After exploring part of Perth, Western Australia's capital city, and knowing we'd return to discover more of its sights, Steven and I were excited to head further afield and begin discovering a chunk of the mammoth state's southwest area, known for its wineries and dense karri and jarrah forests. As with all of Australia, the region was so immense we had to carefully pick and choose what we had the time, interest, and energy to see.
The lake, which stretches about 20km parallel to the coastline, was named in 1840 after Marshall Waller Clifton, the Chief Commissioner of the Australind settlement. To the region's Nyungar Aboriginal people, Lake Clifton is called Noorook Yalgorap. It was a very special place for their culture and history, with stories passed down from generation to generation. They tell of the lake's creation and its thrombolites, created by the Waugal, a mythological serpent that helped shape the land. The thrombolites reflect the eggs of the rainbow serpent, whose hatched babies formed three rivers.
The Lake Clifton thrombolites, which formed almost two thousand years ago, are the largest known examples of its species in the Southern Hemisphere and reflect what the earliest life forms on Earth would have looked like. We were fortunate to view them, as seasonal fluctuations in water levels expose them in summer and submerge them in winter.
They were formed through the precipitation of calcium carbonate from fresh groundwater that had seeped up from underground aquifers. I learned that the metabolic activity of the microbes relies on sunlight for photosynthesis and the supply of calcium-rich groundwater to grow.
We saw several signs alerting us to road trains on our road trip north of Perth the previous day, but none of the trains themselves. In case you missed the post, road trains are described as massive heavy-duty trucks pulling multiple trailers, weighing over 200 tons and up to 53.5 meters long. We saw this train en route to Bunbury, a further 40 km south of Perth. Needless to say, we gave it a wide berth!
The Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, which showcased Western Australia's best art collection outside of Perth, was located in a former convent from 1897! I wondered if the convent had always been that bubblegum-pink shade, as it seemed unusual for a place of religious worship.
On the southern coast of Geographe Bay was the resort town of Busselton, famous for its 2km-long jetty, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Near the entrance of the Busselton Jetty was the bronze sculpture titled Fish: The Sea in Her Belly, which depicted a young girl wrapped in a towel standing on a ship's bollard, looking out toward Geographe Bay.
Seeing the list of Stars at Busselton Jetty brought a smile to my face, even though none of them were familiar to me.
When construction of the Skeleton Jetty was completed in 1911, it introduced steam trains to haul timber, coal, and potatoes instead of the horse-drawn carts.
South of Busselton, there were wineries, one after another, but we didn't have or make the time to tour any of them.
We whizzed through Witchcliffe, another attractive country town, which also took advantage of its unusual name!
Augusta's jetty looked mighty small compared to Busselton's!
Another 9km further south on an almost deserted road was Cape Leeuwin at Australia's most southwesterly point.
The Cape to Cape Track was a 135 km coastal walking trail that ran along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge between the Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin lighthouses.
We finally arrived in the touristy town of Margaret River, our home for the night, in Australia's far southwestern pocket, but strangely enough, it was not actually located on a river, but eight km inland. The town of just 7,400 was better known as a general region, famous for its world-class waves and wineries, and also as a gastronomic destination set among superb natural attractions. In addition to being home to some of the country's finest wineries, craft breweries and distilleries helped pair with acclaimed restaurants showcasing the best regional produce. The towns of Augusta, Cowaramup, and Witchcliffe, which we'd driven through earlier, were all part of the Margaret River culinary and tourist region.
I found it mind-boggling to grasp that 600 million years ago, ancestors of thrombolites and their 'cousins,' stromatolites, which we'd seen earlier, produced the oxygen needed for life on land to exist. The rock-like forms can only be found in a few places in Western Australia and elsewhere.
We saw several signs alerting us to road trains on our road trip north of Perth the previous day, but none of the trains themselves. In case you missed the post, road trains are described as massive heavy-duty trucks pulling multiple trailers, weighing over 200 tons and up to 53.5 meters long. We saw this train en route to Bunbury, a further 40 km south of Perth. Needless to say, we gave it a wide berth!
The busy port city owes its existence to Lt. Henry St. Pierre Bunbury, who traveled overland from much farther north in WA in 1826. Known as Goomburrup to the Aboriginal people, Bunbury was the state's second-largest city and the starting point of any trip to WA's Southwest region.
Just outside of town was a boardwalk through the white Mangrove Cove in Kalgulup Regional Park with a fascinating mix of natural and cultural landscapes. The park's name means place of fire to the Noongar people, as karla, or fire, and its elements of smoke, coal, and ash are at the koort, or heart, of Noongar culture. For thousands of years, fire has supported life by providing warmth, light, cooking, healing, and protection.
Noongar stories, wisdom, and lore were shared around campfires, and fire was used in ceremonies, hunting, and caring for Country. For anyone traveling in Australia, it's vital to understand what Country means for its Aboriginal people. It is a living, breathing entity that functions as family, kin, law, and identity. If Country is healthy, the people are healthy; if Country suffers, the people suffer deeply.
The Koombana Park Lookout provided superb views of Koombana Bay, the city, and environs.
Though the Bunbury area had long been inhabited by the Wardandl people, it was first recorded by French explorers aboard the Geographe in 1803, who named it Port Luschenault after a French botanist.
Whaling was an important industry in 19th-century WA, as whale oil and bone were used for lighting, soap, ladies' corsets, umbrellas, etc. The New Holland Ground off the coast was a rich whaling ground for sperm and humpback whales traveling up and down the coast during their annual migration year-round.
An estimated 150 American whaleships plied the waters in 1841 alone. Though the colonial government regarded them with ambivalence for taking British marine resources in coastal waters, the visiting whalers were extremely important to the early settlers for trade and transportation up and down the coast.
The white mangrove had a shallow but wide root system that spread out and supported the plants in the soft, muddy sediment. The mangroves are not only considered productive ecosystems that help stabilize coastal areas and provide habitat for wildlife, but they also provide unique areas to appreciate nature and take in the view!
The Navigators, a public art installation located in a Bunbury roundabout, featured tall, stylized metallic figures standing on concrete plinths, symbolizing the city's maritime history, navigation, and coastal heritage.
We caught just a glimpse of the historic Rose Hotel, which opened in 1865 and was one of the region's oldest operating pubs and a heritage-listed landmark, on our way to the sacred Wardandl Memorial Park.
The park was a significant Noongar cultural heritage site and tranquil ocean-view resting place, with a serpent-shaped Dreamtime path, native plants representing the six Noongar seasons, and a sacred reburial site for 25 ancestral remains.
Just beyond the park were blissful views of the Indian Ocean from Wyallup or Rocky Point. We couldn't resist taking a stroll along the beach and dipping our toes in the water between the waves crashing on the beach.
Dolphins regularly hang out here, but they failed to make an appearance for us, unfortunately.
It was so beautiful that we could have spent hours there.
Young Smithy was a more humorous artwork situated at a roundabout overlooking the ocean. It was a tribute to Des Smith, a much-loved and respected principal of the nearby Bunbury Primary School who loved sailing as a child.
The Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, which showcased Western Australia's best art collection outside of Perth, was located in a former convent from 1897! I wondered if the convent had always been that bubblegum-pink shade, as it seemed unusual for a place of religious worship.
Once out on the open road, we spotted several signs advising drivers to be aware of kangaroos, but we saw none. We kept our fingers crossed that we might spot some later.
On the southern coast of Geographe Bay was the resort town of Busselton, famous for its 2km-long jetty, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Column of Sound artwork overlooked the bay.
Near the entrance of the Busselton Jetty was the bronze sculpture titled Fish: The Sea in Her Belly, which depicted a young girl wrapped in a towel standing on a ship's bollard, looking out toward Geographe Bay.
Seeing the list of Stars at Busselton Jetty brought a smile to my face, even though none of them were familiar to me.
We arrived just as the little train was about to depart for the short journey to the end of the jetty. No doubt it would have been a lark, but we didn't mind not crossing off the fun and one-of-a-kind sight from our list.
We toyed with the idea of touring the Busselton Underwater Observatory, one of just seven in the world, but time wasn't in our favor if we were to still view other sights that day.
When construction of the Skeleton Jetty was completed in 1911, it introduced steam trains to haul timber, coal, and potatoes instead of the horse-drawn carts.
When Cyclone Alby swept down the coast in 1978, much of the first 700 m of the jetty's oldest section was damaged beyond repair. It galvanized the local community to establish a preservation committee.
In 1999, a huge fire ravaged the jetty despite the efforts of local emergency crews to minimize the damage at the end of the jetty.
Present day: A man fishing off an adjacent pier:
South of Busselton, there were wineries, one after another, but we didn't have or make the time to tour any of them.
On through the appealing country town of Cowaramup, with its cow theme on full display!
We whizzed through Witchcliffe, another attractive country town, which also took advantage of its unusual name!
One of our goals had been to make it to the small hamlet of Augusta, whose claim to fame was that it was home to the last 'eating house' before the Antarctic! No way were we going to miss that stop.
It was a long haul to just take a photo of the Colour Patch Cafe Bar Takeaway, especially since we'd known in advance that it was closed. However, it was still fun to see the last restaurant, if in fact that was true!
Augusta's jetty looked mighty small compared to Busselton's!
Another 9km further south on an almost deserted road was Cape Leeuwin at Australia's most southwesterly point.
If you're imagining forlorn beaches, moody seascapes, and windswept lighthouses, the Cape had all of that in abundance!
It was also home to mainland Australia's tallest lighthouse at 39m, looking out over where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean.
Our goal all day had been to reach the Cape Leeuwin Heritage Lighthouse Precinct before the last entry at 4:30, as it would be our only chance of exploring it. Even though we hadn't walked the length of the Busselton Jetty, visited any of the museums, toured any of the marvelous wineries we passed, or spent time dawdling over a relaxing lunch, we still arrived a few minutes late at the lighthouse Visitor Center. We thanked our lucky stars when the attendant graciously allowed us to enter, after we promised we'd skedaddle up and back in just fifteen minutes. Not only that, she waived the admission fee because it was so late!
The Cape to Cape Track was a 135 km coastal walking trail that ran along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge between the Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin lighthouses.
A view of the Southern Ocean, which we'd followed for most of the afternoon:
We immediately came upon three Lighthouse Keepers' Cottages on the left that had been built from 1895 to 1896, for around-the-clock operation of the light. The cottages were built so that families could live on-site, which helped guarantee long-term postings in the remote location. The sharply pitched timber roofs were designed to withstand the fierce winds that batter the Cape. All three cottages were occupied until 1988, with the last lighthouse keeper remaining until 1998.
Beyond the cottage were compact stone outbuildings that once housed each family's laundry and 'water closet,' an early term for toilet! Before indoor plumbing, the pan toilets were emptied by hand, and laundry was done in an adjoining room. More than a century later, the sturdy limestone structures looked as good as new, even though they had weathered wind and salt spray.
Your guess is as good as mine about the reason for the cow's presence on the path to the lighthouse. Perhaps it lost its way from Cowaramup!
Since the arrival of European settlers in the 1830s, several shipwrecks were reported near Cape Leeuwin. In 1881, the Colonial Secretary recognized the need to mark this treacherous stretch of coastline with a lighthouse. Following extensive debate, Cape Leeuwin was selected as the ideal site, and construction began in 1895 and was completed the following year.
At the base of the lighthouse was the Lost at Sea Nizan Memorial, which was dedicated to the ten sailors who lost their lives aboard the HMAS Nizam off the Cape in 1945 when they were struck by a rogue wave. The memorial was unveiled in 1993, and a commemorative service became an annual event. The site has been recognized as an Australian War Memorial.
The ship was one of two present in Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri. The moment marked both the end of World War II and the distinguished record of service across the world's oceans.
Adjacent was the N Class Wall of Remembrance, which commemorated those who served on the N Class Destroyers, vessels loaned from Britain to the Royal Australian Navy between 1940 and 1942.
Reaching Cape Leeuwin meant that it was now the fourth southernmost tip of a continent we'd traveled to, with the others being Africa, North America, and South America. Not only that, but we'd also seen the lighthouses at each place as well.
On the other side of the lighthouse was the Indian Ocean.
The light was just magical at that hour between the approach of dusk and sunset.
We couldn't resist taking this photo on our way back!
Since the late 19th century, Cape Leeuwin has been an important site for weather observation. With its coastal position, it has maintained one of the longest continuous weather records in Western Australia.
Beyond the coastal heath was the Indian Ocean. How amazing to be in the place where both oceans meet.
We finally arrived in the touristy town of Margaret River, our home for the night, in Australia's far southwestern pocket, but strangely enough, it was not actually located on a river, but eight km inland. The town of just 7,400 was better known as a general region, famous for its world-class waves and wineries, and also as a gastronomic destination set among superb natural attractions. In addition to being home to some of the country's finest wineries, craft breweries and distilleries helped pair with acclaimed restaurants showcasing the best regional produce. The towns of Augusta, Cowaramup, and Witchcliffe, which we'd driven through earlier, were all part of the Margaret River culinary and tourist region.
Little wonder then that we feasted on a mouthwatering meal with a local wine at The Spot Italiano! We couldn't have picked a better 'spot' to end such a delightful day.
Next post: Giant trees, truffles, and heritage towns.
Posted on August 12th, 2026, from a little bit cooler Littleton, Colorado, thank goodness, after the excessive heat and barely any precipitation since summer began. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
