Tuesday 13 January 2009

Cape to Cape Track

Cape to Cape Track
 After having completed the Bibb Track I continued on the Cape to Cape Track - I just can't get enough of hiking. The Cape to Cape Track is rather short for my standards, only 135 km and runs along the Western Australian Coast between the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin. There is a decent guidebook and already being in the area and decided to "tick off" that trail as well.

Campsite on the Cape to Cape
But it would be difficult for any trail to stand up against the fantastic Bibbulmun Track so it will not come as a surprise that Cape to Cape was a bit of an anti-climax. The biggest problem of the Cape to Cape is also its biggest asset: It follows the coast line very closely. This promises great views of fantastic cliffs and beaches but it also goes through the most popular holiday resorts of Western Australia and this time of the year being the busiest summer holiday season I encountered many more people than I had wished for. It feels totally weird to walk along a crowded beach in dirty hiker clothes and trekking poles with a hundred people in bikinis and swim wear staring at you like you are an alien!

There are some basic shelters and campsites along the track but they are nothing like the Hiltons on the Bibbulmun Track! Still, it was a nice trail with some spectacular coastal scenery. If you are in the area I can definitely recommend hiking it, but  I also would  not go too far out of my way for it.

Beach on the Cape to Cape
Now I am back in Perth and have retrieved my bicycle. Luckily I had professional help with assembling the bike again. It took forever - but now it looks like a bike again. I already cycled for a couple of hours trying to deal with left-side-driving. I will try bicycle touring again for the first time after my karpal tunnel problem on my trip across Europe. Probably for about 10 days here in Western Australia before I return to the East and cycle Tasmania. I do hope I have better luck here then on my European trip. Unfortunately temperatures in the next days will be above 40 Celsius.... I have heard that Germany has a very cold winter now! Enjoy it!

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