This 123 kilometre walking track runs from the Cape Naturalist lighthouse, approximately 13 kms from Dunsborough, to the Cape Leuwin lighthouse close to Augusta. It’s a beautiful track with a mix of easy, moderate, and challenging sections. Some of the easy sections are on good, wheelchair friendly, paved tracks. Some of the challenging sections are on lengthy stretches of beach with what I’ve heard described as ’soupy sand’. Many years ago Paul and I did a day walk along one of the sections. It was so long ago that I don’t remember which section we did. However I do remember that it included a short section of that ’soupy sand’, an experience I won’t be repeating any time soon. It was only about a kilometre in length, but geez, it was tough going.

Our grandson, Josh, came down here with a friend last autumn to make a start on the track.

Their intention was to walk for three days, staying for two nights in a tent on or close to the track. Convinced their youth would help them through the walk with speed and ease, they loaded their packs with a tent, sleeping bags, hiking mattress and supplies for the three days, and we dropped them off to start their walk. They were to phone us when they were a couple of hours away from their finishing point on the third day.

Their first day was relatively short. They started at Sugarloaf Rock in the northern end, Sugarloaf Rock is 3kms from where the track begins. The short 3kms they missed is a very easy, wheelchair friendly section which will easily be completed at another time on a day walk.

The first of their planned overnight stops was at Caves Caravan park, and they treated themselves to dinner and a pint at Caves House resort opposite their caravan park.

Half way into their second day we received a phone call. They had over estimated their youthful stamina, and under estimated the endurance needed for three days of walking with a loaded back pack. Could we pick them up later that day? Of course, we were happy to oblige.

They started making plans to complete the track in Spring, only they would take us up on our offer to help with daily transport so as they could make use of decent bed at each days end, and could do each days walk with a cut lunch and water in a day pack. Wise choice!

Spring has come now, so Josh has decided to complete as much of the walk he can in the four days he has available to him next week. He really needs five days to complete it in full, but a week end will see it off for him at a later stage. His friend has bailed at this stage, and as Josh was having difficulty co-ordinating dates with any of his mates, Paul has stepped up to the challenge. I’ll play support driver!

The walking begins a week from today, so be sure to watch this space for regular updates of their progress. Hopefully Paul will take the time to take some photos for me to use. There is some stunning scenery on the walk, and hopefully plenty of wildflowers too. I’m looking forward to being able to show you this fabulous little part of our state, albeit through someone else’s experience. It’ll be a pleasure for me to be support crew though, and I’ll get to see some of the track. Maybe I’ll take along a friend and walk a few kilometres into the track from the daily drop off points. Now that sounds like a plan…..