Itinerary:
Day 1
Cape Naturaliste – Yallingup 14km
We will depart Perth at 7am with our sights set on the beautiful South West region of WA.
Kicking off your 7 day hiking adventure from the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse you will begin your journey gently by following the boardwalks downhill to Sugar Loaf Rock. The track then takes you up on top of coastal clifftops then out on to Three Bears Beach before heading up a steep sand dune and back along the ridge. The final stretch on day 1 will be along some 4wd tracks that lead to Mt Duckworth Campsite then onto the beach for a short stint into Yallingup. Day 1 is a nice easy distance which allows you to adjust to carrying a heavy pack and settle into camp early to rest for a big day 2 on the track!
Day 2
Yallingup – Moses Rock 20km
A 20km today but a very enjoyable section indeed! You’ll start the day by following the coastline around Smith’s Beach to Canal Rocks then onto Wyadup and Injidup Beach. The coastline here is superb! The trail takes you on a short steep scramble up some rocks from Smith’s Beach to Canal Rocks Rd, which is tough with a heavy pack but a whole heap of fun and probably OTBT’s favourite part of this day! There is a perfectly situated seat at Injidup Beach which allows you to take in the coastal views under the shelter of the Melaleuca trees. Continuing on some undulating 4wd tracks past Cape Clairaut you will eventually reach a beach section near Quinninup Falls then an almighty calf burning climb up the escalator sand dune! The climb will be worth the coastal clifftop views of Moses Rock from the top. Moses Rock Campsite is set under a canopy of Melaleuca trees and offers an amazing sunset viewing platform that is not to be missed!
Day 3
Moses Rock – Ellensbrook 19.5km
After loading up the packs you will head down, then up, then down, then up (and so on) along the undulating tracks until you get to the point where Wilyabrup Brook meets the ocean. After crossing the river mouth you’ll climb up along the ridge line and through the melaleuca trees until you reach the star of the day – the Wilyabrup Sea Cliffs! We’ll take a short detour and head down to the base of the cliffs to admire these ancient craggy cliffs so you can appreciate just how impressive they are! A wonderfully constructed staircase then guides you up and onto the
top of the stunning sea cliffs and offers amazing vistas for you to admire. After passing the cliffs, the Track drops back down onto the beach, passing the famous, surfing breaks of Gallows and Guillotines. The coast then turns decidedly rocky as it weaves over picturesque granite boulders and finally into the pretty hamlet of Gracetown.
After a rest stop at Gracies you’ll begin your afternoon of hiking with your sights set on Ellensbrook. Leaving Gracetown, you will pass the memorial from the 1996 limestone cliff collapse where a number of children and adults sadly lost their lives. Reading the memorial and learning about the tragedy is really moving. As you head away from Gracetown, you will have entered a desolate lunar landscape with limestone craters that morph into coastal scrubland. Before long you reach the Ellensbrook Homestead, which is a beautiful heritage listed home surrounded by National Park. The Cape to Cape walk trail leads you to an awesome grotto and the delightful Meekadarbee Falls. Just up the track is the peppermint tree shaded Ellensbrook – our favourite campsite on the track!
Day 4
Ellensbrook – Prevelly 10.5km
The funny thing about multi-day hiking is that you almost always start your day with a big hill! Today is one of those days as you depart Ellensbrook and head straight uphill. The hill leads you to a narrow windy, undulating dirt track that takes you through scrubland with a series of switchbacks. Eventually you will arrive at Joey’s Nose and the beautiful Kilcarnup Beach. At the end of the beach you follow the sand dunes up through some scrubland to Horseshoe Bay – my favourite part of the entire Cape to Cape! As you stand on top of the limestone cliff you will be surrounded by a cove of stunning coastal cliffs, you can see and hear the waves crashing around the reef and a small secluded beach down below. It is truly magnificent! Not far to go and you’ll cross the Margaret River Mouth safely with the help of your OTBT Guide and from here you are only a short 2 kms away from a hot shower and a free afternoon to enjoy as you
please!
Day 5
Prevelly – Contos 19km
Today you will hike the highlight stretch of the Cape to Cape Track today, 19km in total, beginning at Prevelly Caravan Park and then heading inland to the beautiful views before heading down the 365 log steps that lead you to a hidden oasis called Boodjidup Creek and the Frank Mouritz Bridge. Heading along the track through some sand dunes (watch out for emus through this section) will lead you to the very sloped, narrow and boggy Red Gate beach! They say that no 1km of the Cape to Cape is like the last – they sure got that right! This beach section is about 2kms and sure is a tough one but will warm you up for the final two days!
From Red Gate beach you re-enter the Melaleuca trees and hike along the ridge until you get to the famous chain! After climbing down the chain you’ll be greeted by one of the best sections of the Cape to Cape: the scenic Bobs Hollow and Contos Cliffs. You won’t be short on stunning views through this section with about 5kms of amazing limestone clifftops to admire before you reach Contos Campsite – your home for the night!
Day 6
Contos – Hamelin Bay 21.35km
To your pleasant surprise a downhill section greets you to start day 6 (followed shortly after with a long slow uphill section). It won’t be long before you are distracted by towering karri trees and find yourself totally immersed in the Boranup Forest! After a while the karri tree forest morphs into a peppermint/grass tree forest, the trail turns West and you turn off the 4wd tracks and onto a narrow single track that leads you to Hamelin Bay Beach. As you reach the beach you’ll be amazed by how pure white the sand is and crystal clear the waters are – we have some amazing beaches here in WA but this has got to be the most pristine I had ever seen! You’ll get to enjoy the beauty of this beach for about 7kms all the way into Hamelin Bay where a hot shower greets you at the Hamelin Bay Holiday Park.
You are welcome to bring a day pack with you for us to transport to Hamelin bay so you can enjoy your last day of hiking wearing a lightly loaded day pack – makes the 25.3km much more enjoyable!
Day 7
Hamelin Bay – Cape Leeuwin 25.3km
You’ll likely wake up with mixed feelings about today, you know it’s going to be a tough day but you’re looking forward to reaching the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse but at the same time your journey is almost over, and you won’t want it to end! As you depart Hamelin Bay you’ll enjoy a small beach section along Foul Bay before heading up the dunes to a 4wd track. Before long a narrow trail takes you through peppermint trees along an undulating track that leads to Foul bay Lighthouse.
From the lighthouse it isn’t far to the stunning Cosy Corner. Cosy Corner is definitely a highlight of the entire track – you have to navigate along rocky ledges and around blowholes which makes it such an exciting section! Listening to the sound the waves make against the rocks underneath you is really awesome and don’t be surprised if you get sea sprayed! After passing Elephant Rock you’ll find yourself on Deepdene Beach – the most dreaded 6km section due to the boggy sand. But as you’ll only have day packs on it will be a breeze and before you know it you are leaving the beach and climbing up the sand dunes and away from the sound of the waves crashing.
Narrow single tracks lead you to Skippy Rock and from here there is only 3kms remaining of your amazing adventure! As you reach Quarry Bay you have one last small beach section then over some rocks and up to the car park. And there she is – the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse! You have just hiked 124kms from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin – Congratulations!
Tonight you enjoy a celebratory dinner at The Common in Gnarabup Bay!
Day 8 (Arrive back in Perth 2pm)
You’ll enjoy a delicious breakfast at The White Elephant then head home feeling empowered, refreshed with plenty of amazing memories and stories to tell!
