The Cape to Cape Track
CAPE TO CAPE WALKING ADVENTURE
MARGARET RIVER
BESPOKE EXPERIENCE
The Cape to Cape track is a sensational trail in WA’s beautiful southwest.
You've probably been wanting to walk it for a while.
Or maybe you've already walked it, but you'd love to do it again!
We would not be surprised.
We love the Cape to Cape. And if you haven’t done it, you’ll love it too.
You’ll be amazed by the vast views of the Indian Ocean from the contoured limestone of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge
You'll love the diversity of the terrain and flora as you walk from shaded Banksia or Melaleuca woodlands to the coastal heaths scented by the boxed Boronia and native rosemary, to the sandy beaches and back onto the spectacle of ancient sandstone headlands and granite outcrops. Feel the power of the Indian Ocean crashing into the rocks.
When you get to the Boranup Forest you’ll be in awe at the high canopies of magnificent Karri and Marri trees. And if you join us during wildflower season, you'll be blown away by the colours and the variety of the flora you'll see every day.
We're not the only ones who love it!
“What had I expected? an outdoor adventure that was well organised, memorable, rejuvenating, challenging, and safe; where I met new friends, was pushed out of my comfort zone, learned more about the world around me, and regained a sense of personal resilience and gratitude.
All these boxes were checked, thanks to the tireless efforts of Erika and Kirra, our guides. These women are exceptional. Their knowledge of the region, their ability to engage and motivate, and their warmth and enthusiasm were the essential ingredients that made the experience so enjoyable.
Getting a little more specific; the food was a-maaaazing, and we were treated to some of the best vegetarian meals I have ever eaten. Kirra’s cooking was both delicious AND healthy (who knew that was possible).”
Our 8-day end-to-end guided tour breaks the 125 km into 7 days of moderate sections varying from 14 to 25 km per day with a light pack carrying only what you need for the day.
At the end of each day, you will be driven to comfortable accommodation where you will enjoy fresh, exclusively catered meals served at the accommodation.
The Edgewalkers Team is committed to supporting every aspect of your adventure; to keeping you safe, encouraging you, to treating you with warmth, care, and personalised attention while walking you closer to nature, creativity, and your most adventurous self.
Their unique perspective and sensitivity might also inspire you while you complete one of Australia's most beautiful coastal hiking tracks.
“I knew that the Cape to Cape would be great, but I had no idea how much I would love this. Everything was fabulous! The people, the scenery, the food, the guiding, the photography - each part of the puzzle fell into place perfectly. I am so happy that I walked with Edgewalkers. I went for the scenery - and I came away treasuring the friendships. So great!”
“The whole experience was positive: Erika’s care for the group; the accommodations and food. Nicole’s fresh cooked meals at the end of each day. Cy’s morning drive to the start of each day’s walk. The company I had for the walk. It was an exceptional introduction to a walking holiday. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I would highly recommend walking with Edgewalkers.”
WHERE WE STAY
Nestled within a 167-acre estate, Redgate Forest Retreat features holiday houses surrounded by 50 acres of pristine native forest, providing a perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and natural beauty.
CAPE TO CAPE END TO END OUTLINE ITINERARY
DAY 1: Perth - Cape Naturaliste - Yallingup (drive 290 km - walk 14.5 km)
You are picked up in Perth or Fremantle and go straight to the track for the first section starting at the aight down to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and sign your names on the Cape to Cape registration book before setting off on the first leg. The coastal scenery is a spectacular backdrop for this fairly easy, 14.5 km walk just to get into the swing of it. We’ll stop at Yallingup before being picked up and taken to your accommodation for a warm shower and a hearty meal.
DAY 2: Yallingup - Moses Rock (18 km)
Day two’s magical coastal walk takes us through some easy beach walking on Smiths Beach before hiking high through the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge to enjoy some great views of Canal Rocks. We’ll enjoy lunch at Injidup Beach then continue through to Quininup Falls, a sacred Aboriginal site. We’ll end the day’s walk at Moses Rock. There is a gorgeous spot just before Moses Rock with hundreds of grass trees as a backdrop to low banksias and different types of acacias.
DAY 3: Moses Rock to Gracetown (16 km)
Walk over clifftops whilst looking down over the densely vegetated dunes to take in magnificent views north and south. Morning tea/lunch at the spectacular Wilyabrup cliffs and enjoy the rugged coastal scenery on our way towards Gracetown. Arriving at this iconic southwest surfing town you can enjoy a swim before being taken back to our accommodation.
DAY 4: Gracetown - Ellenbrook - Margaret River – Blackboy Hollow (walk 20.5 km)
Along the way to historic Ellenbrook, we may see dolphins or whales migrating north. After a quick rest & snack at the heritage estate, we continue past popular Joey’s Nose at Kilcarnup Beach and across the Margaret Rivermouth before continuing on to Blackboy Hollow.
DAY 5: Boodjidup Creek - Redgate - Contos - Boranup Forest (22.5)
Day 5 will see us make an early start on this longest section of the walk and make our way down to Boodjidup Creek along a charming section that leads to this secluded spot. Continue towards Redgate, and slowly walk along the beach onto Bob’s Hollow where we break for morning tea in the shade of the cave wall. Spectacular views over Conto’s beach and so much floral diversity. This day’s hike provides a range of terrains, including low coastal heath, granite outcrops, forest, and beach sands.
DAY 6: Boranup Forest to Cosy Corner (21.5 km)
Enjoy the song of birds in the morning as we start our day in the Boranup Forest and spend a good portion of the day immersed in the beauty of the Karris before making our way to Boranup Beach and slowly walking the 7 km to the iconic Hamelin Bay; home to the famous eagle rays. We then make our way inland and into Cosy Corner to finish the day.
DAY 7: Cosy Corner to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – Augusta (21.5)
The last day of the Cape to Cape will start in Cosy Corner and with our legs strong from the previous days walking we will have no trouble completing the last 7 km of serious beach walking before climbing up to the spectacular Augusta Cliffs and winding our way through onto the last stretch of the track past Skippy Rock and finishing the Cape to Cape at the grand old Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.
DAY 8: Margaret River & back to Perth
Relax and enjoy a sleep-in before brekky and a quick trip into Margaret River / Cowaramup before the drive back to Perth.
Let us create a multi-day BESPOKE Cape to Cape Walking Adventure just for you!
Get in touch and let's have a chat.
“My mom and I had a most memorable hiking trip on the Cape-to-cape trail, under the care of Erika from Edgewalkers. Erika is full of energy and tirelessly explained to us all the fauna and flora along the trails. She took excellent care of us on the trail and arranged for excellent and healthy food to ensure we are well nourished throughout the whole trip. We had a most excellent holiday. I would recommend Edgewalkers 😃”
YOUR HOSTS
Kirra Diconza - Environmental scientist, guide, yoga instructor and culinary artist!
Dr Erika Jacobson - Edgewalkers founder & CEO,
FAQS
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The Cape to Cape is in WA’s southwest, in the Margaret River Region.
The 125 km long stretch of coastal north-south trail from the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse in the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park.
In Spring, the track is alive with native wildflowers, and the Indian Ocean hosts migrating whales. Google it!!!!It covers a diversity of sandy coastal terrains, coastal heath, limestone outcrops and granite paths, beaches, coastal woodlands, and Boranup Karri and Marri forest.
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Margaret River is 290 km southwest of Perth. Most people drive the 3-hour journey and stop to check out the Busselton Jetty along the way.
It’s an easy drive – pretty much a straight all-the-way with well-sign-posted directions all along…all in English.
If you are coming on one of our multi-day walking tours then we will be picking you up and dropping you off unless pre-arranged, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride…but Google it so you can get an idea of where it sits on the WA coast.
You can also catch local public transport.
There are two coach companies Southwest Coaches and TransWA and they both take about the same amount of time to get down and cost about the same too, about.
Please check their timetables and prices.
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It is a magic walk that anyone with moderate fitness can do given enough time.
There are some sections that are moderate to strenuous – with some hilly parts going up and down the ridge but generally, it’s moderate and we are there to make sure that you do it at your own pace.Beaches are the challenge for most people but (unless requested) we tend to walk in a north-south direction so that by the time you get to the long beaches, your body is already pumping for it!
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When you walk the whole track, there are about 25 km of sandy beach, the longest are about 7 km each.
Sometimes the wetter areas are firm and easy to walk on, often the sand is loose and fine well, like a beach…just think of it as a great glutes workout with incredible views of the turquoise-colored Indian Ocean.
You can take your time, maybe slip off your boots, and enjoy the ocean, the sand between your toes, and the tranquillity – there is rarely anyone around and the beaches are stunning!
There are also a lot of sections along the track that are sometimes sandy, sometimes firm.
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You can carry as much as you like but you only really need to carry a small day pack with water, the lunches we give you, and any personal items you would like to carry like camera and rain weather gear, for example. You probably would not need to carry more than 4kg - but it is up to you!
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Our aim is for you to spend time in nature reconnecting and exploring the beauty of the places we walk.
So, you need to walk at a pace that is suitable to you and we support you to do just that.
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We have had occasions when people have felt they needed time off to recover. You can do that by staying at the accommodation and relaxing, or heading into town to sit at a cafe. There are always ways to support you, whatever you need to do.
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All our guides have first aid training and some remote wilderness first aid to treat minor injuries.
If there is an injury and you need to come off the track we will call for emergency services.
If you are sick we will call for someone to come and take you off the track and drive you back to our accommodation. -
On the Cape to Cape we walk between 15 to 22 kms a day during 4-day and 8-day adventures.
Usually no more than 5 - 6 hours with plenty of breaks for snacks, water and lunch.
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We have many poisonous snakes in Australia and they do not generally mind us walking through their natural habitat and they are usually very shy and keep well away from us.
We do see them, mostly very briefly as they whip away into the bush. Occasionally, we have to wait a minute for them to move out of the way; or if there is room to go around them, we do that.
From time to time we see kangaroos, whales, dolphins, foxes, different lizards, and many birds and insects, like flies… none of them are dangerous!
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The wildflower season starts in late August when we can start to see a few species starting to flower. The season really kicks off in September with many species flowering then. The season goes through to the middle of November.
Get in touch with us on adventure@edgewalkers.com.au to find out more.
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