W.A. Western Australia.
There can be no better place for consistent windsurfing than sandgroper country.
For me this was the fourth trip over on which I sailed, and the second trip to "Gero" - the windy city of Geraldton some 420 km north of Perth. Last time we went it seemed we'd never arrive, having been lumbered with the mazda van of doom, but this time Mistress P put her foot down and we'd gone with a slightly more reputable company, and hence had a van that could actually exceed 80km/h without the assistance of a hill.
We stayed in a cottage just round the corner from last time, in the glorious little enclave that is
Bluff Point, only 80 metres from the waters edge.Sailing, however, was at Coronation Beach, some 25 km up the road from home. "Coro" is famous the world over for its wind and water - flat on the inside and big rolling Indian Ocean swell on the outside. Mostly a jumping spot, but come late afternoon the sharks come out, the wind swings a bit, and theres the chance of a good frontside ride or three. I managed the best down the line ride i have ever had at Coro when two intersecting waves left a little gap between each other that i managed to race up on, squeeze between the low point, and rip a turn back into the face almost immediately, the extra speed pushing me along for a several turn run and a grin wide enough to filter krill.
Of course the trip wouldnt have been the same without breaking something major. In this case, and just like my previous sojourn west, it was my board. On day 2. I was mortified. The thing just went to spooge right infront of the back footstrap. At first i tried ignoring it, but when i landed a jump and the whole thing creaked and cracked like someone breaking kindling I knew we'd entered "possible long swim if you dont stop" territory. I lumbered back into the beach totally dejected. Felt the solft spot. Felt more dejected. Went up to the van and waited or Mr Porridge. I needed a second opinion.
"Whaddya think of this?"
Mr Porridge pressed on the board. It went up and down like a chunky custard. (NB: Boards shouldnt do that.)
"Mate, thats stuffed."
The next day was spent talking to board repairers, shop owners, fellow travellers and generally getting my brain way out of whack for a cruisy holiday. In the end i bit the bullet and just bought a second hand Fanatic Goya Pro Model 81, which i figured that even if i traded it in when i got a new board back home, would still be cheaper than renting for 2 weeks. We'll see how the plan works...
The wind wasnt as kind as last time we were in town, but it still blew well enough to get us out on more days than not, and generally on a 5.0. Of course Murphy's Law meant that the week after we left guys were struggling to hold onto 4.0's. But thats windsurfing - If you worried about perfect conditions every day you'd end up going barmy.
W.A. I love it.
(More piccies on the web....)
