Over the past few months I've traversed Australia on the diagonal, and have done the whole journey using only my thumb. The previous July I was at Cape York, better known as the Tip of Australia in the northeast corner and now I'm in Augusta, which is in the southwest corner of Oz. A few months ago I was standing outside Karijini National Park, and I was picked up by a retired dairy farmer named Kerry. He was driving back to Augusta from Broome after picking up a boat, and I was on my way to Perth to go to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. After a long journey together, Kerry invited me to stay with he and his wife here in Augusta. Hitchhiking here yesterday was little drama and I was able to fill in some of the shires as part of my quest to find a geocache in every local government area (LGA) in Australia. With many little LGAs in the southwest, it's sure to keep me busy for awhile.
Founded in 1830, Augusta is a small town filled with many retirees. The buildings aren't exactly charming or historical but it's a great place to have that end-of-the-world feeling. I should add that Augusta shouldn't be confused with Port Augusta, South Australia. Before we did anything today, Kerry had to chase a ram out of the paddock. It took a bit of effort by both Kerry and his neighbour. As I enjoy remote places and extreme points, Kerry and his wife, Wendy, took me out to Cape Leeuwin. From here, you can point your finger southwest and there is no land between Augusta and Antarctica. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is completely covered in scaffolding but the clear blue waters and colourful rocks make up for it. The weather was clear and the breeze was gentle.
Cape Leeuwin is the start of the Cape to Cape Track, which runs for 123 km to Cape Naturaliste in the north. It's a walk I may do someday as a preparation for something more challenging. Eating options are very limited at the on-site cafe so we opted to go to the pub for a good lunch and a drink. Whiting and chips with a glass of white wine were tasty. Wendy used to work at the local fish & chip shop, and she said people used to come from all over the place just to have fish & chips but after the owners sold their shop a few years ago, the new owners aren't nearly as good and she, as a result, advises people to stay far away. After a couple of drinks, Kerry had some stuff to do at home so he suggested that I stroll around Augusta and then call him when I wanted to come home. I did just that whilst I collected a few geocaches and soaked up the breeze.
Roast lamb with veggies, gravy, and mint sauce for dinner was great on this windy evening. Augusta is one area of the country where you can expect that it won't be 45 degrees in January or February, but it still wasn't cold enough to sit warm by a fire this evening. Mentally and physically, I feel like I'm in a very good place. I've been drinking a lot more water and keeping my schedule full. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and Bec is my heavenly valentine. It would be much better if she was here with me. This evening I booked one of my long-held travel dreams: Papua New Guinea to walk the Kokoda Track. 96 kilometres in the footsteps of the Diggers through the dense jungle of the Owen Stanley range will be a test of strength, endurance, and mental toughness.
With nothing around the paddock but calm with a bit of wind, I'm resting peacefully tonight. Augusta certainly does feel far away from the rest of the world.
