The Southbound Send-Off: From Exmouth to Augusta | Part 1

With the WA Offroad Tour wrapped up, and the wind gods delivering a glorious finale over the last three days of tour, Cat and Ben were buzzing, exhausted, and ready for a little quiet time. The original post-tour plan was to head back to Winderabandi to enjoy the butter-flat water completely to ourselves and recover. However, it was like someone flicked a switch and turned off the wind in the northeast, while the southern forecasts glowed in hues of yellow, orange and red, with the promise of strong south-westerlies.

And when the wind calls, we follow. So the last hurrah of the WA Coast began… heading south to the strong, cold winds.

A few hours after leaving Exmouth, we detoured into Carnarvon for a quick lunch and instantly noticed the trees wagging like the tails of excited puppies. A quick check of the local wind readings showed 20+ knots blowing from the northwest. Typically a SW spot, this completely changed the dynamics of the local kite spot.

And since we didn’t really need to be anywhere at any particular time, naturally, we couldn’t resist.

The main Carnarvon spot, Pelican Point Beach, is a long sand spit stretching southeast into Massey Bay. After climbing the dunes and checking the wind speed on the anemometer, we opted for a 7m and 9m, just right for the 25-knot gusts rolling through.

The water looked silky and butter-flat. But unfortunately, the warm NW breeze over-promised and under-delivered. Slightly underpowered, we still managed to enjoy ourselves and snag a Woo session before heading off.

A few more hours on the road brought us to a small roadside rest area tucked behind a knoll, perfect for a quiet night’s sleep and a cracking WA sunset. Even the flies went to bed eventually. Keen to avoid sharing breakfast with them, we set off at dawn and made tracks for Cervantes.

Cervantes is a sleepy little coastal town just south of Geraldton and a few hours north of Perth. With limited coastal camping options, we set up at the Cervantes Caravan Park for a few days of exploring.

The park backs onto a large sand spit and a protected boat bay. Ben’s eyes zeroed in on the offshore butter-flat water instantly. Despite the southerly wind struggling to fully fill in, he squeezed in a session, clocked a Woo score, and threw in some stylish darkslides for good measure.

A tip led us down the coast to Hangover Bay, supposedly the better kite spot. But it was not for us. After scouting around, we backtracked to Cervantes and set up south of the sandbar for a choppy, gusty 30-knot session.

Always fun to explore new places, but Cervantes isn’t making it onto our kitesurfing bucket list any time soon.

Wedge Island had been on our radar for ages. Located alongside the iconic shack village of the same name, the spot features a small sandbar and turquoise water with small kickers. On Google Maps, it looks like a dreamy spot. But in reality, not quite.

With a steady 18–20 knots, Ben launched first while Cat, feeling the chill, stayed back with the camera. Unfortunately, Wedge Island (the actual island) sits directly upwind, creating a wind shadow from a pure southerly. This left the wind as holey as a nun, with inconsistent gusts that cut Ben’s session short, and Cat didn’t even make it onto the water.

Instead, we claimed two chairs, a sunny patch behind the vehicle windbreak, and a cold beer. After reviewing the geography, we determined that a slight SE wind would cleanly funnel over the bar. Maybe next time.

Jurien Bay boasts one of the best flat-water kite spots along the Turquoise Coast: Boullanger Island. A nature reserve just offshore, the island has a long sandbar stretching from west to east, providing steady winds and stunning, butter-flat water.

We’d visited last year but didn’t score ideal conditions, so this time we were determined. Setup starts at Kite Beach, a narrow launch area full of seaweed and debris eager to tangle in your lines. Then it’s a channel crossing with a strong northerly current, chop, and swell. But once you reach the island, it’s pure magic.

The wind rises over the small southern dune and creates an updraft on the north side, giving you extra float and a second lift mid-air. It’s a spot every kiter should experience at least once. Just come prepared: we carry a backpack with water, phone, radio, and essentials in case conditions change.