We recently spent a few days staying in the pretty coastal town of Yallingup on the south west cape of Western Australia (see here and here for info from a previous trip). Our base was the iconic Caves House Hotel an impressive heritage-style building, originally built in 1903 by the government of Western Australia to provide accommodation for the visitors to the newly discovered Ngili Caves nearby.
Set in beautiful undulating grounds that gently slope down towards the sea, it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of this coastal location. With no particular plan in mind we set off after breakfast on the first day of our trip heading towards the beach. It was a blustery July day (mid-winter in the southern hemisphere) and the south westerly wind was whipping in from the Indian Ocean. Caves House forms a section of the Torpedo Trail, one of many walking and hiking trails in this beautiful part of the world.
We intended just to have a quick stroll along the beach and head up back to Caves House to collect our car but after stopping for coffee in the beach car park, which marks the official start of the Torpedo Trail, we decided to follow the trail up the hill and see where it took us. The trail is, according to track grading in the information brochure, a Grade 3 level “Suitable for most ages and fitness levels. Some bush walking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections a rough surface and many steps. Walks up to 20km.”
We found it relatively easy, but it wouldn’t be suitable for people with wheelchairs or reduced mobility. It is a 3km loop, which should take about an hour, although we took a little longer because we stopped to take all these photos. You pass through gentle woodland, coastal vegetation, rocky outcrops and down and (mostly) up a few inclines. There are various signposts along the way and the trail follows part of the Cape to Cape track, which runs 123 kms from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse in the north down to Cape Leeuwin in the south west. We had hoped to do a longer trail, which would have taken us around the bay to Smiths Beach, but the recent heavy winter storms had washed part of the footpath away so that section of the trail was closed off.
With the new WordPress editor seemingly mandatory now, I’ve found writing up this post and inserting photo galleries something of a headache (to say the least) so below is an extensive pictorial record of our walk as this was the easiest way to format it! Hopefully I will gradually master the new system!
Heading to the top of the hill, we found ourselves briefly walking alongside Caves Road before heading once more into the woodland, which took us back to the leafy grounds of Caves House.
All in all, a lovely walk and we felt refreshed and ready for morning tea.
For more interesting and varied walks round the world head over to Restless Jo’s Monday Walks, a wonderful way to feel connected to the world at large in these strange times!
Copyright © 2020 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose. All rights reserved
Le Chic En Rose 
It looks fabulous, Rosemay, and thanks so much for persevering and linking with me. I get lazier and am yet to tackle the editor but I’ll get my come uppance one day. 🤣 Have a great week! 💕
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Thanks so much Jo – better late than never and good to be able to link up with your Monday Walks again. I’m not sure why I seem to be half way between the classic and the block editor – still I reckon they will make everyone do the new block style sooner or later so hope the practice is doing me good! Very wet and rainy here here today after spring sunshine for the last couple of days. We’re at that topsy turvy time of the year betwixt seasons. Hope all is well with you! 🙂 🙂
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Hot, humid and full! 🤣💕 Take care!
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I don’t mind dry heat Jo but dislike humidity – still humid weather is supposed to kill off viruses so that has to be a good thing! Sounds like you enjoyed lunch! xx
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Looks like a great walk Rosemary. Thank you for sharing it with us. Alas, we don’t have much choice any more re the block approach to writing. I am finding the pictures side a real pain .. as more often then not I am unable to link from the image gallery so have to import. Hopefully we will get used to it.
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Yes the photos have been most problematic 😦 Am also finding it hard to insert the galleries where I’d like them to be – must be something to do with the new formatting. I got round it by switching from the visual setting to text only and copying and pasting but it was a real palaver! The walk was lovely – Yallingup is a beautiful place 🙂
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Nothing like a winter break especially if it includes a beach trail. I hope to visit a beach or two this month now that it is quieter in Cornwall.
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Yes we always prefer the cooler months down south though this year it was much busier than usual as of course no one can go anywhere else! It must be lovely in the autumn in Cornwall – still pleasant enough to enjoy walks without the crowds!
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Well usually September is very busy as St Ives has an art festival, but not this year. Also those who have younger children and no children come down. I’ll see when I take a chance 😊
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Hope you get some tranquil walks by the beaches 🙂
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Looks lovely…though not very warm by the look of it… (Suzanne)
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It was beautiful Suzanne – quite a bracing wind though but typical for the time of year. July is our mid winter so we can’t complain and it was very refreshing to be out in nature doing some walks 🙂
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Looks absolutely lovely. It’s good to get away. Still using the old WP Admin editor here, so clinging on by my fingernails.
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I thought I was still using the old editor Anabel but somehow I’ve been switched to the new one! Yes it was a lovely break just a few days but very refreshing – I know we are lucky living here at present!
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It looks beautiful Rosemay. All your photos are lovely, such a shame about all the technical issues, I not good at keeping up with all the changes they make.
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It’s very frustrating Gilda – am hoping I’ll get the hang of it soon! At least I did manage to get the photos uploaded in the end! Hope all is well with you 🙂 🙂
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Looks like a lovely area and you’ve done a good job with the photos all at the end. Have only briefly been to Perth in 1984, it might be a good COVID time in the next year or so to think about exploring WA once they let us out in Melbourne AND into other states. It will happen eventually…. Louise
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Thanks very much for your virtual visit Louise! I do find the new set up with WordPress editor difficult to navigate and for some reason can’t seem to get back to the old classic editor. I’m determined to keep going though! Yes eventually things will have to open up – we are content in our WA bubble and realise we have been so fortunate in comparison to Victoria and other parts of the world. I believe the curfew is due to be lifted in Melbourne, which must be such a relief. Perth is a beautiful place and will be very different nowadays to 1984. There are some wonderful places to explore throughout the state many of which we haven’t seen yet either! Very best wishes and hope you can start travelling around again before too long Rosemary 🙂
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