Burcu details hiking the Cape to Cape Trail in Letters from Japan

Burcu Charts a Week on Western Australia’s Cape to Cape Trail

In an essay published in the newsletter Letters from Japan, Burcu details a week-long hiking trip undertaken in late September along Western Australia’s 130-kilometer Cape to Cape Trail. Burcu recounts traversing the coastal route from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leeuwin in the south during the region’s wildflower season, comparing the experience to previous hikes while detailing the physical demands of the terrain.

Contrasting Coastal Scenery With Victoria’s Great Ocean Walk

Burcu describes the coastal scenery as significantly more visually engaging than anticipated, noting that the wildflower season was in full swing during the late September trek. Unlike the Great Ocean Walk in Victoria—which Burcu previously hiked and remembers for its defining visual crescendo at the 12 Apostles—the Cape to Cape Trail offers continuous micro-shifts in terrain, ranging from wooden boardwalks to ridge walks and clifftop paths.

The Realities of Extended Beach-Walking

Despite lower elevation changes compared to the Victorian trek, Burcu characterizes the Western Australian route as unexpectedly demanding due to its repetitive, extended beach-walking segments.

Return to Tokyo and Shifts in Newsletter Publishing

Following the conclusion of the week-long hike, Burcu returned to Tokyo—which experienced an unusually long rainy season spanning 37 consecutive days before yielding to clear autumn weather in October. In the newsletter missive, Burcu also notes a structural change to the publication’s archive system, shifting monthly letters behind a paid archive after an initial free web-availability window in response to changes in AI-driven search traffic.