Meeting of the oceans

Tuesday:  Ah well …. book me into Fitness First!  Today was to be the day of the 3 caves … but settled for just one.
Prevelly Beach (where I overnighted) is reputed to have one of Australia’s best offshore breaks for surfers.  I spent an early morning hour watching half a dozen intrepid board-riders quite a distance from the shore, riding the breaks that rolled in over reef areas.  They seemed quite untroubled by the fact that a rider was taken by a Great White just last week on the next beach along.
A twenty minute drive south landed me at the first of the caves the area is famous for.  I lined up and ordered a “3 caves pass”.  The lady looked at me and asked “Do you know about the steps?”  “What steps?” asks I.  Turns out there are 300 steps each way at the Lake Cave (where I was), and 500 each way at the other two.  Then 167 steps at the lighthouse.  I quickly settled for just a one-cave pass (to test myself out).  The cave tour was quite interesting, and the lighting effects they have installed showed off the natural formations to very good effect.  But when I staggered back into the reception area, I quickly decided that one cave was more than enough for the day!
From there a 40 minute drive to Augusta (which is little more than a village).  Lunch at the local bakery again, but it was quite unremarkable.  Then out to windswept Cape Leeuwin, the most south-easterly point of Australia, and from where Matthew Flinders began his circumnavigation and mapping of the mainland coast.  The lighthouse is Australia’s tallest, operating since 1905.  It is the first sight of Australia for shipping heading to the east coast from South Africa etc.  The view from the top is quite spectacular, though I imagine it would be even more so if there were big seas running.   Today was relatively clam.
Then the long haul back to Perth.  I took the faster inland route (the Bussell Highway).  About the same distance as Maryborough to Brisbane,  but the road (110kph and dual carriageway most of the distance) leaves our Bruce Highway looking like a country track. Hit Perth at the end of peak hour, which didn’t seem too bad by Brisbane standards.
The variety of businesses in the south-west is a bit surprising.  Lots of wineries of course, but plenty of cheese makers, potters, art galleries, and chocolate makers, as well as olive groves and mazes!  In all a most enjoyable three days of travel.
Driving back into Perth, the freeway skirts the Swan Estuary.  And yes, there floating sedately along the edge are dozens of black swans!
Tonight I ate out in the mall.  Opposite was a street artist working on a huge mural.  Been at it for 3 months he told me.  Couldn’t help but notice that, whilst lots of people stopped to look and comment, only the student types dropped a coin or two in his box.  The adults just walked on.  Maybe the younger folk feel more empathy for someone trying to make an honest buck.
Will sleep well tonight – tomorrow the Pilbara calls.
Today’s photos are here