually comes from the sepals through which the flowers emerge, as they open. The tips of the flowers, when in bud, are pink, but they open white.
Below is a close-up of a single flower. You can see the woolly surface of the inside of the flower from which this plant genus gets its name - meaning "white beard". These woolly flowers distinguish Leucopogon from other related plants, such as Epacris. This species holds its flower widely reflexed when fully opened. The width of this flower is approx 5mm. The stamens, which in this genus are said to be held deep within the corolla tube, in fact are quite clearly visible, because of the way the flower opens itself so widely. The parts of the flower are in "fives" - 5 "lobes" (in layman's speak - petals), 5 stamens.
This image will open to full screen size. It is worth clicking on the image, to open it up to its full size, to see the flower in full detail.