Walk on the wild side

Lindy Davis discovers a tonic for nature lovers in Western Australia.

Arriving on the west coast of Australia feels like you’ve landed on a different planet. The vast, wild and breathtakingly beautiful landscape is hard to justify in words.

If I’d imagined this region to be so unique, it would have lured me long before now.

The sheer distance from anywhere else is undoubtedly a deterrent, but also its charm. The real secret is that this southwest coastline feels like you’re a world away from anywhere.

The adventure began with an invitation to join my daughter in Australia, hiking the Cape to Cape track on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge.

The ridge originally formed as a result of a collision when this remote area detached from the supercontinent with greater India, over 250 million years ago.

The 130km track is pitched as Class 4 — Difficult. But the hike is not difficult by New Zealand trail standards. Most walkers allow between five and seven days to complete it, potentially longer if you explore all the remarkable caves along the way.

The trailhead starts at the historic Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, just a short distance from the town of Dunsborough.

The first section is sealed and very accessible, with a variety of optional shorter walks, but soon changes to undulating trails of sand and stone.

Hiking boots were recommended and I felt obliged to wear them on the first day, but having a feel for the terrain, switched to trail shoes for the rest of the hike.

The weather was ideal for hiking with clear skies and a light breeze. Apparently hiking during the summer months from December to February is very different, with intense heat, little breeze and pesky flies.

The first stop is Sugarloaf Rock, an enormous sea-sculpted granite boulder, dating back over 1100 million years. Granite bedrock forms the base layer for much of this southwest coastline, with limestone outcrops sculpturing the cliffs and caves.

Known as Ngari Capes, this area is a protected marine park that runs from Brusselton to Augusta. As we walk, I see the odd cluster of cerise-coloured claw flowers. They are unique to this area and grow from seemingly inhospitable granite boulders.

Arriving at Yallingup, we start a long stretch of sandy beach from Smith’s Point to Injidup Point.

The beaches on this coast are rugged and beautiful with huge waves that attract some of Australia’s top surfers. There’s plenty of opportunity to strip off and swim anywhere along the pristine beach sections of the trail, being mindful of rips or sharks.

We take a swim near a bunch of surfers clearly enjoying a break on Smith’s Beach, the cleanest and clearest water I’ve seen in Australia.

It’s just 7km before we reach Injidup Spa Retreat, a stunning oasis with spacious villas that overlook the ocean.

Arriving late afternoon left no time for the spa, but a perfect opportunity to watch the sun set from the heated pool overlooking the bay.

Early morning began with a visit to Yallingup Aboriginal Art Gallery, the region’s largest indigenous fine art space. Being my first opportunity to explore contemporary Aboriginal art, I’m drawn to the large-scale vibrant art works depicting nature’s ocean and forest. There are stunning examples from internationally known artists Josh Whiteland, John Sara and Kim Kiosses.

We make a quick stop at Providore, known for its gourmet vegetables from the organic garden. And given we are just minutes to Gabriel Chocolate and I’m an addict, it’s impossible to overlook.

Being the first single bean-to-bar chocolate factory in this region, their cacao beans are imported from Ghana, Venezuela, Ecuador and Indonesia.

I put a few treats in the backpack, knowing there’s at least 22km of coastal track ahead of us.

The landscape is dotted with prehistoric looking Grass trees and clumps of Coastal Daisy Bush, commonly known as wild rosemary. I pick a sprig and rub it to inhale the uplifting scent.

This section of the trail snakes down to Quininup Beach, a long stretch of sand with clusters of sea spurge, a flowering plant resembling vivid pink coral spikes.

We climb back up the windswept trail overlooking an area called Moses Rock. The trail meanders past clumps of tea tree, bent and twisted on hard angles from high winds hitting this point. Extensive limestone rocky outcrops precariously overlap craggy cliffs towering above the sea.

As we approach the top we’re brought to a standstill by a large wallaby standing on its hind legs and scratching his bottom. There’s a clearing just ahead and with it a sense of relief as we sit on a grand old eucalyptus trunk, surrounded by tall Karri trees providing perfect shade.

The deep sandy stretches and steeper climbs have given our calves a serious workout. I spot a relatively benign brown snake resembling a stick, sunbathing close by. Given my limited knowledge about the species, I stick to my lane.

This proved to be a sensible decision, as I later learn the ‘‘harmless’’ Western brown (Gwardar) is considered one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes, especially if it feels threatened.

Back on the trail, I narrowly avoid stepping on a fascinating long line of dark furry caterpillars joined nose-to-tail. Moving together in a relatively straight line, they give the impression of a snake, deterring any predatory birds.

The last section of the track is mainly beach, leading to the small town of Burnside.

We arrive at ‘‘The Nest’’, a charming cottage located on a forest property in Margaret River. Our nearest company is a pair of large and vocal geese, several chickens and two dogs that instantly recognise a dog lover. It’s an ideal spot to be immersed in nature.

The evening is spent at vintage eatery Dear Darnell’s in Witchcliffe. Once a former trading post, the unique interior is brimming with quirky relics.

We rise early to browse the Margaret River Farmers’ market and stock up on supplies at one of the best spots in town, The Little Farm.

The track leads us to the Margaret River Mouth crossing for a full day of beach and forest trails.

A pod of dolphins breach the waves at Gnarabup and despite being tempted to join them, we still have Boodjidup Beach to conquer. It’s a long stretch of sand interspersed with several forest trails and then another stint on Redgate beach to finish.

It’s fair to say the novelty of pristine soft sand beaches with ensuing painful calves was wearing off.

The track walk finishes late afternoon, giving us time to take a self-guided tour of Mammoth Cave, an impressive limestone cavern hidden amidst a grove of grand old Karri trees in the Boranup Forest. With an incredible display of stalactites and stalagmites, the cave’s vast chambers contain thousands of fossils, including megafauna made extinct over 40,000 years ago.

Back to a rustic cottage that overlooks Redgate Beach, we’re just in time to watch the sun transform to a brilliant ball of fiery orange as it sets over the ocean.

We start early the next day with a steep walk up the sand dunes to a massive group of limestone caves tucked into the cliff near Bob’s Hollow. This is a highlight and might easily have been missed, given it’s not clearly indicated on the trail.

We briefly stop at Boranup beach for a swim, before continuing the coastal trail to Hamelin Bay.

Dense kelp beds ensure the reef is rich with marine life and we watch several giant stingrays feeding close to the jetty.

Surrounded by Karri forest, this area was once known for its timber export from local mills and remnants of the 600m-long jetty can still be seen.

We pick up the pace knowing there’s close to three hours solid hiking before we reach Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.

The trail officially ends where the Southern and Indian oceans meet at the most southwest point of Australia.

It’s worth taking a look at the historic water wheel built in 1895. The water originated from a natural spring in the nearby wetland area and was used to supply water to the lighthouse builders and the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.

Finally picking up the car, it’s a pleasure to drive on well-maintained, cone-less roads heading to Chimes Spa Retreat in Denmark for an oasis experience in the sauna, steam and cold plunge pool.

It’s early evening as we turn off the main road to reach our cabin at Upland Farm.

Once a rundown 40ha cattle farm, the property has been thoughtfully redeveloped with several architecturally designed cabins that seamlessly integrate into the landscape.

The spacious interior with open fireplace and large deck that faces a grassy expanse dotted with wild kangaroos confirms we’re in the ideal locale to unwind for the next few days.

On reflection, this corner of the world is a tonic for nature lovers. The rugged clifftops, endless sandy beaches, coastal heath and Boranup Forest all combine to create an amazingly biodiverse ecosystem.

The hardest thing to comprehend is the simple fact that with Western Australia’s abundance of natural beauty and pristine marine environment, there’s virtually nobody here.