Yesterday with a few things on my mind, we decided to venture out to one of our special local places. Like everyone else, it is easy to get caught up in the demands of life and forget about getting out to appreciate the natural beauty around us. But it is a great way to clear your head, and here in south west WA we are spoilt for choice. We decided on an extra special place and somewhere we hadn’t been in years, Meelup hill. It is in fact, where Mr Travel Bee and I got engaged 🥰
We started our walk at Meelup beach, parking our car just before the dip in the road, giving easy access to the track. Here you’ll find good signage with several different walking track options including walks to Meelup Hill, Gannet Rock and point Piquet (another special place for snorkeling me).
The track starts as an easy compacted limestone path but soon becomes more challenging. There are lots of steps and it is a good place to come if you want to get the heart rate up quickly. But, remember it is a hill not a mountain, it doesn’t last too long! Like anything, if you take it at your own pace it is totally achievable and once you see the view at the top it is well worth the effort.
Before entering the uphill section of the track and the park proper, you need to scrub your shoes to prevent spread of dieback. For this reason and the terrain, I recommend enclosed sturdy walking shoes.
As I said….. the view is worth the effort. The photo below is taken from a bench nestled under the tree about three quarters of the way up. Here, is a great place to sit, take in the view, take some time to reset and wave or chat to fellow walkers.
There is something about the colour of the water around the cape that always captivates me. Even on a cloudy day, the turquoise waters of Meelup beach are just stunning. We enjoyed watching several yachts cruising around.
Once reaching the top of the hill, you can sit on the flattened rock, look for the geocache or ……. propose to your girlfriend. Your choice!
Then choose to continue on the circular path down (a 3.3km walk) continue to Gannet Rock or Point Piquet or (like us) if you are short on time, go back the way you came.
When out walking, I always like to mention the people we meet. Yesterday, we encountered 3 mountain goat boys around the age of 7 who virtually ran the track, skipping over rocks like they were pebbles. Then came the little sister, much more careful in her stepping but a little careless with staying on track. Last were the two Mum’s out enjoying the beautiful day exercising and catching up on the week’s happenings.
A glorious way to spend a Sunday morning for couples, friends and family.
TTB
The Travel Bee 