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date published
26.07.2006

Cape To Cape (W.A)

The Cape To Cape in WA - No.8 of the Great Drives of Australia

Cape to Cape Cape to Cape

Cape To Cape

Good food, good wine and good waves in WA’s southwest – what more do you need to make you happy? This dense combination of surf and wine culture around the Margaret River region is quite literally unbeatable anywhere else in Australia. A wild knob of land jutting into the sea off the bottom left corner of the mainland, crowned in the north by Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in the south, it’s home to some of the finest wines produced in Australia. The town of Margaret River is more or less on the halfway mark of Caves Road, which runs Cape to Cape and is the best way to explore the area. It’s a perfect blend.
Total distance: from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, 110km

Slow down for . . .

  • Stop off at one of the secluded beaches along Caves Road, where freshwater creeks trickle down to unspoiled stretches of sand – you can literally cup your hands and drink the running water fresh from the source while standing on a sandy beach.
  • Wind your way through Boranup Karri Forest (right) and stroll through the 90m-high trees. 
  • Stop for a fabulous fish burger at the bakery in Augusta, and finally reach Cape Leeuwin, the most southwesterly tip of the mainland, where the Indian and Southern oceans meet. 
  • Shanghai a designated driver and head into wine country – there are around 50 wineries clumped together in a 15km area north of Margaret River. 
  • Take a tour of the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste, then walk around the headland for views of the coastline and the chance to spot migrating whales.? If you’re a golfing fan, turn to page 58 for a closer look at one of the best in the region.

Best kept secret
The Possum Spotlighting Trail in the Tuart Forest near Busselton is an easy 1.5km walk designed to be completed at night with a spotlight or large torch, so the nocturnal creatures of the forest can be seen. The kids will love it.

Break fluid
If you get sick of wine, try the gourmet venison burger or a beery beef hot pot pie and a couple of glasses of light wheat beer in the grassy lake-side beer garden at the Bootleg Brewery at Willyabrup.

Accommodation pick of the bunch
Heritage Trail Lodge. 31 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River.
phone: (08) 9757 9595
website: www.heritage-trail-lodge.com.au

More info: www.margaretriver.com or www.downsouth.com.au

 

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This article appeared
in Issue 10
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