AUGUSTA - SOUTH WEST TIP OF AUSTRALIA

Holiday

Had to leave Dunsborough for a few days just before Christmas as Niki's son, Tim, wanted to go down from Perth with a few mates.  Perfectly reasonable, I guess, as it belongs to his family!  So we decided we needed a holiday after 3 weeks hard graft on the beaches, coastal paths, coffee shops and tennis courts there, and moved on further south to Augusta.  This is at the southern tip of the Cape to Cape track that we have been doing bits of in the North.  See past blogs on right hand side - 5/2/16, 3/2/17

We took a slow, stopping route looking at new beaches, old favourites  - see 5/2/16, 13/2/17  - but no blue wrens at cafe this time (hoping for them at the lovely garden Airbnb after Xmas) or rays - too much seaweed at ray beach and had our next big wildlife experience.

Dolphin spectacular 

Stopped at new beach, Redgate, and watched the rollers crashing in and surfers in the distance. And then in came a big wave - full of dolphins surfing in it, just like the documentaries and videos! Unbelievable -  too busy watching to take own video.

So try this one as an example.

But managed some quick ones on the camera

Leaping out of wave towards us - having fun!

Nearly beating Graham and Nate for Wildlife Photographer trophy. 

Augusta trips 

Had a packed few days based at our Airbnb house in this small town of 1300 residents - with 3 times as many holiday homes for the Perth crowd looking for cooler climes in their summer.  Still quiet for us, but apparently hordes arrive on Boxing Day for several weeks.

Great repeat river trip from 2016 - this time all to ourselves!  Loads of birds as the River Blackwood meets the Southern ocean, so tidal flats and sandbars for them.

Spoonbills, red necked stilts, Caspian tern, white faced Heron - and Graham and skipper in empty boat

Then into the depths of one of the hundreds of limestone caves between Dunsborough and Augusta - 5 or so are open to public.  Always stunning down there and aptly named Jewel Cave.  Interesting history here on how it was found (imagine just being lowered through a hole in the ground and then looking around) and the remains discovered over the years.

There are 2 lighthouses at either end of the Cape to Cape track - so went up this one at Caper Leeuwin - a great day as you can see, but often a windy, windy place here all year round.

More of a name change of one big body of ocean rather than a meeting of currents

View from the top

And being surrounded by oceans we just had to try one of the top ten chippies in Australia

So good we went twice out of 3 nights!  Nephew Ben - eat your heart out for the fishing here.