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

 

[Flyfrequently]

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

View attachment 415949

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

View attachment 415950

View attachment 415960

View attachment 415959

About half way out

View attachment 415956

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.

View attachment 415955

View attachment 415957

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.

View attachment 415953

View attachment 415958

View attachment 415952

For the less active there is a tourist 'train'

View attachment 415951

View attachment 415954

Our Shire put the Busselton Pier up as an alternative in a local poll for Pier Redevelopment project- but nowhere near the length @OZDUCK
Came in #1 choice
Let's see how long this will take to do seeing a lengthy section of our Pier has been fenced off since 2020

 

[OZDUCK]

The next day we dropped our hiker off to do Stage 6 of the Cape to Cape Walk on her own. She bought her own hiking poles with her.

"Day 6
Contos to Hamelin Bay: 22.4km, 5-9 Hours
Taking you through the famous regrowth karri trees around Boranup, this day is half amazing forests and half coastal walking including a long beach walk into the holiday hamlet of Hamelin Bay. Marvel at a treasure trove of wildflowers and karri trees as the hike traverses the Boranup Forest. Then enjoy the pristine waters of Hamelin Bay, overnighting in the campground or a cabin at the Hamelin Bay Holiday Park."

Your Complete Guide to The Cape to Cape Track - Trails WA

The Cape to Cape Track stretches for 124-kilometres along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, between the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in the far south west of Western Australia. It features spectacular coastal and forest scenery, a fascinating geology of cliffs, caves, headlands...

trailswa.com.au

We drove down to Hamelin Bay to pick her up in the afternoon. The walk took her about 6 1/2 hours and she thought it was great. The last 6 or so KM are on soft beach sand and that was very tiring. On parts of the beach you have to also keep an eye out for vehicles. She also had to scramble a bit to get down onto the beach. By the end she was pretty tired but would recommend the walk to anyone with an interest in bushwalking.

Hamelin Bay

The track is on the beach from the point of the bay on the left of this photo. The weather was much better on this day.



Shoes off on the beach





Hamelin Bay at sunset with a few remains of the old jetty sticking up out of the water. There was a big stingray close by the waters edge but we could only see a bit of his 'wings' before he headed out into deeper water. I took her back two times but the rays were playing hard to get.



A couple of more photos of the bay with the sun low in the sky





The onshore remnants of the jetty. It was originally built in 1882 and extended in 1898. Timber was exported from there. It was already derelict before being destroyed by a fire in the 1920's.



The bay on another day



This what the rays look like when they are not being shy

 

[OZDUCK]

She walked through part of the Boranup Forest on her hike and on another day we stopped at everyone's favourite scenic spot on Caves Road to have a bit of a walk. We also went on a drive along the dirt roads through the forest but all those photos have also disappeared.

https://www.westernaustralia.com/au/attraction/boranup-karri-forest/56b26793aeeeaaf773cfa58f

As usual on this trip there were lots of flowers around






This photo was taken on the previous evening

 

[OZDUCK]

We jumped all round the place for the next few days so there is no real 'theme' in the coming photos.

The 'Chick on a Stick' in Wilyabrup. The cause of much angst when it was erected.

'Chick on a Stick' to remain as new wineries open at Laurance site

As two of Australia's biggest wineries move into the old Laurance Wines property in Wilyabrup, the future of the famed 'Chick on a Stick' remains in doubt.

www.watoday.com.au

In nearby Cowaramup







And a bit of fun with 'The Chick on the Stick'.





Augusta at the Blackwood River Mouth

 

[OZDUCK]

Cape Leeuwin lighthouse and lightkeepers cottages. There is a very interesting museum using these cottages. Again, 95% of my photos around here have disappeared. I am now seriously thinking about buying a new camera for my trips as the loss of photos off the phone is very annoying. I suspected that this had happened on previous trips but this time I am certain of their loss.







The sea was very calm on this day but there are often severe storms in this are. Working in Fremantle it was not uncommon for ships to arrive with damage caused when they rounded Cape Leeuwin.

 

[OZDUCK]

Sunset at Yallingup





Still a few surfers out











The beach at the mouth of the Margaret River



This is where they hold heats of the world surfing Championships. The temporary grandstands are erected around here



At Yallingup there is a "German Bakehouse". We bought some cakes and yes they are truly German in style and taste according to our friend.