SW Tour - Day 13

A Cape to Cape tour today! After an early morning wander to the coast, we drove to Jewel Cave for the 10.30am tour. Arriving early we were pleased to see a cafe (for the adults) and a gift shop (for the kids) which we could hang out at until the tour began.

Jewel Cave is one of the many caves found along an area known as the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge. The wind hole was known about since the 1900's but the caves spectacular contents were not discovered until 1957. It is named after the Jewel Casket in the lower chamber and was opened to the public in 1959.

Jewel Cave is the largest show cave in WA. It has a depth of 42m with three large chambers. After descending several flights of stairs, we emerge into the first chamber which is huge. Warm golden light illuminates the cavern. Karri tree roots spiral from the roof above. We are guided through each section, highlighting various features and explanations of how these are formed while adding interesting historical information about the cave.

There is the impressive 5.4m long stalactite straw, which grows 1cm per year and is the longest stalactite straw in Australia. Plus the cool looking pendulites!

We see cave coral

flowstone creating Karri Forest, bacon rasher and Organ Pipes!

crazy helictites

and so much more...

The tour was very interesting and the cave itself was magical. Definitely well worth the visit.

From the cave, we headed to Prevelley for a bite of lunch. Unfortunately the only cafe in Prevelley had been hit by the Great Potato chip shortage so the lunch menu was limited. Still we all found something to eat and filled in some time by playing cards....

The temperature was on the rise so time for another splash! Annwen suggested Injidup Natural Spa a spot we hadn't been to or heard about. It use to be a local secret until instagram came along and now it has become a tourist hotspot. Another short drive continuing north and we arrived to a busy carpark. 

A rocky trail led us down to the naturally carved inlet. A swim in the spa requires some rock scrambling and patience. Observation from above reveals the spa is created when a wave crashes over the rocks - the water cascades as a tiny trickle or a violent whitewash depending on the size of the wave. Conditions are obviously constantly changing depending on swell and tides.

Like I said it was busy at the spa, people were coming and going, swimming and lounging on the rocks. We picked our way down to the spa and made our way around the edge keeping a close eye on the waterfall! Eventually we found a good sandy standing spot. Andy and Katy braved the conditions and swam out to hide under the waterfall with their backs against the rocks. All was great until a big wave hit sending a large volume of whitewash over the waterfall and knocked Andy off his feet! It was a funny moment to watch as he was tossed head over heels! Katy meanwhile had a good hand hold and manage to cling to the rock!

With no shower facilities back at our campground we decided to visit nearby Yallingup and use the showers at the beach. From there we had enough time to visit the Margaret River Chocolate Company. It was a huge facility with lots of chocolate products, a few jams and preserves plus ice cream. Another bonus was the unlimited free button drops of chocolate. Purchases were made and ice cream enjoyed outside. A nice way to finish the day.