Cape to Cape Track

The Cape to Cape Track runs about a hundred and twenty-three kilometres along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge between the lighthouses at Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, following clifftops, beaches, granite headlands and karri and peppermint forest, with the Indian Ocean on one side for almost its entire length. Most walkers take five to seven days, staying in trail campsites or using vehicle support to sleep in Margaret River and Yallingup, and many others walk sections as day trips, with the stretch from Wilyabrup cliffs and around Cape Freycinet particularly good. Wildflowers cover the coastal heath in spring, and whales pass offshore through the second half of the year.

What you actually see

• The clifftops - limestone and granite headlands above the Indian Ocean.
• The beaches - long sand sections including soft stretches that slow walking.
• The spring wildflowers - heath flowering along the ridge from August.
• The two lighthouses - Naturaliste and Leeuwin at either end.

When to go

April to November; summer is hot and exposed with limited water. Wildflowers peak from August to October, and whales pass from September. Winter is wet but walkable, with the forest sections at their best.

Honest expectations

Long beach sections in soft sand are far more tiring than the distances suggest. Water on the track is limited and must be carried or cached. Campsites are basic and book out in spring. Exposure to sun and wind is constant on the cliff sections.

Nearby

Margaret River lies inland midway; Augusta and Dunsborough anchor the ends.