WESTERN AUSTRALIA :DAY 4 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Contos Campground - Hamelin Bay - 22 km

DAY 4 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Contos Campground - Hamelin Bay - 22 km - 6 hours

Overcast and mild, 16o C

 

 

Merribrook's lodge - breakfast by the fire

 

 

 Family of kookaburras at Merribrook

 

 

The blue line is the Cape to Cape track.

The track was neatly divided into karri forest and beach sections today.

 

 

Once we found the correct path (fabulous navigators we are (not)!) we descended into the forest.

 

 

Grasstrees lined much of the path

 

 

Majestic karri forest

 

 

Clear, well-marked paths

 

 

Over the sand dunes to Boranup Beach

 

 

 

Native rock parrot

 

 

A kelp gull

 

 

Marine still life - artistic, huh?

Huge cuttlefish aplenty strewn along the sands.

 

 

Walking on 4WD tracks to avoid soft sand.

Essential to carry water - none on route.

  

 

Warning signs at every turn.

Dangers : rips, slippery rocks, collapsing sand dunes, fragile limestone cliffs, high tides, hidden reefs

 

 

The welcome sight of the Hamelin Bay boat ramp

 

 

 

M&M

 

 

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au 

 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA : DAY 3 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Gracetown - Margaret River - 22.5 km

DAY 3 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Gracetown - Margaret River - 19 km - 6 hours

Mainly fine with intermittent showers. 17o C

 

Surfers out aplenty in the large swell at Gracetown. 

 

 

Seas being whipped up by the wind 

 

 

Evidence of the 2011 bushfire along the track

 

 

Attractive dune plants with a view of the long beach walk ahead

 

 

The Ellensbrook Homestead was owned and built by the pioneer Alfred Bussell , who first settled at Ellensbrook in 1857 to set up a family beef and dairy farm. He named the area after his wife, Ellen and the stream that ran through the property. Between 1899-1917, Alfred's sister,Edith, established an Aboriginal Mission on the property, the "Ellensbrook Farm Home for Aboriginal Children". Nyungar people were able to work on the property in return for food and shelter. 

 

 

The boardwalk between Ellensbrook Homestead and Meekadarbee Cave.

 

 

The cave at Meekadarbee Falls. In Aboriginal legend, the cave is where the spirits of Aboriginal lovers, Mitanne & Nobel live.

 

 

Another 4WD track to test endurance and leg power.

 

 

The limestone formation of 'Joey's Nose' on Kilcarnup Beach.

 

 

Lots of flotsam and jetsam on the beaches from the various craft sailing on the Indian Ocean.

 

 

Large shells

 

 

Busy oyster catchers

 

 

Up from Kilcarnup Beach through a gnarled forest - another good place to get lost and add a few extra kilometres before finding the correct path to Cape Mentelle.

 

 

Our destination was Margaret River mouth. An unexpected swamping by a large wave at the river mouth was a spectacular (and sobering) end to the day. 

 

 

M&M

 

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au

 

WESTERN AUSTRALA : DAY 2 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Wyadup Road - Gracetown - 26 km - 8 hours

DAY 2 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Wyadup Road - Gracetown - 26 km - 8 hours

Heavy rain  overnight which continued throughout the day.

Our destination was Gracetown today.

Storm clouds, rougher seas and continuing on the earthen track though scrub.

Granite outcrops

Stairway south of Biljedup Brook

Relief to discover the correct path.

Just before this we were lost in sand dunes in pelting rain but were rescued by a

fellow bush bashing in his 4WD checking fire trails. For a fleeting moment I thought we might ask him to drive us to our car... but bravado prevailed.

Crossing one of the river mouths. At first glance an easy exercise but rogue waves thwarted us.

8 hours walking in the rain and we arrived in the sleepy seaside hollow of Gracetown to climb around the granite point as light was fading.

M&M

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au



 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA : DAY 1 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Cape Naturaliste - Wyadup Road - 20.5 km

DAY 1 : CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Cape Naturaliste- Wyadup Road - 20.5 km - 5 and a half hours
Weather : fine and sparkling, 18o C, with threatening cloud in the afternoon.

 

Day 1

 

We planned to walk from Cape Naturalist to Wyadup Road.

 

 

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

The official start of the walk

 

 

Waymarkers

 

 

Well- made track and boardwalk to tempt you down the coast.

It is even suggested that it's suitable for wheelchair access..

not sure what happens when they reach the end of this section at the top of the cliff!

 

 

Colourful wildflowers attract birds and insects.

Little wrens dart in and out of the scrub.

 

 

Rocky outcrops - a nightmare for navigation

We spotted a pod of dolphins and a distant spout of water from a passing whale.

 

 

Mark had promised that there was no chance of snakes.

We both encountered 30 cm pythons slithering across this section.

Fortunately harmless but added a little excitement to the day.

 

 

Surfers out at every opportunity.

Several surfers taken by sharks in this area in the last few years.

We passed through Yalllingup - place of love - celebrated as the home of

WA surfing, begun in 1950s.

 

 

Spikey limestone formations

 

 

Walking along Smiths Beach

 

 

Limestone and granite sections meet

 

 

Some interesting characters along the way

 

 

Spectacular granite boulders at the end of Smiths Beach.

 

 

All in all, a positive start with pleasant walking weather and a good introduction to the beautiful Western Australian coast and wildlife.

 

 

M&M

 

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPE TO CAPE WALK - Margaret River, W.A. - 135 kms - 5 days - Overview

CAPE TO CAPE WALK, Margaret River, W.A.

 

 

A trip to Perth, Western Australia, to visit our son and daughter-in-law, during the winter school holidays, provided an opportunity to plan a few days to the do Cape to Cape Trek. This is a 135 km walk from Cape Naturalist to Cape Leeuwin and borders the famous Margaret River wine region. Given the unpredictable seasonal weather and the basic camping facilities (and we are not generally camping enthusiasts, if truth be known) we organised bed, breakfast and daily transport to each section of the track. We would highly recommend Lorraine and Richard Firth's Merribrook Retreat  www.merribrook.com.au. They are avid walkers and so are very informed about the route and have developed a comfortable lodge and high class cabin facilities to showcase the area.

 

The track is well marked and leads you along the beautiful rocky south-western coastline, by prepared trails through karri forests, on sandy beaches and some rocky outcrops. It has some excellent sections for shorter day walks. In fact, we would rate these stretches easy walking but the sum of the parts of the walk make it quite a strenuous undertaking. This is mainly due to the remoteness of the path and the availability for practical drop-off and pick-up points, if you are not camping on the track.

 

The daily temperature was about 18o C, which made walking very pleasant. We had some fine weather and some showers and fortunately, did not experience high winds or thunderstorms. Friends had warned us that this was a possibility so we were well prepared with wet-weather gear and long pants to prevent the pain of whipped-up sand.

 

The track itself was mainly flat and has been well maintained by the Friends of the Cape to Cape.  On the downside, a few essential guide posts had been removed at some intersections and we took some time to re-discover the correct path. The coastline is spectacular with fascinating bird and marine life and native vegetation. The wildflowers must be spectacular in Spring. The advantages walking in July are the cooler walking conditions, fewer annoying insects and snakes - although we did encounter 2 small innocuous pythons! The greatest disadvantage is the softness of the sand in the cooler weather, which makes walking slow and tedious -- and there are long stretches of beach track.

 

We didn't encounter anyone walking at this time, although there was evidence of others on the track in the sign-in books at both ends of the track. We were amazed by the number of surfers out every day off remote beaches, finding breaks in the treacherous reefs, often far from shore. Otherwise, the few coastal towns we encountered were deserted and summer cafes closed for the season. This made our evening returns to Margaret River all the more enjoyable each evening as we savoured the delights of the food, wine, conviviality and warmth of restaurants in the area.

 

Having walked to many destinations overseas in the past year we were delighted to be savouring Australian landscape as well, so pristine and well-cared for - with no language difficulties! Our warning is that on the face of it this appears to be quite a straightforward easy - medium walk, but because of the long expanses of beach / sand dunes, it can prove to be a difficult ordeal.

 

M&M

mm_smith@bigpond.net.au