On my North – South end to end of the Cape to Cape Walk Track in November 2002 I walked in from Dunsborough and out to Augusta. This adds 22.40 kilometres to the walk. Also I treated this walk as a "normal" backpack, carrying all my food requirements for seven days and camping out each night. There are other ways of walking this track including resupplying en-route and staying in towns most nights. These track notes are reflective of the walk as I undertook it. For others comments on the track please click here.
Day 0 Perth to Dunsborough | Day 1 Dunsborough to Mt Duckworth Campsite | Day 2 Mt Duckworth to Moses Rock Campsite | < Ellensbrook to Rock Moses 3> | Day 4 Ellensbrook to Boodjidup Brook | Day 5 Boodjidup Brook to Boranup Hill Campsite
| Day 6 Boranup Hill to Deepdene Campsite | Day 7 Deepdene to Augusta | Others Track Notes/Comments |
DAY 0 PERTH TO DUNSBOROUGH
As this was an end to end walk, I chose to make use of public transport to get to the start of the walk and to return home at the end. I travelled from Perth to Dunsborough on Transwa train/coach service which is a good service taking approximately 4 hours. I stayed at the Dunsborough Inn* which describes itself as "superior budget accommodation." I found the Inn to be very clean and reasonable, offering a range of accommodation options from single shared facilities rooms to motel style accommodation. The Inn is pretty much in the centre of Dunsborough and within 200 metres of the Transwa bus stop. It is a approximately a 2 km walk from the Inn to the start of the Meelup Trail. However, for those not wishing to walk to the Cape to Cape trailhead, the Dunsborough Inn can assist with transport to the trail head.
Dunsborough has a reasonable range of facilities as would be expected in a small tourist town including accommodation, shopping (bakery, supermarket, hardware/camping store), phones, drinking water, restaurants and a tourist bureau. The supermarket does stock a reasonable range of backpacking foods, but it may be difficult to source some fuels such gas canisters. A local street guide is available from the Tourist Bureau.
Also available from the Tourist Bureau is a sketch map of the Meelup Regional Park walk trails and for purchase a Cape Naturaliste Walk Trails brochure. A combination of the Coastal Track, Bunker Bay track and the Lighthouse Walk form the substance of what Jane Scott and Ray Forma call the Meelup Trail in the "The Cape to Cape Track Guidebook Incorporating the Meelup Trail" (hereafter the Guidebook).
* I did receive a small discount on my accommodation costs at Dunsborough Inn.
DAY 1 DUNSBOROUGH TO MT DUCKWORTH CAMPSITE – 25.90 Km
I left Dunsborough at about 6:00 AM with approximately 20 kg on board and made camp at approximately 3:00 PM. Getting from Dunsborough to the trail head is pretty straightforward. There is a track till Eagle Bay (Gypsy Street shops). At the Gypsy Street/Meelup Beach Road intersection, turn left (west), keeping an eye out for a concrete path on your right. This path takes you to the beach where you turn left. From here until you pick-up the Bunker Bay Track at the end of Bunker Bay Road there is no defined track, rather just follow the coast, leaving the Bunker Bay beach at the western car park.
From the Lighthouse shop follow the Lighthouse Walk to pick up the Track. The track is fairly easy going through to Kabbijgup (Three Bears). On this section you past Sugarloaf Rock. From Three Bears you drop down on to a nice soft beach for 1.5 km followed by a tough climb out through the sand dunes. This section was a wake-up call for me, as I had been cruising along at about 4 km per hour up to this point.
Mt Duckworth campsite like all campsites on the Track is not marked, so keep an eye out for a tale-tail sign of the campsite. In this case, a picnic table on the side of the track! The water tank/toilet is further up the hill out of sight. There are a few tent sites here amongst the trees. This campsite is pretty close to Yallingup (3.25 km) so don’t be surprised if an exercise walker or two drops in!
Facilities/Water Availability
- Eagle Bay (Gypsy Street shop) – bottled water, phone, takeaway food;
- Bunker Bay – very fancy toilet;
- Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse – bottled water, small shop – ice creams etc.
- Kabbijgup – Three Bears – toilet, NO water.
- Mount Duckworth campsite – toilet, drinking water tank (small), picnic table, tent sites.
DAY 2 MOUNT DUCKWORTH TO MOSES ROCK CAMPSITE – 23.50 Km
I left Mt Duckworth campsite at 7:00 AM all fired up. Somewhere along the way, the enthusiasm was lost; I arrived at Moses Rock campsite some nine hours later! This is a four beaches day plus a serious climb off Quininup Beach straight up a very steep sand dune. Reflecting back on this section, I found it to be very mixed. The track between Injidup and Quininup beaches leaves a lot to be desired – 5 km of uninteresting 4WD track. Past Quininup Beach the landscape changes for the better. Just south of Moses Rock Road, there is a magic lookout built by a Greencorps team. Well worth stoping here for a moment to saviour the views.
Point to note: When leaving Quininup beach (heading south) at the Cape to Cape sign, take the right "track" in a south-east direction through the dunes. Keep an eye out for the track marker posts.
On this section I got into the habit of taking my shoes (I walked this track in New Balance 805 trail runners, not heavy leather boots) off for the beach sections. Walking at the waters edge in bare feet is such a blessing – make sure you give it a go. Your feet will like it too.
Part of the reason this was a long day was stopping in the two towns the track crosses – Yallingup and Smiths Beach. I reckon this cost me at least an hour.
Facilities/Water Availability
- Yallingup – drinking water from taps/fountains on grassed area in front of beach; phone; toilets and showers; small shop; cafe/restaurant; camp grounds and other accommodation. Also public transport bus stop approximately 1 km from the town;
- Smiths Beach – small shop/cafe; phone; I couldn’t find a public water source here so only water source may be bottled water; toilet;
- Canal Rocks – Just north of the car park on Canal Rocks road and about 100 m below the Track is a spring which should provide water all year round;
- Injidup beach car park – NO water; toilets;
- Quininup Brook – water in wetter months;
- Moses Rock campsite – toilet, drinking water tank (small), picnic table, a few tent sites; NO CDMA phone coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Mt Duckworth campsite / km to Moses Rock campsite
- Yallingup – 3.25 / 20.25 km;
- Smiths Beach – 6.25 / 17.25 km;
- Canal Rocks road – 8.0 km / 15.50 km;
- Wyadup Road – 10.0 / 13.50 km;
- Injidup Beach – 12.50 / 11.0 km;
- Moses Rock north car park – 20.75 / 2.75 km.
DAY 3 MOSES ROCK TO ELLENSBROOK CAMPSITE – 21.50 KM
Again a slow day as I spent too long in Gracetown plus had trouble finding the track to Left Handers (missing a page from my track notes). It took me 8.5 hours to make Ellensbrook, but it was nice to head inland on this section to the Ellensbrook campsite – trees! A lot of blow-out to walk through on the way to Left Handers and again south of Left Handers.
It is well worth taking some time to explore around the Ellensbrook homestead and grounds including the cave and waterfall. Ellensbrook is a very large campsite with a couple of large "fields" to camp in.
Point to note: When you walk into the homestead grounds, swing to the left of the house itself, heading for the car park. The Track picks-up the boardwalk through to the waterfall and caves.
Facilities/Water Availability
- Willyabrup Brook – water – may be dry in summer;
- Biljedup Brook – water
- Willyabrup Cliffs – toilet
- Veryiuca Brook – water – may be dry in summer;
- Miamup Brook – water – may be dry in summer
- Gracetown – accommodation, toilets, showers, shop/post office, restaurant, phone. I did not see a public source of drinking water. The general store at Gracetown carries very little in the way of supplies. I would suggest not relying on it as a supply source. That said, it did have in stock one litre bottles of Kerosene and Methylated Spirits. No Shellite and the guy when asked, had no idea about carrying it or Cape to Cape walkers! Its opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sundays, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I have heard from others than the caravan park at Gracetown is very walker friendly;
- Ellensbrook Homestead – water;
- Meekadarabee Spring – water;
- Ellensbrook Campsite – toilet, drinking water tank (small), picnic table, large camping areas; No CDMA phone coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Moses Rock campsite / km to Ellensbrook campsite
- Willyabrup Road – 3.0 / 18.50 km;
- Willyabrup Cliffs – 5.0 / 16.50 km;
- Cullen Road – 7.0 / 14.50 km;
- Juniper Road – 9.0 / 12.5 km;
- North Point – 11.50 / 10.0 km;
- Gracetown – 12.50 / 9.0 km;
- Left Handers – 16.0 / 5.50 km;
- Ellensbrook Homestead – 20.50 / 1.0 km.
DAY 4 ELLENSBROOK TO BOODJIDUP BROOK – 18 KM
A great section of the track from Ellensbrook to Joey’s Nose then along Kilcamup Beach to Cape Mentelle. The beach is an easy walk with really nice hard sand and lots of rock pools to explore. Took my time on this section, exploring rock pools and trying to photograph the crabs. One suggestion for this beach; keep the sandals handy for the limestone rock scrambling. Limestone and feet don’t go well together!
At Cape Mentelle, the track leaves the beach via the 4WD track (often a couple of dinghies here), but the path over the cliff is not clearly marked. I found the Guidebook useful here, however, at the top of the hill, turn left (Guidebook says turn south – first time south means left, normally means right!) You should pick-up an emergency access road before dropping down to the Margaret River Mouth beach. Crossing Margaret River was pretty straightforward. Learnt (not quite the hard way) that it is shallower where the river meets the sea, rather than a bit up river! It seems my crossing interested someone in a plane (well I think so) as they circled around a couple of times to watch!
From Margaret River mouth the track heads inland, but it is a relatively short walk in to Prevelly Park to the shops, accommodation etc. Just follow Rivermouth Road/Surfers Point Road/Wallcliffe Road. I would estimate that this a 1 km each way diversion.
The track from Margaret River till Boodjidup Brook follows fire trails up past the water tank/microwave tower. A bland section helped out with occasional views south and inland. The descent to Boodjidup Brook is a mere 300 + step "staircase!"
Crossing Boodjidup Brook is made easy by a galvanised bridge built by a Greencorps Team. A plaque at the Brook describes the bridge thus:
"It was fabricated locally and carried onto the site and constructed by a Greencorps Team. It is 16.5 m long, approximately 1.5 tonnes dead weight and has been galvanised to minimise corrosion" – circa 1999
Seeing the bridge, and knowing these young people carried all this into the area … just an amazing feat! A big thanks to the Greencorps crew!
I visited Boodjidup Brook in February 2002 and it was pretty much an undisturbed area and I thought that the EXISTING little clearing here would make a good campsite . In the intervening eight months, it seems others have also discovered this magical spot and decided to "expand" the camping area and to leave their rubbish. This is very disappointing and quite clearly damaging the area. There is a small area cleared between the steps and the bridge, suitable for camping – maybe 2 to 3 tents could fit here. If there is not enough room, please don’t flatten more vegetation, rather consider going a further km or so down to the beach and camping there or on to the tea-tree thicket area south of Calgardup Brook. Let us learn to respect what magic spots we have and this really is a very magic spot; beautiful peppermint trees, a bubbling brook and the odd branch breaking off!
Point to note: There is NO toilet facilities at Boodjidup Brook, so if you plan to camp here, keep in mind you are facing a 300+ step climb to get out of the valley and far enough away from the Brook to minimise your impact. Please DO NOT go to the toilet near the brook. Others may rely on this water source!
Facilities/Water Availability
- Margaret River mouth car park – Tap water and showers;
- Prevelly Park – Accommodation, shop, toilets, drinking water, restaurant, phone. The shop here is better than Gracetown but no walker supplies of substance. The shop does not open until 8:30 AM;
- Boodjidup Brook – water (will dry-up in summer); limited camping spots – max. 3 tents, no toilet; no CDMA coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Ellensbrook campsite / km to Boodjidup Brook
- Kilcarnup Road – 4.0 / 16.0 km
- Prevelly Park – 10.0 / 8.0 km
- Water-tanks above Prevelly Park – 13.50 / 4.50 Km
- Hollow Caves Road – 17.0 / 1.0 km
DAY 5 BOODJIDUP BROOK TO TRIG HILL (BORANUP HILL) CAMPSITE – 22.25 KM
From Boodjidup Brook the track takes you down to Boodjidup Beach (may also be known as Redgate Beach). I hit the beach around 7:00 AM, which turned out to be a good time as the tide, while coming in, was still out enough to allow walking on fairly firm sand. A bonus on this beach which is pretty soft higher up.
Point to note: Based on my experience I would in future take the trouble to note tide times and then try to plan walking beach sections when the tide is a reasonable way out. This seems to make a significant difference to the walking experience.
At the southern end of Boodjidup Beach, the track leaves the beach at the Redgate car park (Grace Bussell Memorial). This is a memorial to the rescue of the people on the Georgette, the first ship to regularly ply the coast between Albany and Geraldton by Grace Bussell and a stockman. They rode their horses into the surf to rescue the crew and passengers of the Georgette which had floundered on the rocks. The Georgette started plying the coast in 1873, a pretty audacious adventure at the time, and was ship wrecked in Calgardup Bay in 1876! The ship wreck lies just south of the car park and apparently can still be seen 90 metres out to sea on a calm day.
From the Redgate car park the track drops down to Redgate Beach, a very soft, short section of beach. At the southern end of the beach the track, after crossing Calgardup Brook, climbs to the cliff top through a tea-tree thicket (good camping spot).
At The Ledges (The Fishing Place) it may appear that you either go down or along the cliff top. You actually go down! There are two ways down, I suggest taking the southern option; about 50 m further south. From here you climb back up again to Bobs Hollow (a limestone cave and spring). From Bobs Hollow the track follows the cliff top, providing views to the North and South. At Conto Road, the track turns inland heading from the sea to the forest.
The track borders the western and southern boundaries of Conto’s Campground. If you are staying at Conto’s or wish to get water, rather than turning south at the creamy coloured direction sign marked Conto’s Campground, keep heading east till you reach Davis Drive. Follow Davis Drive to find the four cubicle toilet block. A water tap is on the side of the building.
Point to Note: After crossing Conto Road, the track heads inland. At a creamy coloured direction sign marked, Conto’s Campgrounds, a walk track is on the right. This is the Cape to Cape Track! It may not be marked and in fact you may have to hoof it awhile on the track before you come across a trail marker.
From Conto’s Campground the track continues to Point Road campsite (a better camping option than Conto’s in my view) and then follows various forestry roads to the Boranup Hill.
In my view, Boranup Hill is nothing special and a very disappointing choice of campsite. It offers very limited camping space which one has to share with the ants. The lookout is marginally ok, with potential for great sunrise/sundown photography, but that was about it. I was glad to move on from this campsite the next morning.
Today was the only day I saw a snake. I came across a snake in the Boranup Forest, crossing Davis Road. It was about 1.5 metres in length and in no hurry! Snapped a photo – but not to keen to get it right or too close, as I was not sure as to what type it was!
Facilities/Water Availability
- Redgate car park – toilets;
- Calgardup Brook – water but dries in summer;
- Bob’s Hollow spring – while there is water at Bobs Hollow, the water flow is very slow and looks like it would be hard to access;
- Conto’s Campground – toilets; tap water (limited in summer), camping spots;
- Point Road – camping, no water or toilets;
- Boranup Hill campsite – three tent sites; no water or toilets (toilets and water tank due to be installed in December 2002 – check with CALM Busselton); CDMA coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Boodjidup Brook / km to Boranup Hill campsite
- Redgate Road car park at Redgate Beach – 4.50 / 17.75 km
- Bobs Hollow Road – 8.0 / 14.25 km
- Conto Road – 10.50 / 11.75 km
- Point Road campground – 12.50 / 9.75 km
- Donovan Road – 17.25 / 5.0 km
- Hooley Road – 18.0 / 4.25 km
- Trig Road – 21.50 / 0.75 km
DAY 6 BORANUP HILL TO DEEPDENE CAMPSITE – 20.75 KM
It was good to get moving this morning, Boranup Hill just did nothing for me. I reached Boranup Beach at 7:40 AM, ready for 6.5 kilometres of beach walking; not sure what to expect in terms of the surface. Well again, the beach gods were looking down on me. I had a great walk of firm sand pretty much all the well, walking off the beach approximately an hour and a half later.
For the historical buff, Hamelin Bay jetty is an interesting place. From Hamelin Bay the track crosses through the blow out at White Cliff Point before dropping down on to a very soft short beach. The track leaves the beach at a limestone outcrop about 2 m high, where it then heads into the sand dunes. The Guidebook says that where the track leaves the beach may be difficult to find, but once you have found it the track back through the dunes is clear. Hmmm, I found the departure point fine, but the track back through the dunes was 
not so clear! The track is not marked here. Once you hit a sheltered hollow (end of 4WD track), follow the track for 600 metres to a T-junction. At the T turn right. The track is clearly marked from here and climbs up and down the dunes on a 4WD track until you reach a beacon (lighthouse). Great views to be had from this point.
From the beacon, the track follows the gravel access road to Cosy Corner Road and then more 4WD track until Cosy Corner Bay. From here to Deepdene campsite is another of those magical sections of the track. The track is actually along the limestone platforms making up the coast here. You get to walk amongst solution holes and limestone formations that are really amazing. The sound of the water in the holes is really weird.
At the southern end of Cosy Corner Bay, it is an easy scramble over the granite rocks of Cape Hamelin before the track again drops down on to Deepdene Beach for the final stretch to Deepdene campsite.
While I found the track off the beach to Deepdene campsite relatively easily, I understand that it can be hard to find. Heading south, if you reach Turner Brook you know you have gone to far! On the Leeuwin 1929-III NW map, a 4WD track is shown 500 metres north of Turner Brook (grid reference LH201057). The campsite is 500 metres down this track. The Guidebook describes finding the campsite thus:
"The side-track to the Deepdene Campsite exits through a large blowout about 0.6 km along the beach. Ignore first two small blowouts…. Follow this side-track for nearly 0.5 km up to the campsite." (p. 84).
I would suggest that Deepdene campsite was the special campsite for me … only 500 metres from the beach … great sunsets to be seen here… last night on the track … first sightings today of Cape Leeuwin lighthouse. Just found it magic here sitting on the beach watching the sunset.
Facilities/Water Availability
- Hamelin Bay Caravan Park – accommodation, no walker supplies or takeaway food (except during summer season). Water taps, toilets and phones at the jetty. No CDMA coverage.
- Deepdene campsite – toilet, small water tank, tent sites (4 to 5 I would suggest); picnic table. No CDMA coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Boranup Hill campsite / km to Deepdene campsite
- Boranup Beach road – 2.75 / 18.0 km
- Grace road – 3.75 km / 17.0 km
- Hamelin Bay Road – 11.75 / 9 km
- Cosy Corner Road – 17.25 / 3.50 km
DAY 7 DEEPDENE CAMPSITE TO AUGUSTA – 25.50 KM
Last day on the track. Broke camp fairly early, keen to tackle my last beach section, all of 8 km! The Guidebook describes this section as "long [and] difficult" and I could imagine this is the case in winter with the water levels much higher up the beach. Potential here for a LOT of soft sand! Again I was lucky, hitting the beach with the tide still out a reasonable distance, thus, providing a reasonable walking surface – still fairly soft but nowhere near as bad as it could be!
The beach section is interrupted by a 1.5 km limestone rock platform that needs to be negotiated. Again the Guidebook suggests that this may be impassable in winter, requiring making one’s way above the platform on an ad-hoc sandy path.
At the end of Deepdene Beach, the track leaves the beach just short of the Augusta Cliffs and you immediately commence a lovely climb up a steep 4WD track for about 1 km only to swing south and start descending to the finishing point at the petrified water-wheel at Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
That’s it! Well not quite, one then needs to consider one’s options to get back into Augusta. Currently, there is no track into town so it is either walk along the road/beach, get picked-up or get a taxi. Apparently the Augusta taxi service is used to picking up and dropping off Cape to Cape walkers.
In accordance with my walk philosophy, I chose to walk back into town (8 km) arriving in Augusta mid-afternoon. Walk options are a road bash or road bash combined with beach walking. The beach is pretty good … mostly firm sand.
I chose to stay at the Baywatch Manor Resort (up-market backpackers). My single room cost $45.00 for the night. The backpackers is in town and very close to the Transwa bus terminal. I highly recommend it.
Augusta is a small tourist/fishing town with a reasonable arrange of services including a supermarket (good range of products), hotel, restaurants, hardware/camping supplies, and accommodation. For excellent local information, I suggest you bypass the Tourist Bureau and drop in and say hi to Kathy at Leeuwin Souvenirs. Kathy can also be contacted via email at tourist_augusta@hotmail.com.
I left Augusta the day after my arrival in town, once again on Transwa bus service. I left Augusta at 8:30 AM arriving in Perth at 2:30 PM.
Facilities/Water Availability
- Turner Brook – water in the wetter months;
- Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – toilets, small shop, souvenirs, cool drinks, ice-creams, CDMA coverage.
Additional Access Points – km to Deepdene campsite / km to Cape Leeuwin Trailhead
- Skippy Rock Road – 11.50 / 6 km
- Quarry Bay – 16.90 / 0.6 km
- Augusta – 25.50 / 8.0 km
OTHERS TRACK NOTES/COMMENTS
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Tags: Cape to Cape Track,Hiking,Walk Trails
Categories: Hiking, Walk Trails
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