Sunday exploring March 22, 2009

Sunday morning we were up early.  Too early.  We had set the alarm so we could get up and hit church in Dunsborough, which we did make.  After that, we came back and took a quick nap.   The weather was overcast and cool, and Joe and I required a coat today.  This was the only "chilly" day of the entire trip.  The rest were all very pleasant and warm with no humidity.

Post nap, we regrouped and headed out to grab lunch at the nearby Beach Cafe.  Here's Joe looking back toward our beach, Bunker Bay.  Our resort is a short walk down the beach to the right.  This was the most crowded we ever saw the beach:

Refueled, we drove over to Cape Naturalist Lighthouse, visible from our Bunker Bay.  The lighthouse was built in 1903 and we were able to take a tour.  It is still operational today.  The guide said that ships use lighthouses to back up their GPS.  Interesting! :

                                            The view of our beach, Bunker Bay.  Notice the charred area that is the result of a February bush fire.

                                       View of the Indian Ocean.

                           Charred bush, hence Joe's "sad" face.

Next stop, Ngilgi Cave in Yallingup.  Ngilgi is pronounced "Knee-Lee".   The boys were complaining on the drive here.  Why are we going to a cave?  Why do we have to do a tour?  A whole hour! 

                                                     

The entrance to the cave is just a hole in the ground.  An English guy, who owned the property in the 1800s discovered this hole.  The next day he returned with two friends, lanterns, and ropes to explore.  He fell in love with the cave, opened it up to visitors, and worked there his whole life.   Here is the entrance:

                                                                           

The entrance is surrounded by a cage now to keep possums out.  A guide took us into the cave and we were free to explore on our own after that!  The cave had a large chamber called the auditorium with many stalactites on top.  We winded our way up, down, over and through many spots.  Eventually we made it to the Main Hall where another guide allows you to hold a stalactite (very heavy!) and shines a "torch" (flashlight) through several to see the colors shine through.  He also pointed out many neat formations, such as Santa Clause, Dumbledore, a camel,  a scary face, Jabba the hut, and more.  He really took his time and you could tell he enjoys his job.  Fun!  

Pictures don't turn out so well inside! 

After cave exploring, we grabbed a drink at the Caves Cafe.  The boys went on about how they loved it and wanted to do it again.  This would be a recurring event during our week.--  ( the kids initial impressions and post-event reactions )

Up Next:  Canoe tour up the Margaret River with friends!  Who ate a Witchetty Grub?