Up down and around a bit in South West W.A

[Disco]

I'm not sure whether @Disco is asking about the Skywalk at Castle Rock because they have done it and are curious as to whether you have also done it, or whether they are asking seeking information about it.

If I may briefly hijack, see posts #34 & #35:

Thread 'Excursion to Esperance'

Jan 16, 2021

Righto, time to go for a drive again in the great wide WA Covid-free land of St Marko’s Own Country®. Setting off tomorrow morning for a week.

Being summer, it is PERtinent to head S. Esperance (Ultimate guide to Esperance | RAC WA) is the target for three nights, via stops in Bremer Bay (Ultimate guide to Bremer Bay | RAC WA) for one night on the way there and in the Porongorup NP (Places to visit and things to do in the Porongurups) for two nights on the way back, and passing through Collie to scope the new mural trail (Collie Mural Trail) on the run back into...

• JohnM
• Replies: 37
• Forum: Trip Reports

• 

Thanks @JohnM. See my post below

 

[JohnM]

Thanks @JohnM. See my post below

If you can get past the big boulder with the inadequate hand-holds (unless it's been improved since 2021) at the bottom, then it's easy going - and well worth it up top.

 

[Disco]

If you can get past the big boulder with the inadequate hand-holds (unless it's been improved since 2021) at the bottom, then it's easy going - and well worth it up top.

Thank you

 

[Daver6]

If you can get past the big boulder with the inadequate hand-holds (unless it's been improved since 2021) at the bottom, then it's easy going - and well worth it up top.

I saw tourists making the trek in uggs. The walk up is constant uphill but it's stepped and not overly hard. Easy enough to take a breather if need be. Well worth the walk.

My video from when I went

 

[JohnM]

I saw tourists making the trek in uggs. The walk up is constant uphill but it's stepped and not overly hard. Easy enough to take a breather if need be. Well worth the walk.

My video from when I went

Yes, the walk up from the car park is fairly long and uphill, but not difficult; quite pleasant in fact.

When I refer to the boulder at the bottom, it's at the bottom of Castle Rock itself where you need to scramble over the boulder and through a gap to access the ladder. Stretching to the few steel handholds anchored in the rocks is the challenging bit. Hopefully they have added some more to make it easier for less flexible people. It is seemingly an unnecessary barrier, given how large, superbly engineered and what a great attraction the Skywalk is. There seems to be no logical reason not to reduce the impediment, for the sake of a few more handholds bolted into the rock.

 

[Disco]

Yes, the walk up from the car park is fairly long and uphill, but not difficult; quite pleasant in fact.

When I refer to the boulder at the bottom, it's at the bottom of Castle Rock itself where you need to scramble over the boulder and through a gap to access the ladder. Stretching to the few steel handholds anchored in the rocks is the challenging bit. Hopefully they have added some more to make it easier for less flexible people. It is seemingly an unnecessary barrier, given how large, superbly engineered and what a great attraction the Skywalk is. There seems to be no logical reason not to reduce the impediment, for the sake of a few more handholds bolted into the rock.

Yes, bit odd to leave it like that if there is a skywalk above. Thanks for the details.

 

[jastel]

I assume you didnt go up the Pemberton Tree? If it is still there...

 

[OZDUCK]

I assume you didnt go up the Pemberton Tree? If it is still there...

The treetop walk was a big enough challenge for me The three trees around Pemberton are closed. The Gloucester Tree is being refurbished.

 

[OZDUCK]

We went for a walk to the end of the Busselton Jetty - the longest timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere

Home - Busselton Jetty

Extending 1.841km out to sea, the heritage listed Busselton Jetty is the longest timber-piled Jetty in the Southern Hemisphere!!

busseltonjetty.com.au

There is some very nice playground equipment in the large park adjacent to the jetty entrance. Plus some restaurants and a craft brewery.







About half way out



Much of the jetty was detroyed in a cyclone in 1978. The seabirds use the remnants as a very secure nesting area with quite a few chicks there.





Looking back from the end. There is an underwater observatory there. Our friend went down it and enjoyed the experience even though the waters were a bit darker than normal.







For the less active there is a tourist 'train'

 

[OZDUCK]

Catching up with some short videos I had missed.

Firstly around the Treetop Walk

You van hear some nice bird song on this one

Working up a lather with the soapbush leaves

Driving out of the Valley of the Giants to the main road. With did a loop by coming in another entrance road further south of here. I was directing our friend which way to turn.

VID20240909122123

The jetty train

VID20240910113112

 

[OZDUCK]

Looking through my photos it is obvious that my phone has deleted a number of photos on its own volition. While it will probably make you happy that there are less photos to look at I am concerned that so many have disappeared. Early on in this TR I thought I was missing a few photos but wasn't completely sure but now almost a days worth of photos has disappeared - very strange.

Later on we headed out along Cape Naturaliste to the lighthouse.

We had a quick stop at Meelup Beach





Also at Bunker Bay. We saw some whales offshore but they were too far away to get a really good photo of them. And any slightly good ones I did get were amongst those that have disappeared.





My niece was married in this bay about 15 years ago





Then to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

 

[OZDUCK]

After a quick look around I suggested that my wife and her cousin do some of the first stage of the Cape to Cape Walk. Her cousin did another, much more difficult, hike along another part of it the next day. They walked from the lighthouse to Sugarloaf Rock which is just under a 4 km walk. I took the car and waited there for them.

https://trailswa.com.au/trails/trail/cape-to-cape-track

As usual they spotted plenty of flowers

















They even got a quick, blurry, look at what I think might be a Whistling Kite

 

[OZDUCK]

Some of the views they got









SugarLoaf Rock