Looking to experience a Western Australian escapade featuring great weather and amazing attractions? The lovely town of Augusta should then be one of your stops. Situated in the mouth of the gorgeous Blackwood River, the town is your access point to some of the most beautiful waterways in the world.
While in town, one of the most important stops is the Augusta Historical Museum, and despite its small size, it is rated as one of the best in the region. The museum displays highlight the stories of European families who settled in Western Australia. Since Augusta is a part of the Margaret River Wine Region, this is also a great place for wine tasting excursions, as it is abundant with wineries and vineyards. While you are here, do not forget to indulge yourself and have a memorable meal at one of Augusta’s fine winery restaurants.
One of the town’s iconic landmarks is the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Thus, a trip to Augusta is not complete without stopping by this 115 year old historic structure. The lighthouse is among the tallest in mainland Australia, and it is set on a gorgeous peninsula, where the ocean waters meet, and rolling hills, and coastal rocks are the primary scenery features. The lighthouse remains fully-functional, guiding the ships in navigating a quite difficult sea lane.
Taking a tour around the structure gives you a glimpse of its dramatic history and the opportunity to capture precious photographs. After a satisfying tour around the lighthouse, you can also head over to the Water Wheel, another historic structure built in 1895, which was used to provide fresh water to the lighthouse workers and builders.
Augusta’s coasts offers loads of activities for tourists to enjoy. Here, you can go for a relaxing swim or learn how to surf. Fishing and canoeing are also popular activities for visitors. One reason why the town’s coastline is one of the favorites of wildlife enthusiasts is this is where you can get the chance to watch Southern Right and Humpback whales as they swim in numbers following their natural migration instincts. The perfect time to see these magnificent creatures is during the migrating months of June until September. In addition to whale watching, there are also dolphins, seals and various bird species, which are clearly seen from the shore.
If you would like to spark your dormant adventurist side, experience a cave exploration in Augusta. There are several caves with distinct features to choose from in the area. So far, more than 150 caves are found in the town’s karri forest are and along the Leewin Naturaliste Ridge. The ridge can be accessed from the main road called Cave Road.
Most of the caves offer unbelievable beauty and highly distinct features, such as a complicated karsts patterns created out of the fast underground water drainage. Jewel Cave is Western Australia’s biggest tourist cave, which also offers interesting rock and stalactites formations found in its chambers. While visiting the cave, you will also come across a splendid frozen waterfall. The other three popular show caves maintained by the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association are also worth a look. The three caves are namely Lake, Jewel and Mammoth, are made famous by their accessibility and their unique and incredible karsts formations.
The lovely town of Augusta should be on your list of explorations when visiting Western Australia, it is well worth your time!
