It’s definitely bittersweet. We are excited to get to the lighthouse and complete the trail but we’d rather not be going back to reality and civilization so soon!
Today we get to hike without our big packs – having arranged to leave them at the campground and hike the last 25 (ish)kms with a day pack. We would be picking the big packs up on our way back through to Margaret River. We were up early and packed and ready to leave by 6.50. We were grateful for another good weather day… and thankful to have our longest day be our last day and without the packs. We also have a fair bit of beach walking again today.
It was a quiet start as we left the campground with just a few campers stirring and a few people down at the beach. We headed up and over the boardwalk by the jetty and over to White Cliff Point before turning the corner and straight back down onto the beach for our first 2km of beach walking. Thankfully it was hard sand as the tide was only just going out for the morning. After the sand walking it was up into hiking in the low shrub/forest with rolling ups and downs and I finally (briefly) spotted a decent size snake – I was glad to just see the bottom half of it slithering away 🙂 After 4km we got to the Foul Bay Lighthouse and then the path would alternate between wide gravel and narrow sand/dune like, as we followed the coastline for about a 1km towards “Cosy corner” and then the Blowholes.
The “Blowholes” are a a series of limestone platforms full of gaps and holes, and blow holes can be seen and heard when the swell is large. We were fortunate enough to hear some and see the water come spitting up. We stayed here for a while watching and taking photos and enjoying the sounds, and hopping over and through the rocks and gaps.
After the Blowholes we reached the car park for Cape Hamelin and then dropped down in to a small bay before heading straight back up again to follow the edge of the rocks around the Cape until we reached the much dreaded Deepdene Beach – the beach walking we were dreading (but not as much with our lighter packs!)
We hit the beach at around the 8km mark, beginning on more of a rocky flat section and then we are on to the sand for a good 7km. I was happy to walk mostly with my boots off and enjoying the sand on my bare feet but Michelle kept her boots on. We are pretty lucky that the tide has just gone out so the sand is pretty hard and the walk isn’t too bad. There are some short breaks where you need to go up onto the rocks and away from the water as there isn’t always sand to walk on, and then you also pass the turn off to Deepdene campsite – which you also could miss if you aren’t paying attention. Some walkers stay here to break up the last two days but with it only being 10km from Hamelin Bay we didn’t see the point of it (however if we still had our big packs and wanted to stretch an extra day into the trip then we may have done a day here and spent longer at Hamelin Bay).
At 14km when we think we’ve done a nice rock section to finish the beach section off we are greeted with just soft sand for the another 2km before we see the big blue marker leading us off the beach and up behind the dunes. At this point we had caught up with a big group of walkers having a break on the dunes. We had a break and a chat with them – also catching up with our little hiker friend (Baby Q) who had been just ahead of us. We were looking forward to catching them at the end! We walked on just before them to get ahead of the group and continued along the dunes for 1km with about 8km to go till the lighthouse…. We were ready to be done and we are thinking about that meal at the pub in Margaret River tonight….. mmmmmmm.
After Deepdene Beach we head up a rocky path to get above the cliffs and walk along the cliff edge meandering along the coast and then inland for the next few km’s – glad to be above the sand 🙂
With 5km to go we get our first sighting of the lighthouse… and it looks so close…. But yet SO FAR! There are a few up and downs and steps as we make our way to the lighthouse. With 1.5km to go we finally reach the sign in book/box where we “sign off” the trail which we signed onto 7 days ago at Cape Naturaliste/Sugarloaf Rock.
The last kilometre feels long and the lighthouse looks like its getting closer but also doesn’t. We walk along the rocks and along the coast for most of it, the overcast weather is nice and we are thankful that we are getting to the end and have had mostly good weather. The rain has held off and the wind has been manageable. As we wind around to the last section before the lighthouse we reach the water wheel – it is now a non operational waterwheel which used to pump water to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
The views over the coast for this last kilometre are enjoyable and we take in our last steps of this epic week adventure on the trail. The large flat rocks over the last section to the lighthouse are a pleasant break from the rocky beach and sand sections we have walked over all day. The ending of the hike is becoming very bittersweet. As we get to the perimeter of the Lighthouse grounds we edge around to the entrance and see that the taxi/transfer guy is there waiting for us (we hadn’t arranged for a taxi for another hour but he was there early waiting for us) We were at the lighthouse at 3.20pm. We told the taxi/transfer company we wanted to stay at the lighthouse for a while and wouldn’t be ready to leave for 20-30 mins as we wanted to enjoy the end for a while (thankfully that worked out okay, as they arranged “a friend” to pick us up at the later time. We can’t say we felt the company we used was very professional or organised, but that’s another story. We were happy it got sorted, and we got to spend time at the lighthouse).
At the end of the lighthouse we hung out for a little bit to take photos and take in the views – the meeting of the Indian and the Southern Oceans. We also enjoyed a well deserved bottle of coke, chocolate bars and lollies! At the gift shop we stocked up on hoodies, t-shirts, pins, magnets you name it – many Cape to Cape goodies we could get our hands on 🙂 Then as we were leaving to get our transfer back to Prevally (via Hamelin Bay to pick our packs up) we see Emma and Baby Q coming around the rocks!!! We cheer them on and wait for their arrival! Michelle then walks with them up the end of the lighthouse to take their photo for them – what an achievement for Mumma and little Q!!
What a week, and what an adventure. The trail was absolutely incredible and really made us see and feel how amazing it is to be out here in the beautiful nature that the Margaret River region has to offer. Oh, the South West…. You do it well. We can’t wait to come back… and do it all again…. But okay, maybe not camping it next time…. Maybe?!
Now lets get to back to Surfer’s Point Resort to a real bed, a hot shower, and back into Margaret River to the pub and get some yummy food in us…. YES!!! Until next time….
(N.B: this blog post may have been written from notes and photos over a year later – so it may be a little choppy – life got a bit busy and this got put on the bottom of the to-do list. But yay its done. And we’ve got some more exciting hiking news to share since this. Maybe another blog post will come soon to tell you about that… but for a sneak peak head to www.instagram.com/queertrailsperth or search “queer trails perth members” on Facebook, to see what our next adventure has been… and is still!
“On a hike, you’re less a job title and more a human being. A periodic hike not only stretches the limbs, but also reminds us: Wow, there’s a big old world out there”
