Type Rural road North-east end Bussell Highway, Abbey | Length 111 km (69 mi) | |
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Maintained by Main Roads Western Australia Tourist routes Tourist Drive 250 (south of Cape Naturaliste Road) South end Bussell Highway (State Route 10), Augusta Major settlements Dunsborough, Yallingup, Western Australia, Margaret River | ||
Caves Road is a 111-kilometre-long (69 mi) scenic route in the South West region of Western Australia. It connects western Busselton with Augusta, running along or to the west of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge, and is an alternative route to Bussell Highway. Caves Road is also a major component of the route from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, in what is known as the state's Capes Region.
Contents
Map of Caves Rd, Western Australia, Australia
Route description
Starting at Bussell Highway in Abbey, west of Busselton, Caves Road initially heads west through Dunsborough to Yallingup. From there the road travels southwards, between the coast and Bussell Highway, which it rejoins at the northern edge of Augusta.
Caves Road forms the majority of Tourist Drive 250, which is named Caves Road Tourist Drive. The route runs from Cape Naturaliste, north-west of Dunsborough, to Cape Leeuwin, south of Augusta.
Most of the surfing locations that are on the coastline between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste are accessed via Caves Road.
It is a narrow winding road in most parts, and much has been made of its picturesque quality and passage through Karri forest.
History
Caves Road was named due to it being a way to access the caves of the region, though it was sometimes referred to as Margaret Caves Road. It has since also been considered as a tourist route within the road network, and designated as such in the 1990s.
The road for a long time was a gravel road only, and in the 1930s to 1960s its condition was a problem. A few sections run for only short straight alignments; its upgrading and maintenance is an ongoing issue.