Augusta to Cape Leeuwin and Margaret River 1980

Augusta to Cape Leeuwin and Margaret River, day 4, Thursday 4 December 1980. After coming all this way and not getting much time in daylight in the area the previous afternoon, I needed to visit Cape Leeuwin and have a swim at Flinders Bay, where two oceans meet. I had an early breakfast so that I could leave most of the stuff in my room and get to the Cape, have a swim, come back and get ready and check out by 10 am.

I checked the map carefully then set off with a minimum of luggage in the backpack. I whooshed down into the town, then through it and along the coast road, passing through woodland and seeing many attractive beaches. In those days the road was still narrow and rough. It was widened and fixed up later as part of the Bicentennial funding to celebrate 1988.

After about 8 km I passed a big hill which looked blasted. This was where the winter cold fronts came ashore and had done for centuries. The vegetation on the hill was low and tough. Then I rolled down towards the car park at the Matthew Flinders lookout. I could see the Cape Leuwin lighthouse but I didn’t go the extra km to reach it, but hung around the lookout reading the bronze information plaque and enjoying the view and the lovely day.

Before leaving I used a piece of broken glass to scratch my initials and the date on the bronze plaque. I have done this with each subsequent visit to Augusta, usually in a leap year. On my last visit, in 2000, I could still see the 1980 initials and all the subsequent ones.

On the way back I stopped to have a swim at Flinders Bay. This was the first of many delightful times at that little beach.

I got back to the motel, paid and packed and got going. I had decided not to go straight back up the highway, but take a diversion back up Caves Road to visit Jewel Cave, then cut back along Bushby Road to cross the Bussell Highway and go up Brockman Highway to Alexandra Bridge, then go up through Warner Glen.

I rode the short climb from the hotel to the crest of the hill, then enjoyed the downhill rush that had been such a weary climb the previous day. After another 3 km I turned left into Caves Road and went on for another 5 km until I reached Jewel Cave. I enjoyed that tour – all the caves are different in character.

Heading back north up Caves Road I decided to turn left and travel a few kilometres to take a look at Hamelin Bay, which was a busy port for international shipping at the turn of the 20th century, due to world-wide demand for hardwood products from Western Australia. There was little left of the port – a rotting jetty, a rusty hulk in the water. There was a little shop and some holiday huts. It is a pleasant spot with a beach and Hamelin Island not far off-shore. I remember swarms of flies, particularly in the telephone box where I took the opportunity to ring Janet and tell her where I was and what it was like. I had a quick swim, then I headed back to Caves Road, turned right into Bushby Road, crossed Bussell Highway onto Brockman Highway and rode to Alexandra Bridge.

At that time the new section of Brockman Highway and the new bridge over the Blackwood River had not been built, and the old bridge was still used. Both ends of it were picnic and camping spots and there were some dilapidated structures, the remains of a store. I rode to the northern end and stopped for a while. It was a lovely peaceful spot. I had a swim in the brown water, a bit nervously because I couldn’t see how deep the water was or what was under me. Then I dried off and sat on a swing to have a drink and eat biscuits. I enjoyed the bird calls and the lovely day. I always remember feeling particularly good at that moment.

After that I headed north up Warner Glen road. The country looked lovely, with the green pastures and the cattle, the neat arrays of haystacks and the rolling hills and clumps of trees. I reached the point where I had to turn west to get to the Bussell Highway, and passed through taller forest, where there was burning off and I had to hold my breath as I passed through the smoke.

I reached Margaret River in plenty of time to have a rest, shop, make ‘phone calls and walk around. I didn’t bother to go to Gnarabup Beach this time – I had done enough for one day.

Charles A. Pierce

Other Days on this Tour:

1. Perth to Cape Leeuwin Tour via Dunsborough 1980
2. Perth to Dunsborough 1980
3. Dunsborough to Margaret River 1980
4. Margaret River to Augusta 1980
5. Augusta to Cape Leeuwin and Margaret River 1980 (This post)
6. Margaret River to Busselton 1980
7. Busselton to Perth 1980

Places Mentioned in this Post:

Related posts:

1. Augusta to Cape Leeuwin and Margaret River 1981
2. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 1988
3. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 1992
4. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 2008
5. Margaret River to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin 1984

Tags: Augusta, Cape Leeuwin, Flinders Bay, Hamelin Bay, Margaret River