a Real Walkabout June 20-22, 2006
Day 1
We caught the bus in the town of Margaret River and rode the 45 minutes to Dunsborough. A local taxi took us the rest of the way to the Cape Naturaliste Light, where our hike was to start. We thanked Dawn again for her help in arranging our transportation. She then insisted on calling the Chandler’s Smith Beach Resort where we were scheduled to stay that night. We thanked here again and were on our way by 11AM.
The Cape to Cape Track runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, a distance of 135 kilometers or about 84 miles and is a feature of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Our three day hike would cover the northern half of the track.
The day was windy and cloudy with more than an even chance of rain. We came prepared with a rain suits and a change of clothes. We also carried a tarp, first aid kit, flashlights, handheld GPS, gators, and food for several meals. The amount of food was due to it being the off season and we weren’t sure what would be open in the small seaside villages that were along our path.
The landscape of the trail varies from beach to forest to sand dunes but consist mainly of waist to shoulder high brush. This would be a tough hike during Australia’s hot summer because of the lack of shade. During the winter the lack of cover means stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean as you move along the path. Today the 30+ knot winds gave added excitement to the scene as 12-15 foot breakers surged onto the beach.
We moved along steadily toward our goal of Smith’s Beach without incident and best of all without rain. We reached Smith’s Beach and the final ¼ mile of the trail was along the beach. This is not fun walking when you have 20-25 pounds on your back. We left the trail at the beach parking lot and walked about 5 minutes up the road to find our accommodations for the night. The manager had told us she leaves at 3PM (everything seems to close early here) and that the key would be in the door to Number 9, the ultimate “express check in”. The bad news was that nothing was open for miles. We cleaned up and had a dinner of instant noodles, cheese and crackers followed by a small block of dark chocolate which came from our tucker (which is Australian for provisions). Number 9 was a suite that has two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, dining area and a covered deck that overlooked the ocean when you looked straight out but a small wooded valley when you look to the right. When we arrived there was a flock of parrots in the yard beyond the deck that were intently pecking at something on the ground.
Day 2
Sore and stiff after covering about 20k the day before we were somewhat skeptical about covering the 31k that lay in front of us today. We decided to call a taxi from Dunsborough to pick us up and drop us at Moses Rock, an access point 11-12k further down the track. Before leaving Number 9 we were standing on the deck and noticed half a dozen kangaroos in the wooded valley to the right of the deck. It reminds us of seeing deer in fields back home.
We were on the trail by 9:30. The day started cloudy but the wind had dropped to about 15 knots. By noon skies had mostly cleared. We hiked past the stiffness and soreness and soon were back in the rhythm of the trail. A couple of hours into the hike we came upon a rock climbing class. A group of about 6 people were being taught to repel down the side of a cliff to rocks that were 100 feet or so below. The rocks were at the waters edge and it looked like the guys were stepping off into a void as they backed over the edge. Another couple of hours on the trail brought us to the body of a dead kangaroo just off the trail. This was a big animal that looked to have stood 5-6 feet tall. We’re not sure what happened, but it did not appear to have been killed by dingoes as the carcass was intact. The day ended in dramatic fashion as we rounded a rocky headland to see our destination of Gracetown across a small bay and as a bonus it was only 3PM.
After wandering around a bit we found the Gracetown Chalets and checked in. There was a small general store that had a slim supply of food, but at the time we looked gratefully at this windfall. We picked up some noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef. . I even bought a bottle of wine. This along with Holly’s cheese bread was our end of the day feast. Again we had a two bedroom unit with kitchenette, although it was not as modern or as well kept as Number 9. The only source of heat was a fireplace. The lady that checked us in dropped by, handed me an axe and told us that the wood pile was in the back. “Please help yourself to as much wood as you need”. The wood turned out to be dry, easy to split and burned readily. The blower on the fireplace warmed the apartment nicely that night but the next morning with the fire having burnt down during the night, there was a chill in the air.
Day 3
We were on the trail by 8AM and looked forward to reaching Margaret River. The day was mostly clear although it had rained the night before. This part of the trail runs along a section of the coast that is very popular with surfers. There are a lot of trails that criss cross the Cape to Cape making it difficult to follow the path, and we spent a lot of time looking for the C to C marker posts. As with all trails that we have hiked, this one is marked better in some places more than others. This was an area that could have used more markers. We backtracked almost a kilometer at one point trying to find the trail.
Back on the C to C we found ourselves in thigh high wet brush. Cold and wet we pushed on and finally reached a more open section of the path. Another couple of kilometers brought us to a historic site named Ellensbrook. This was a homestead that was started in the 1880s and thrived, at one time stretching more than 30 kilometers down the coast with cattle and timber being the mainstay. We lingered for a few minutes but then pointed our feet south once again.
For the next hour we were treated to a walk through a forest made up mainly of large eucalyptus trees. This was a treat after walking on the open windswept cliff tops for the past two days, although the trail along this section was comprised of a 4 wheel drive road that was mostly soft sand which made for difficult walking. When we broke out of the forest, the trail once again led us to the beach where we stopped for picnic lunch. The day was sunny, warm and relatively calm and we enjoyed the brief respite immensely. Between us and our destination lay the Margaret River which when running, floods the sand bar at the mouth of the river. There is a point along the trail when you decide to take a detour which means a couple of hours of road walking or staying on the trail to cross the bar. The local Department of Conservation and Land Management will tell you if the trail if the bar can be safely crossed and we had the numbers to call.
Our plan was to call when we reached the detour. In slogging along the soft sand road we had missed the detour point and did not realize that until we stopped for lunch. I’m sure it will surprise no one when I say we did not have a phone signal. Armed with the knowledge that this has been one of the driest season in years we pressed on, knowing that we may not be able to get across which would mean back tracking 6-7 miles. Another two hours of hiking along a rock strewn beach and over the Cape Mentelle headland brought us to the moment of truth. As we climbed over the last hill the silent prayer we had offered to the trail gods was answered when the bar across the mouth of the Margaret River came into view. We crossed quickly lest they change their minds and headed to the beach resort where we were to spend two nights in a row. As we walked along the road toward the resort, Holly spied a short cut across a low lying area that saved us at least another 15 minutes of walking along the hilly highway. Double Bonus!
We were tired, but happy to have had the experience of trekking through this part of the world. The Aussies do a great job of enjoying the natural environment without putting too much strain on it. The park is well used but not abused and as in all parts of Australia that we have visited, clean is the byword. Litter was nonexistent as was vandalism, graffiti and other related problems that we have seen in parts of the US.
First, pizza for dinner at the Sea Garden Restaurant, then a good night’s sleep with the contentment of having hiked about 40 miles through some incredibly spectacular scenery.
We caught the bus in the town of Margaret River and rode the 45 minutes to Dunsborough. A local taxi took us the rest of the way to the Cape Naturaliste Light, where our hike was to start. We thanked Dawn again for her help in arranging our transportation. She then insisted on calling the Chandler’s Smith Beach Resort where we were scheduled to stay that night. We thanked here again and were on our way by 11AM.
The Cape to Cape Track runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, a distance of 135 kilometers or about 84 miles and is a feature of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Our three day hike would cover the northern half of the track.
The day was windy and cloudy with more than an even chance of rain. We came prepared with a rain suits and a change of clothes. We also carried a tarp, first aid kit, flashlights, handheld GPS, gators, and food for several meals. The amount of food was due to it being the off season and we weren’t sure what would be open in the small seaside villages that were along our path.
The landscape of the trail varies from beach to forest to sand dunes but consist mainly of waist to shoulder high brush. This would be a tough hike during Australia’s hot summer because of the lack of shade. During the winter the lack of cover means stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean as you move along the path. Today the 30+ knot winds gave added excitement to the scene as 12-15 foot breakers surged onto the beach.
We moved along steadily toward our goal of Smith’s Beach without incident and best of all without rain. We reached Smith’s Beach and the final ¼ mile of the trail was along the beach. This is not fun walking when you have 20-25 pounds on your back. We left the trail at the beach parking lot and walked about 5 minutes up the road to find our accommodations for the night. The manager had told us she leaves at 3PM (everything seems to close early here) and that the key would be in the door to Number 9, the ultimate “express check in”. The bad news was that nothing was open for miles. We cleaned up and had a dinner of instant noodles, cheese and crackers followed by a small block of dark chocolate which came from our tucker (which is Australian for provisions). Number 9 was a suite that has two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, dining area and a covered deck that overlooked the ocean when you looked straight out but a small wooded valley when you look to the right. When we arrived there was a flock of parrots in the yard beyond the deck that were intently pecking at something on the ground.
Day 2
Sore and stiff after covering about 20k the day before we were somewhat skeptical about covering the 31k that lay in front of us today. We decided to call a taxi from Dunsborough to pick us up and drop us at Moses Rock, an access point 11-12k further down the track. Before leaving Number 9 we were standing on the deck and noticed half a dozen kangaroos in the wooded valley to the right of the deck. It reminds us of seeing deer in fields back home.
We were on the trail by 9:30. The day started cloudy but the wind had dropped to about 15 knots. By noon skies had mostly cleared. We hiked past the stiffness and soreness and soon were back in the rhythm of the trail. A couple of hours into the hike we came upon a rock climbing class. A group of about 6 people were being taught to repel down the side of a cliff to rocks that were 100 feet or so below. The rocks were at the waters edge and it looked like the guys were stepping off into a void as they backed over the edge. Another couple of hours on the trail brought us to the body of a dead kangaroo just off the trail. This was a big animal that looked to have stood 5-6 feet tall. We’re not sure what happened, but it did not appear to have been killed by dingoes as the carcass was intact. The day ended in dramatic fashion as we rounded a rocky headland to see our destination of Gracetown across a small bay and as a bonus it was only 3PM.
After wandering around a bit we found the Gracetown Chalets and checked in. There was a small general store that had a slim supply of food, but at the time we looked gratefully at this windfall. We picked up some noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef. . I even bought a bottle of wine. This along with Holly’s cheese bread was our end of the day feast. Again we had a two bedroom unit with kitchenette, although it was not as modern or as well kept as Number 9. The only source of heat was a fireplace. The lady that checked us in dropped by, handed me an axe and told us that the wood pile was in the back. “Please help yourself to as much wood as you need”. The wood turned out to be dry, easy to split and burned readily. The blower on the fireplace warmed the apartment nicely that night but the next morning with the fire having burnt down during the night, there was a chill in the air.
Day 3
We were on the trail by 8AM and looked forward to reaching Margaret River. The day was mostly clear although it had rained the night before. This part of the trail runs along a section of the coast that is very popular with surfers. There are a lot of trails that criss cross the Cape to Cape making it difficult to follow the path, and we spent a lot of time looking for the C to C marker posts. As with all trails that we have hiked, this one is marked better in some places more than others. This was an area that could have used more markers. We backtracked almost a kilometer at one point trying to find the trail.
Back on the C to C we found ourselves in thigh high wet brush. Cold and wet we pushed on and finally reached a more open section of the path. Another couple of kilometers brought us to a historic site named Ellensbrook. This was a homestead that was started in the 1880s and thrived, at one time stretching more than 30 kilometers down the coast with cattle and timber being the mainstay. We lingered for a few minutes but then pointed our feet south once again.
For the next hour we were treated to a walk through a forest made up mainly of large eucalyptus trees. This was a treat after walking on the open windswept cliff tops for the past two days, although the trail along this section was comprised of a 4 wheel drive road that was mostly soft sand which made for difficult walking. When we broke out of the forest, the trail once again led us to the beach where we stopped for picnic lunch. The day was sunny, warm and relatively calm and we enjoyed the brief respite immensely. Between us and our destination lay the Margaret River which when running, floods the sand bar at the mouth of the river. There is a point along the trail when you decide to take a detour which means a couple of hours of road walking or staying on the trail to cross the bar. The local Department of Conservation and Land Management will tell you if the trail if the bar can be safely crossed and we had the numbers to call.
Our plan was to call when we reached the detour. In slogging along the soft sand road we had missed the detour point and did not realize that until we stopped for lunch. I’m sure it will surprise no one when I say we did not have a phone signal. Armed with the knowledge that this has been one of the driest season in years we pressed on, knowing that we may not be able to get across which would mean back tracking 6-7 miles. Another two hours of hiking along a rock strewn beach and over the Cape Mentelle headland brought us to the moment of truth. As we climbed over the last hill the silent prayer we had offered to the trail gods was answered when the bar across the mouth of the Margaret River came into view. We crossed quickly lest they change their minds and headed to the beach resort where we were to spend two nights in a row. As we walked along the road toward the resort, Holly spied a short cut across a low lying area that saved us at least another 15 minutes of walking along the hilly highway. Double Bonus!
We were tired, but happy to have had the experience of trekking through this part of the world. The Aussies do a great job of enjoying the natural environment without putting too much strain on it. The park is well used but not abused and as in all parts of Australia that we have visited, clean is the byword. Litter was nonexistent as was vandalism, graffiti and other related problems that we have seen in parts of the US.
First, pizza for dinner at the Sea Garden Restaurant, then a good night’s sleep with the contentment of having hiked about 40 miles through some incredibly spectacular scenery.
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