Over the weekend we drove down to the far south west tip of our state to Cape Leeuwin, to capture some photos for you.
Travelling south from Margaret River we reach Augusta, and then nine kilometres further south is Cape Leeuwin, where the Indian Ocean to the west, and the Southern Ocean to the south, meet - Latitude 34degrees 22 south, longitude 115 degrees 08 east. Like Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin is known for its treacherous reefs and rocks, and savage unpredictable weather. There are many shipwrecks off shore.
The first recorded sighting of Cape Leeuwin was in 1622 by the Dutch ship, Leeuwin. It was named Cape Leeuwin by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1801 at the commencement of his mapping and circumnavigation of the coastline Australia. The foundation stone for the lighthouse was dedicated by Sir John Forrest in 1896. The lighthouse is built from local stone and the lighthouse precinct is heritage listed. The lighthouse keepers cottages still exist and one is now the visitor centre and cafe.
Here is an elevated view so you can get a general picture of what the area looks like - not the most fantastic shot but you can get the idea. The Leeuwin lighthouse is on a piece of land that stretches out into the ocean where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet. Next stop Antarctica. When I have visited before it has been windy and cold so these relatively calm seas were a novelty.
It was a fine day when we visited on Sunday, but I rather like this one I took a couple of years ago on transparency (sorry about the quality of the scan). It was raining and blowing a gale - when I think of lighthouses, this is the sort of scene I imagine.
Here is another photo of Cape Leeuwin.
Here's another photo from Cape Leeuwin - this is the old waterwheel built in 1895 to supply water to the builders of the lighthouse, and later the lighthouse keepers. The water came from a natural spring, and as the water flowed over, the wheel turned and activated a pump to pump the water up to the lighthouse. The wheel is now encrusted with calcified lime.
To reach Augusta, we drive along Caves Road (so called because of the number of underground caves along this stretch of the coast) through the Boranup forest (there is a wonderful gallery and gift shop where you can buy wood products and furniture, glass work, beautiful art and gifts - I love stopping there). The trees in this photo are Karri trees - we will see some more of them when we visit Pemberton next week.
And the Boranup Forest - it is hard to capture its grandeur. At least this time I took my tripod along, and used it! Its amazing how many other people stop and take photos when they see someone using a tripod - but it is a magnificent scene from this spot, and changes with the light.
This one I have added a cooling filter in Photoshop Elements.
And of course my tour would not be complete without at least one wildflower photo - this is from the Eucalypt family.
Here's another photo from Cape Leeuwin - this is the old waterwheel built in 1895 to supply water to the builders of the lighthouse, and later the lighthouse keepers. The water came from a natural spring, and as the water flowed over, the wheel turned and activated a pump to pump the water up to the lighthouse. The wheel is now encrusted with calcified lime.
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Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this tour around Western Australia. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for taking the time to comment.