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Friday, February 19, 2010

Week 8 / 52 - Yallingup & the Capes - History for me and surf for him

Welcome to Week 8 of our 52 week tour of Western Australia. Today we continue south from Yallingup through the "cape to cape" region to Margaret River - internationally famous surfing location and wine region.

In the Cape to Cape region you can enjoy shady pathways through towering forests, surfing on a hot summers day, waves crashing on rugged cliff faces, secluded sandy white beaches, stunning wild flowers, pristine cave formations, late lunches and wine tasting in cosy wine cellars, vineyards spreading across rolling hillsides, whales and dolphins playing in the bay, an afternoons fishing on the jetty, browsing through art galleries and museums, exploring historic town-sites, and at the end of the day, sitting on a veranda and watching the sun go down over the Indian Ocean after another glorious day in Western Australia’s South West corner. This is the place where history, natural beauty, friendly people, fabulous food and wine, all combine to make your stay an unforgettable experience. There is something for everyone.

I am not big on surf photography (probably because I am not very good in surf and I can't get in there to take those fabulous photos surf photographers do) but here is one


From Life Images by Jill

We are also going to explore some history at Ellensbrook Homestead, home of the district's first pioneers, Alfred and Ellen Bussell, who lived here from 1854 to 1865. The home was gradually extended as their family grew, and is a unique example of early architecture and construction techniques. It would have been a wild and lonely piece of coastline when then settled here. It was a dull day when we visited so I have done a bit of pp work on this blurring the edges and adding some grain and a sepia tone - what do you think of the effect?

From Life Images by Jill
Here's another view - no pp.

From Life Images by Jill

Margaret River is not just about surf and wineries, we are also going to go bushwalking. There are lots of bush trails in the Cape to Cape region - and a fabulous guide book you can buy. Spring is the best time for bushwalking while the wildflowers are out. Here is one of our stunning wild orchids - the leopard orchid - which we discovered along the Old Ellensbrook Road (the bushwalkers way into Ellensbrook). My husband has very good eyesight for spotting orchids, and I was thrilled he found this one, a Leopard Orchid, as it is a variety we had never seen before.

Leopard Orchid
Here is another photo, this one is of the coastline just near Ellensbrook Homestead - and part of the Cape to Cape walk.

From Life Images by Jill
Cape to Cape trail marker -

From Life Images by Jill

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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.