DAY 22 – MARGARET RIVER – THE FIRST DAY OF THE 4TH WEEK

Today was a day of coast and caves. The same eroding limestone which creates such interesting coastal scenery also creates a substantial cave system.

We started the day at the intersection of the Southern and Indian Oceans on a classic day with very little breeze. The ocean conditions were perfect once again. 

Of course we had to climb the lighthouse, a very substantial structure still using the same lens system originally installed in 1885 or thereabouts. The mechanism which drives it has been updated and, as the guide explained, the lighthouse keeper no longer lives on site. He now sits in an office in Perth.

We did two cave tours, the more spectacular being the Lake Cave with the limestone formations being reflected in the water sitting in the base of the cave.

 It is a wet cave in that water is continuously dripping causing the stalactites and stalagmites to continue to grow but unfortunately the level of the lake in the floor of the cave is dropping and there is concern that the cave may ultimately no longer contain the lake.

The lighthouse and each of the caves had hundreds of steps so we had a good physical workout today.

Tonight we enjoyed an Evans & Tate Metricup Road Chardonnay with our Margaret River venison steaks - very nice. We finished off with a little Cape Mentelle Shiraz.

 Tomorrow we head north towards warmer water, Monkey Mia dolphins and Exmouth whale sharks. Let’s hope they all perform.