Augusta Things to Do

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The name is justified, this cave is a jewel. Stalactites and stalagmites form the most amazing formations. With a little imagination you will see a pipe organ, a giant shawl, a coral reef, a ghost, a crocodile, a nesting chicken... The most famous of them is the straw stalactite that hangs delicately 5.4 metres from the ceiling.

The cave can be visited with guided tours. Tour Times are 9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm.

The maximum depth is 42 metres, which means a lot of stairs to walk down and then back up, and the air is not too good. People with walking or health problems or claustrophobia ought to think twice, at least to talk to the guides and see if the tour is suitable for you or not.

Jewel Cave is located on Caves Road, approximately 12 kilometres north of Augusta - watch the signs to catch the turn left.

Entrance fee: adults $19.50, children $10.00
If you plan to visit the two other show caves near Margaret River, too, there is a discount pass that covers all three.

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Cape Leeuwin is the southwesternmost point of the Australian continent. Here the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. In some seasons (not when we were there) the different currents meeting are clearly visible in the patterns of the waves.

This is a well known spot for whale watching in July and October/November - again, not when we were there.

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Located at the extreme south west of the Australian mainland is Cape Leeuwin - which was named by early Dutch explorers and actually translates to 'Lion.'

Opened in 1896 the lighthouse has protected shipping from the dangerous shoals and reefs that extend almost 9 kilometres from the cape into the storm ridden southern ocean. The cape is the northerly junction of the Southern and Indian Oceans and as such is a vital shipping lane - and a great spot for a lighthouse.

There is an admission to the grounds of the lighthouse and the former lighthouse keepers settlement and there are tours, which last about 35 minutes, of the lighthouse for those who can climb the 178 steps to reach the former lighting mechanism and a walk on the outside of the lighthouse - note; there is no disabled access to the lighthouse.

The tour guides recount stories of the harsh life and times of lighthouse keepers and their assistants. How they had to manhandle 16 litres at a time of lighting kerosene up the 178 steps in specially built backpacks. The hours were long and often spent in howling gales. In earlier days sailing ships would set a course from Cape Leeuwin for the eastern seaboard of Australia. Using by today's standards, ancient navigation equipment, the next land sighting could have been the coast of Victoria and the ship-wreck coast around Cape Otway.

Today the light still plays an important part in navigation, but is an automated light and controlled from the Australian capitol Canberra on the other side of the Australian mainland.

Visitors centre, gift shop, cafe and small but informative museum in building separate from the heritage listed lighthouse keepers settlement. There is also a memorial to those who have lost their lives in several shipping accidents on the nearby reefs.

Tours cost $14 and includes admission to the grounds, which costs $5 without the lighthouse tour.

Savings available: There is a combined pass to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and the 3 caves in the Margaret River/Augusta region that are open to the public - Jewel Cave, Lake Cave and Mammoth Cave as well as entry to Caveworks. The pass is valid for 7 days and offers a considerable savings over individual visits - seniors and child discounts available as well as a family pass for 2 adults and 3 children

The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is on the most south-west point of Australia. The official opening was in 1896.

Guided tours of the lighthouse are conducted throughout the week. Opening times are 8:45 am to 5:00 pm.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse has historic significance for the area. It is worth seeing and if you do go I recommend you do the climb to the top and your ticket is proof of that. So for us challenged by heights it's good to have that proof for our sceptical friends1

Jewel Caves are about 9kms north of Augusta. They were discovered in 1880 but it wasn’t until 1958 that they were fully explored. The main cave is 100metres high and 90 metres long. The longest straw stalactite in any tourist cave is found here.

Tour times 9.30-3.30 on the hour daily.

The lighthouse is on the extreme south west point of Australia. There is about an 8km drive out the lighthouse and the views along the coastline are spectacular. The foundations reach 6.71 metres below the surface to the bedrock but the actually lighthouse sits about 56 metres above sea level. The light can be seen from 25 nautical miles out to sea.. The lighthouse was officially opened in 1896.
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This limestone cave has an antechamber and two main caves. In one of them is the ‘organ pipes’ and in the other is the ‘jewel cave’. The fossil of a Tasmanian tiger which was a carbon was discovered in the cave. It dates back about 25,000 years.
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