Where: Roughly 260 km south of Perth, near town of Dunsborough
Distance: Roughly 7km return, moderately hilly, with thick underbush and marker trails.
Attractions: Lime stone sea caves, Cape Naturalise lighthouse, Wildflowers, Whales, Sea lions, Kangaroos, private beaches.
Best time to hike: Sept to March. Wildflowers from Sept to Nov. Whales travelling north from March onwards and travelling back south from September to November.Beware snakes in warmer months.
Trail bites: Enter the trail by turning off from the Cape Naturaliste Road onto the Bunker Bay Road. Parking is available at the end of the road at the Bunker Bay Beach carpark (toilets and wash facilities available). This is pretty much the entry to the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Park which also contains the Cape to Cape trail (135 km). The start of the trail can be seen from the car park. The first part of the trail, which is the path highlighted in blue in the map below, is the Bunker Bay loop. You have an option to complete the loop on it's own or jump from one trail to another. Each trail has a different coloured marker, so it's easy to keep tabs on where you are. Or if push comes to shove and you get lost, just keep along the coast till you see the lighthouse. There are a few maps like the one below along the trail which should give you a good idea of where you are.
Many options to mix and match trails. Personally, I prefer the trails by the coast, as you get best of the inland bush and the best of the coastal scenery.
First lookout station at Bunker Point, overlooking Shelley beach.
The blue marker for the Bunker Bay loop. This trail is more undulating compared to the other trails along the coast.
Limestone sea caves are scattered along the coast.
Still on the Bunker Bay loop trail
The red marker of the Lighthouse Loop trail, a relatively flat trail.
A happy face on the trail ;o)
That's the lighthouse in the distance!!
The wooden pathway to the whale lookout.
At the whale lookout point (Best times being Sept- Nov or April-June).
Cape Naturalise Loop. Brings you closer to the coastline at a lower altitude,as compared to the higher altitude on Bunker Bay loop.
The Cape Naturaliste loop. Pretty much an open trail with a flat gradient.
You should at least be fit enough to walk 7km to take on these coastal trails and even if you are not, there are plenty of lookout points that are amazing pit stops for you to stop and catch your breath.
I really love these trails for the scenery. I have done them in Winter and am looking forward to going back in Spring to see the wildflowers in bloom as well as hopefully catch a glimpse of the whales going back south again.
It's pretty hard to get lost on the trail as there are quite a few hikers traversing back and forth. Especially in the warmer months, you are bound to come across hikers, as these trails are preludes to the Cape to Cape track from Cape Naturalise to Cape Leuwin. So if you do get lost, just look out for shoeprints on the trail and you should have a rough idea of where the trail is. However, don't let it end up becoming a case of the blind leading the blind.
Bear in mind, that there are no facilities along the way, so bring enough water and some snacks. It always pays to check the weather forecast beforehand as the winds along the coast can get pretty strong.
For more information;
Life threatening emergency from GSM phones : 112
Police station: 131 444
Dept of Environment and Conservation Busselton: +618 9752 5555
Cape to Cape : www.capetocapetrack.com.au
Weather: http://www.weatherzone.com.au/wa/southwest/dunsborough
Keep wandering..............
