Cape to Cape October 1-8 2008

Thanks to Dawn Green, the trip leader, for the following blog:

It was a day of firsts: the first day of October, the first day of the Cape to Cape track and the first time meeting our fellow hikers for the amazing journey we would share together. We were all eager to touch the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse which marked the commencement of the 135 kilometres of cliffs, beaches and forests that awaited us over the next seven days. A whale was spotted far off the coast within the first hour after leaving Cape Naturaliste as we hiked to Yallingup, which lifted our spirits and we would continually stop along the way, gazing out to sea in the hopes of spotting another in amongst the waves. Alas, it would not be until the very last day, at the end of our journey, where we would once again see whales frolicking in the ocean waters but that was not for lack of trying! More than once we tried to tell each other we had seen a whale, only to discover it was a cleverly disguised rock! Alf met us for lunch one day and also told tales of the whale watching he had done before we had arrived. It was a whale of a tale, I reckon.

The next day we left Yallingup behind, but not before a quick detour to a wooden platform overlooking the beach. This was where my husband, Simon, and I got married in a small, intimate ceremony at sunset with family and close friends in 2004 and I wanted to share it with the group. Canal Rocks looked amazing in the sunshine as we hiked onwards and we enjoyed our morning tea on a viewing platform, soaking up the sun and the stunning views.

Due to the high levels of rain in September, most of the brooks were running with lots of water, causing us to pause to take off our boots, carefully cross, then dry our feet and keep on trekking. The exception being Penny and John who decided to walk on water and seemed to have the ability to skim over the brooks with minimal water getting in their shoes! Quinninup Falls was particularly beautiful after a long day of trekking and the mist was soothing to the body and the sound of the water falling soothing to the soul. We stayed there in this paradise for a while and then hiked on towards the bus and Alf who waited for us and whisked us away back to Augusta each night, where we savoured Diane’s fine cuisine and shared plenty of laughs and stories from the trail.

Pam joined us for a lovely wild flower session one day, where we moved two steps and then someone would cry out, “Oh look at this flower, what is it?” The wild flower experts in the group and the ‘learning to be experts’ would all gather around in excitement and come to a conclusion and then it was onto the next one. It was a marvel of colour and textures and we even found a ‘patch’ of kangaroos along the way, standing as still as statues, watching us watching them as we passed by.

An unfortunate misstep and Linley fell, spraining her ankle in the process. This is where having a doctor and a nurse in the group came in handy, although there were ongoing joking negotiations on how much they would charge! Linley continued on, determined not to let anything stop her and she finished the rest of the hike, sometimes moving so fast on the beach, one would forget she was injured!

Willyabrup cliffs were as impressive as ever and we discovered a new addition to the track – a set of newly constructed, but not complete, stairs with a crude note on a sign saying to pass with caution as the railings were not yet finished. So, in its incomplete state it was a bit of a challenge to get up it, but we all managed with team work and helping hands at work.

Further down the track and shortly after a discussion on who those tracks in the sand might belong to, the answer to our question appeared – a Southern Heath Monitor digging away in the sand on the edge of the path. He did not notice us at first and we managed to snap some good photos before he became bored of the attention and moved on.

My husband, Simon, joined us for a day, being an avid hiker as well, and he entertained us all on the bus with some wild surfing tales of his younger days along this coastline. A rain squall hit us as we left Gracetown and we donned on our rain gear and continued on, the mix of weather being all part of the adventure. I heard a startlingly loud sound from the back of the pack and discover it is Simon, using a peppermint tree leaf to create a loud whistle, a childhood trick. Being naturally competitive, I try to do the same and manage to produce the sound of rushing air but no whistle, oh well!

We enjoyed a lovely lunch spot in a grove of trees, protected from the wind, then past Joey’s Nose and onto Kilcarnup Beach. Endangered Hooded Plovers were spotted on the beach and a delight to watch as they scurried along the sand, keeping a wary eye on us. After climbing up over Cape Mentelle, we descended down and headed across the sand to the mighty Margaret River. As expected, she was moving deep and fast, so Pam and Alf greeted us with a canoe service to whisk us all across, freezing no doubt in the chilly waters but with big smiles on their faces.

Later on, we encounter hardy volunteers trimming back the relentless growth of grass threatening to hide the track and say a big thanks for their efforts, as it is the Friends of the Cape to Cape who help maintain it for everyone to enjoy. After some spectacular cliff views, we head inland towards the mystical Boranup karri forest. It is a long hike today and by the time we all get to Alf and the bus, most of us are quiet, but what a rewarding day it was. A bandicoot scurrying across the path in the headlights prompts us to suggest a torchlight tour of the forest could be a great idea!

The bird song in amongst the tall karri trees greets us in the morning as we continue through the forest for a few hours before descending down to Hamelin Bay beach. All six kilometers of it await us and we tentatively try out the sand and are pleased to discover it is firm and makes for good walking time. A brief rain shower approaches and passes by us and soon the sun shines once again. Geoff, one of two 70 year olds in the group, really gave me a run for my money as he marched up and down the hills after lunch, hot on my heels!

The last day on the track brought with it a mixture of excitement and sadness within the group dynamic. The Cozy Corner blowholes were fascinating and a boy fisherman with his dad told us stories of the fish they had caught. Deepdene Beach blessed us with fairly firm sand, thus the long sand sections were very manageable. Pam and Alison joined us after getting side tracked on back roads and we made our way to our final destination and the end of the track. Cape Leeuwin lighthouse appeared and always seemed so far away but gradually did get bigger and closer. I spotted the one big snake for the trip, which luckily wanted nothing to do with us and slithered off the track.

After seven days we had really bonded as a group/team and it was satisfying to get us all to touch the lighthouse, (even kiss it!) and to take the group photos and to celebrate the accomplishment. It was a goal achieved and an incredible shared experience which will stay with us all for life.

For more photos of this trip click here