The South West for me is the best of both worlds; a dream combination of the beach and the bush that delivers peace and isolation without the need to venture too far off the beaten track.
Quite literally every twist and turn takes you to a distinctive, vast and wild piece of coast that has marked the region on the map as one of Australia’s leading surfing destinations—equally as forbidding as it is bloody beautiful.
Conto Campground is just one piece of this picture, but it’s defining enough to leave a memorable impact on anyone who has an appreciation for Mother N.
All the tracks are accessible, the campgrounds are affordable, and the reward is simply worth the effort of throwing your swag and esky in the car. Even a cheeky one-nighter is attainable, so really no excuse justifies bailing on a trip down to this exceptional piece of coast.
Conto Campground is located near Boranup, which is situated in the Margaret River region. Margaret River has become home to some of the state’s most reputable wines, leading you through a trail of connecting vineyards, award-winning restaurants and stunning cellar doors that trace the edge of the coastline.
It consists of a laid back culture that welcomes and accommodates all the transient adventure-seekers of the world. Everyone feels like a neighbour; a like minded one that’s chasing the same sense of emancipation that has been present throughout the place since day dot.
The entrance to Conto is a corrugated track off of the Lake Cave turn-off that slowly builds your anticipation as the vibrant blue of the ocean begins to peek out over the hill. Before you turn down into the campground itself, it’s well-worth continuing down Conto Road which guides you through natural landmarks that align with the Cape to Cape track.
Each lookout gives you an entirely new perspective of the place, getting better and better along the way until you reach a point where the only words that summarise the views are a short-breathed ‘bloody oath’. But sometimes, that’s all that needs to be said.
Once you reach the end of the track, South Beach is only a short stumble up and down the stark white sand dunes for the ideal picnic spot to enjoy a sip and a sanga alongside big blue.
Backtracking a tad, the campsites themselves are grouped into seven segregated areas; with names that correlate to Western Australia’s history (Whalers, Chuditch, Whistlers, Isaacs, Davies, Hamelin & Wanil). Each has their own unique landscapes, giving you more reason to keep coming back.
In total, these seven areas home up to 126 widespread campsites. However, the varied elevation of the ground, natural layout and big beautiful trees provide enough privacy that you don’t feel pressured to mingle with surrounding campers. Although, the option is always there if you’re one to get amongst the bush doof. There’s also facilities like a barbeque and public toilets, providing a level of luxury that doesn’t interfere with the unsophisticated ambience of the great outdoors.
The ultimate sunset spot is undoubtedly the peak of the cliff that hugs Conto Beach itself, which connects to the Cape to Cape track for easy access by foot. The beautifully curved coast is hugged by lush green vegetation that creates an insane contrast between the baby blue waters and white sandy bank. The unobstructed sunset douses you in a lovely golden glow before disappearing into the ocean—topped by the little kick of adrenaline from the height of the cliff.
If you’re looking to make a real trip of it, Mammoth Cave is only a short drive up the road, and Hamelin Bay is a little further south. Hamelin is a real map-marker, best known for the stingrays that visit the shoreline and curiously circle the fishermen’s feet. A trek to the end will take you to some of the most stunning sandy coloured cliff-edges that boast unique patterns and the type of neutral tones people spend thousands trying to replicate within their home interiors.
