I gasped the first time I saw Wilyabrup Cliffs appear in the distance framed by honey myrtle branches and a blanket of yellow acacias and pink pimeleas. I had no idea that this short 4.5 km saunter along the Cape to Cape track on that sunny WA spring day in 2015 would have such significant impact on my life and direction.

4 years on and this 125 km trail along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge is a central part of our Edgewalkers offerings and continues to be a source of inspiration and motivation.

This is the first on a series of short articles sharing some of the things I love about the Cape to Cape track.

The Cape to Cape – our cultural heritage

“Every time you go to a sacred place, … every time you connect to country, Aboriginal culture becomes a part of who you are.” Josh Whiteland

I love that walking along the Cape to Cape track is foremost a journey into country. When we walk along some sections of the 125 km Cape to Cape trail that extends from Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) to Talanup (Augusta), we are sure to be walking along the same track traditional Wardandi people have used to travel up and down this ancient ridge for millenia. 48,000 years to be exact. That’s the age of some of the archaeological remains found at Devil’s Lair Cave just south of Margaret River – some of the oldest findings on the continent.

There is plenty of evidence showing that the Wardandi ‘…used tracks or native paths (bidi) running parallel to the coast and southwards from Koombanup (Bunbury) along Geographe Bay to places like Kwirreejeenungup (Cape Naturaliste) and Talanup (Augusta).’

Today there are local Wardandi operators in the southwest offering cultural tours & events during which they share traditional stories of creation, history, astronomy, botany & other knowledge. Award-winning Koomal Dreaming run by Josh Whiteland, cultural tours Ngalang Wongi cultural tours run by Troy Bennell & the Webb family-run Wardan Centre in Injidup (temporarily closed) are all a source of authentic southwest Aboriginal culture.