The Cape to Cape Walk Track is a long-distance

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...

trail located in the far south-west corner of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, south of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

. It meanders along the whole length of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which forms the backbone of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Its start and finish are the lighthouses at the tips of

Cape Naturaliste Cape Naturaliste is a headland in the south western region of Western Australia at the western edge of the Geographe Bay. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge which was named after the cape. Also the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ...

and

Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent, in the state of Western Australia. Description A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further in Flinders ...

. The Track extends over of coastal scenery, sheltered forests and pristine beaches, and is in close proximity to the

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

s and other features and attractions of the South West Capes

Margaret River The Margaret River is a river in southwest Western Australia. In a small catchment, it is the eponym of the town and tourist region of Margaret River. The river arises from a catchment of just 40 square kilometres in the Whicher Range. ...

region.

History

The original Aboriginal inhabitants of the area, the

Wardandi The Wadandi, also spelt Wardandi and other variants, are an Aboriginal people of south-western Western Australia, one of fourteen language groups of the Noongar peoples. Name There are at least three theories about the meaning of the tribal eth ...

people, would have known the ridge and its resources intimately, and would regularly have travelled its length. Soon after the first European settlers arrived at Augusta in March 1831, John Dewar and Andrew Smith travelled to the Swan River on foot, recording the section to

in their journal. They seemed to have had little difficulty traversing the country, reporting that much had been burnt, and they travelled alternately on the beaches or three to four miles inland along a ridge of low hills. It took them six days to reach

, much the same time that it takes now, though probably in slightly less relaxed fashion, as they started before sunrise, and sometimes marched by moonlight. Boranup2

Since those days, the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge has become increasingly populated, with roads and tracks criss-crossing the land. Most of these, however, run east-west, whereas the coastline runs north-south, and much of the remaining bush land between has grown thick and impenetrable. The coastline and a significant proportion of the ridge are now reserved as the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. In the 1980s Jane Scott, a local resident, found ways of walking from the one Cape to the other. In 1988, a Federal Government Bicentenary Grant provided funding to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DoBCA), then known as the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), for a project to develop the dedicated walk-track. The Track was officially opened in April 2001 and is managed by DoBCA with assistance provided by the Friends of the Cape to Cape Track.

The Track today

The present Track is a combination of different types of terrain and surface. It varies from smooth, wide tracks, to narrow rocky paths, to soft sandy beaches and a few rough scrambles. The intention is to create a low-key bush-trail that blends into the environment, rather than a highly engineered walkway. However, the track between Cape Nauraliste and Sugarloaf is specially constructed for disabled users. This section is suitable for wheelchair use, but the rest of the track is designed as a single-use walking track, and cannot sustain the wear and tear of other users such as horses or mountain bikes. Some sections currently make use of old vehicle tracks, and other sections involved cutting new paths. The Track includes several quite long stretches of accessible beach, allowing opportunities for cooling the feet, as well as helping to minimise construction and maintenance costs. To help control erosion, and to make life easier for walkers, there are built steps on some steep sections. Many streams form sandbars in summer but flow through to the sea in winter. The only stream with a formal bridge crossing is Boodjidup Brook. Access points along its length allow walkers to sample the Track as a series of short walks over time. Many people actually complete the walk over several months or years as a series of one-day or half-day walks. The goal for some walkers will be to complete the whole Track at once, but for many, enjoying a short walk now and again is feasible. The track passes by a number of historic locations and sites including

Cape Leeuwin water wheel Cape Leeuwin water wheel, sometimes called the petrified water wheel, is a non-operating water wheel, near Cape Leeuwin, in the south-west of Western Australia. It was used to pump fresh water to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. It is notable both for ...

Track marking

Square pine posts mark the way at most intersections, and at intervals between, each post bearing the triangular Track logo. Larger wooden signs usually show the way off beaches.

Climate

The climate along the Capes is not extreme, having a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The area rarely experiences frosts, and snow has never been recorded. Summer temperatures only occasionally approach . This southwest corner, starting with

, is the first part of the Australian mainland to feel the force of the

Roaring Forties The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40°S and 50°S. The strong west-to-east air currents are caused by the combination of air being displaced from the Equator ...

or winter gales that whip across the southern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

. The minimum temperature is always above .

Camping

There are several

campsites A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using ten ...

and

caravan park Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

s for walkers wishing to camp out along the Track. They provide places to camp roughly a day's walk apart along the length of the Track. Four low-key campsites have a bush toilet, a rainwater-tank filled from the toilet roof, a picnic-table, and seats. These no-fee campsites provide no shelter and users need to carry their own tents. There are two other more-developed National Park campgrounds along the Track where camping fees are payable, that have toilets and fireplaces. Other, more elaborate, campgrounds with accommodation along the Track are commercial operations. The Track passes through four settlements, Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly, and

Hamelin Bay Hamelin Bay is a bay and a locality on the southwest coast of Western Australia between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste. It is named after French explorer Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, who sailed through the area in about 1801. It is sou ...

Water

The quality of water is highly variable, with creeks generally flowing from vineyards and farmland. All drinking water, except that from town taps should be treated. Don't rely on streams because they dry up in summer. In summer, walkers should carry a minimum of of water for a day's walking, and more if camping.

References

External links

* *
Friends of the Cape to Cape Track
the group that curates the Track. Contains many practical details.
DoBCA track web page
the State Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions site. *{{cite book , last=Litchfield , first=Bob , year=2000 , title=Cape to Cape: images and impressions of the Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin region , others=Text by Caroline Litchfield , location=Perth, Western Australia , publisher=Bob Litchfield , isbn=0-646-40580-2 , oclc=223108581 Hiking and bushwalking tracks in Western Australia Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Cape to Cape Track