Cape to Cape Track, Long-distance walk trail in the South West region, Western Australia, Australia
Cape to Cape Track runs 123 kilometres along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge in Western Australia, from the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste to the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin. Its surface varies from wide smooth tracks to narrow rocky paths, soft sandy beaches and a few rough scrambles, with steps built on some steep sections. The section between Cape Naturaliste and Sugarloaf is constructed for wheelchair users; the rest is a single-use walking track.
The Wardandi people are the area's original inhabitants; Nicolas Baudin was the first recorded European visitor, in 1801. In March 1831, five settlers walked from Augusta to the Swan River, reaching Cape Naturaliste in six days. In the 1980s local resident Jane Scott found walking routes between the two capes, and a 1988 Bicentenary Grant funded the dedicated track, officially opened in April 2001.
The track runs from the lighthouses at Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, passing through Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly and Hamelin Bay, where walkers can resupply. Streams dry up in summer, so carry at least 3 litres of water per day of walking and treat all water except town taps. The section between Cape Naturaliste and Sugarloaf is built for wheelchair users; elsewhere the track is for walkers only. Camp only at the designated sites, roughly a day's walk apart.
The track's only formal stream crossing is a bridge over Boodjidup Brook; elsewhere, creeks form sandbars in summer and flow to the sea in winter. Square pine posts bearing a triangular logo mark the route at most intersections, and larger wooden signs guide walkers off beaches.
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