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After a fun few days exploring Margaret River on our epic Perth to Adelaide adventure, it was time to head east towards Pemberton to experience Western Australia’s tall timber country.
But before we swapped the beach for the forest, we spent a morning looking around beautiful Hamelin Bay and Cape Leeuwin, two highlights of the south-west corner of Western Australia. Read on to find out more!
Hamelin Bay
Famous for its protected stingrays, ruined jetty and amazingly turquoise water, Hamelin Bay in Western Australia is an ideal spot to visit for beach and snorkelling enthusiasts.
It was pretty overcast when we visited, and judging by the shrieks from the teenagers we saw getting into the sea, I’m guessing the water is rather cold too!
The scenery, however, is absolutely stunning. Here are some pictures to prove it.
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
Marking the most south-western point of Australia and the end of the 135km Cape to Cape Track from Cape Naturaliste is the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Constructed from limestone in 1895, this is the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia and also marks the point where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean collide.
You do have to pay to walk around the grounds at the lighthouse (click here to read more), but you can always have a coffee in the café there and view it from a distance like we did!
To view the lighthouse from afar like in the pictures below, stop along Leeuwin Road and take one of the paths down to the beach.
Cape Leeuwin Waterwheel
The Cape Leeuwin Waterwheel was originally built to supply water to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, but is now calcified with lime and looks more like something you’d expect to see on the craggy English coastline than in Australia!
It’s definitely worth a visit, as the area is beautiful, and you can spot the lighthouse in the distance too. You’ll see the sign to the waterwheel slightly north of the lighthouse.
Augusta
Before heading east towards Pemberton (and before those grey clouds finally burst!) we managed to squeeze in a quick picnic lunch by the waterside in Augusta. And as a beautiful way to end to the day, a couple of dolphins decided to frolic around in front of us – bliss!
READ MORE:
To plan your own trip, check out my Perth to Adelaide drive itinerary, which includes distances, driving times, highlights and accommodation.
To follow my adventure, read about my next stop, Pemberton, in Western Australia’s tall timber country!
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Lisa Bull, founder of Dreaming of Down Under, has been living in Australia as a British expat since 2015. After travelling to every state and territory in Australia and living in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney, Lisa knows from first-hand experience the best destinations to visit in Australia and the best budget travel tips. Her guides on this blog have been read by over 700k readers and helped thousands of people achieve their dream of living in or travelling Australia.
Love the pics, have saved some to Pinterest, thanks!
Thanks Sam!