Perched on the south-western corner of the continent, the mighty sentinel of Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse stands tall as a dramatic welcome beacon.
Feature by Carolyn Beasley
It’s 1622, and Dutch galleon Leeuwin bounces through the Southern Ocean, the winds of the Roaring Forties at her back. Finally, her crew sights the rugged coastline of Western Australia, but they’re much farther south than anticipated. Accidentally, they’ve become the first Europeans to see the south-western corner of the continent. They name it ‘Leeuwin’s Land.’
In 1801, Matthew Flinders followed suit, choosing the name Cape Leeuwin for this bony finger of land, which points directly to Antarctica. Today, this wild country forms the southernmost tip of the Margaret River Region.
While the Leeuwin’s log is long lost, present day adventurers can guess at what the mariners encountered. At the nexus of the Southern and Indian Oceans, dynamic currents collide and the ocean churns with volatile winds and waves that obscure treacherous offshore islands. Or perhaps they encountered a calm day, and gazed into turquoise waters while beaches glittered.
Along with Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin is one of the three great capes of the Southern Hemisphere. To help keep mariners safe, the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse has cast its protective light here since 1896, and at 39 metres high, it remains the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia.
The year marked 400 years since the Leeuwin’s sighting of the Cape, and a celebration was held in nearby Augusta, with Dutch dignitaries in attendance.
Paul Sofilas, senior tour guide, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
Paul Sofilas, one of the event’s organisers, is the lighthouse’s senior tour guide. Having spent 24 years working at the lighthouse, and living onsite for 21 years, Paul knows the Cape best.
“It's 400 years, but it's just a paragraph of a bigger story,” Paul says. “The Wadandi people have been here for thousands of years.” At Cape Leeuwin, a plaque written in Dutch, English, and Wadandi was unveiled to acknowledge that the Wadandi people have cared for this region for 60,000 years.
Exposed to the some of the state’s fiercest winds, day in, day out, it’s little wonder the lighthouse needed some TLC. Throughout 2022, it was meticulously restored and now, once again welcomes guests to join a guided tour that ascends the 176 steps of the limestone structure, before perusing the historic cottages, with their interactive museum and café.
During the restoration, Paul says moss was removed, mortar replaced, and metalwork and timber restored. A brass wind instrument, removed from the top of the lighthouse some 50 years ago, has even been reinstated.
The significance of the lighthouse, especially for mariners, is enormous. According to Paul, for those departing to war from Albany, or working on vessels, Cape Leeuwin was, for many, the last glimpse of Australia.
Paul recalls a customer who had a family member working on ships in the 1920s, and had jotted memories about Cape Leeuwin in their dairy.
“When they used to come from Europe or Africa, with the heat of the summer, they could smell the eucalyptus out to sea before they could see the land,” Paul explains. “Then they’d line the deck, waiting to see either the lighthouse at night, or the Cape during the day.”
The lighthouse is only one of the immersive activities for visitors to the Augusta region. From May to August, see humpback and southern right whales frolicking in Flinders Bay with Legend Charters, All Sea Charters, Whale Watch Western Australia and Naturaliste Charters. All year round, join a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of Jewel Cave, the state’s largest subterranean showpiece, or visit postcard-perfect Hamelin Bay, where friendly stingrays loiter, hoping for a fishy treat.
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Margaret River by Holly Winkle
The Cape to Cape Track starts (or ends) here, a multi-day trail stretching 123km north through the Margaret River Region to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. But there’s no shortage of shorter trails too, Paul says.
Paul recommends the trail from the lighthouse to Quarry Bay and the lookout of Skippy Rock, a great place to spot whales in winter and spring. There’s also a great walk from the Augusta town jetty, where Paul frequently spots pelicans, black swans and even stingrays. “All that’s missing is David Attenborough!” he says.
Mountain biking is another of Paul’s favourites, especially the trail from the lighthouse towards the golf course. “You’re looking back at the Southern Ocean, and all of a sudden you drop down into Karri forest which is quite serene and graceful,” Paul says. “And you can still pop out in Augusta at a good coffee shop, like Two Seas Collective.”
Paul’s final tip is to explore the Blackwood River by kayak or stand-up paddle board. He says it can be sheltered even in winter, and recommends keeping an eye out for inquisitive dolphins.
And the best viewpoint in the region? It’s from up on the lighthouse viewing deck, where you can take in two unforgiving oceans and the wild, western and southern coastlines of Australia.
“You really feel that you're on out on that little corner, next stop Africa and Antarctica,” Paul says. “You're up there in a nice safe environment. But you're right on the edge of what’s quite a dangerous part of the world.”
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Margaret River
Published December 2022.