SOUTH-WEST STUNNER

Two great capes – Leeuwin and Naturaliste – mark the extremities of the southwesterly corner of the continent and lend their names to a narrow national park that hugs the coast for 120 kilometres between them.

This area is sometimes referred to as the ‘Limestone Coast’ for the ridge of 600 million-year-old limestone-capped granite that runs from north to south between the capes.

Along its seaward edge, the Indian Ocean has eroded the coastline into a complex array of reefs bordered by rocky headlands and steep cliffs, interspersed with sheltered bays and sweeping beaches.

The Ngari Capes Marine Park protects 1,200 square kilometres of coastal waters from Busselton on Geographe Bay, around the capes to Augusta on Flinders Bay.

Inland, the 15,500-hectare Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park protects dense karri forests and magnificent limestone caves, in which the fossil remains of prehistoric megafauna have been found.

The South West area enjoys a Mediterranean-style climate, characterised by hot, dry summers that are themselves moderated by strong afternoon sea breezes, and cool, wet winters, with strong westerly cold fronts crossing the coast every week or so.

It is one of the fastest growing regions in the state, with major urban communities at Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta, and smaller population centres at Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly/Gnarabup, Cowaramup, Witchcliffe and Karridale.

This popular regional destination attracts more than two million visitors annually for a wide range of marine-based recreation and water sports, as well as land-based activities that include walking, camping and four-wheel driving.

ABORIGINAL HERITAGE

Ancient spiritual beliefs connect the Pibelmen and Wardandi Aboriginal