Just wondering what its like up in Gnaraloo. thinking of road tripping up north for the winter and hitting it!!
whats it like??windy?swell?warm?

Hey Slingyjosh,

There is no wind in winter and big swell. You can ride there in April but flies will be fierce. And no you cannot understand what I mean by fierce unless you've been there and experienced it.

Wind comes back in September at Gnaraloo although you may jag the odd day in mid to late August but usually light with big swell which is a recipe for carnage. Bring your best game [}:)] Wind/swell season is September to November.

Surfing at Gnaraloo is sweet from May onwards once the flies back off some.

DM

I hear the fly's are so fierce they are taking whole eskies

I was up there in august for 3 weeks last year, it's a bit cold but got about 3 kites per week, flies were fine, i have also been up in march to april quite a few times, had some good kiting and no probs with flies (must have been lucky cos it can be a nightmare). If its about wave riding it's a great time to go as not so many people on the tombstones wave. The flat water spot at Gnaraloo bay is great, but if it goes wrong it's a long way across the bay. .html
If it's all about flat water i would not go to Gnaraloo, just go straight to Exmouth, but if it's about wave riding, then it's the top place in WA. But you need to be good, it's a pig of a launch site with reef/rock everywhere. December is better, but then again you have way more people including windsurfers to compete with. In march/april you pritty much get the wave to yourself, but you do risk also not getting any wind.
Also gnaraloo is a secret spot so don't' go telling anyone about it

Gusty and overrated.

There is no time of the year that it is not crowded, so dont believe that line.

There are always heaps of crew there. Surfers when its not wind season and then kites / poles when it is. Mid seasons there are people who do both.

The launch is small and in a wind shadow and can be dangerous, that part is true.

You said winter, so the chances of kiting are very small.

But when its good, its the best the west has to offer.

At least once in your life as a kiter / windsurfer you should experience Gnaraloo.

I recon the flies are overrated, its the mice that are at plague proportions, leave the car door open and they jump in, don't know if they are after the food inside, or want to get a lift out of the place.

Also take a good first aid kit , you will need it .
Like Corey said , it is always busy .
Been there mid March and been in the water with 10-15 poleys and about 20 kites all grovelling in waist high waves .

Head up now........The BWS team will be up there with camera's all over it for their next movie "Dirty West" everyone will get to see it in all it's glory in about 6 months from now. Looks like the next week is the best forecast in god knows how long.

Ohhhhhh some of these threads do make me smile...................

I've resisted for ages commenting.

SlingyJosh its your thread so, mid winter isn't really the time for kitesurfing or sailing at Gnaraloo as the SWesterly is mostly gone.

Windy?....The mornings usually start with an easterly but do tend to swing round to the south although its nothing like what it is in summer. With el Nina effect this year who knows?. There has been very little good wind and swells for the first time since i got here 5 years ago so you might just strike it lucky.

Swell?... there should be plenty of that especially in winter, i've seen this site amend their chart cause it was off the scale.

Warm?...It's perfect, high 20's during the day, but it can be a bit nippy at night, and if you don't have a woman to keep u warm at night there are a few good looking sheep.

In winter u'll not get 7days a week like they do in summer but u might strike the odd day when it's good and the swell should be there. If you do, it wont be good for surfing and you will probably have it all to yourself.

Best idea bring ur kite/windsurfer and surfboard if u surf, you snorkelling gear, and a fishing rod and u'll never be bored.

As far as the flies go they can be a little friendly at certain times of the year or when there is an easterly, but bring one of those girlie flynets the Euros use and u'll be fine. If you keep ur eskie full of beer they cant lift them!. Mice only live in dirty places so don't keep ur van as dirty as Ray does but to his credit, he does know a good wave when he sees one.

Corey and Mike must be thinking of Scarborough, because there is 3 windsurfers in the camp this week that's just less than twice as many as the previous few weeks and i see them sail most days.

And VWpete don't be so greedy you got to share brother.......mind u i haven't seen your wife so i'm not sure if you should take that as a general rule.....hehe

SlingyJosh if you do come in winter you'll see the potential and be back the next summer guaranteed.

Happy Sailing and Kiteing you lot.......I'll just keep working in the meantime.

Select to expand quote

MikeN said...

Also take a good first aid kit , you will need it .
Like Corey said , it is always busy .
Been there mid March and been in the water with 10-15 poleys and about 20 kites all grovelling in waist high waves .

Just wondering cos as i say i have been many times in march /april which year was it that you had 10-15 poles and 20 kites?

Select to expand quote

GBoss said...

Ohhhhhh some of these threads do make me smile...................

a few good looking sheep.

. Mice only live in dirty places so don't keep ur van as dirty as Ray does but to his credit, he does know a good wave when he sees one.

Well GBoss, you may know a bit about the place, but the sheep are sure not so good looking, in fact they are the saddest looking sheep Ive seen on any station.
And the mice are everywhere, so the dirt is everywhere, considering the money that's charged to stay there, its a dump, desperately should clean up their act.

Ray

the reef is 150km long, why limit yourself to one crowded break?

Hi STamp,

The reef may be long, but it doesn't break perfectly along the whole reef. In fact there are only a few places where it is really good, and for the record, Gnaraloo isn't the jewel in the crown, it's just the best known and most exploited.

I know one place that is better, but I'm taking that to my grave with me because few know of it.

DM

But for a small fee I will tell you. .... Just joking Daz.


So GBoss and VWpeter, just out of curiosity, what is your association with Gnaraloo Station?

Hope you don't mind me asking, it's just that you seem keen to get more people up there.

oops forgot to mention, Slingyjosh, negative comments about places/locations tend to be from people who go there and don't want more people going, so they will slag it off, hoping to put you off.

what can ya do?

Well Ray you want to see the sheep today, with over 900mm of rain since 17 December, they are all fat happy and smiling. And are they mice?, it may have been a Spinnifex marsupial that is an endangered Native Australian Fauna.
The price hasn't increased since 2007 but the facilities have, particularly at the homestead where 8 cabins have been completed so that those not wishing to camp or wanting to bring their wife or girlfriend can come and stay in more comfort. Tell me anything else that hasn't increased in 4 years

You also have to remember it is a natural environment made of sand and Pindan ( the red dirt ) maybe i should concrete it all...........that would be lovely wouldn't
it....not.


Don't think i have ever seen 20 kites here...there can be a lot of poles, but never 40 in the water at the same time

Stamp.... the Ningaloo Reef stretches from Exmouth to Red Bluff so its 462km long..

tightlines....I don't mind you asking at all. I owe Gnaraloo. I don't surf, kite,sail or fish all i do is try and improve the faculities and ensure public use and environmental protection of this spectacular part of the coast. Of course i would like more people here cause then someday in the distant future i may not owe it and i can take up kiteing and be out there dropping in on you all.....hehe

Vwpete is a good friend of mine who brought this thread to my attention, i don't see anything in his post's that isn't true. And he's a kiter so like u all he doesn't want to share it either.....and i have seen his girlfriend........and unfortunately he wont share her either....hehe.......

Hey GBoss,

We have booked for Easter at 3Mile.

Only have a 2WD Falcon and a trailer though. Think the roads will be OK after all the rain??

Blowholes Road is good so is the gravel section, top end is a bit rough and sandy but a Belguim backpacker chick got though last week in a magna. Let ur tyres down on the car and trailer and take it slow. There will be plenty of traffic so if u do get a little stuck you will get pulled out ok

900mm? The sheep will be fat!
You guy's will have trouble finding them in the grass

Select to expand quote

GBoss said...

Well Ray you want to see the sheep today, with over 900mm of rain since 17 December, they are all fat happy and smiling. And are they mice?, it may have been a Spinnifex marsupial that is an endangered Native Australian Fauna.
The price hasn't increased since 2007 but the facilities have, particularly at the homestead where 8 cabins have been completed so that those not wishing to camp or wanting to bring their wife or girlfriend can come and stay in more comfort. Tell me anything else that hasn't increased in 4 years

You also have to remember it is a natural environment made of sand and Pindan ( the red dirt ) maybe i should concrete it all...........that would be lovely wouldn't
it....n

Don't think i have ever seen 20 kites here...there can be a lot of poles, but never 40 in the water at the same time

Stamp.... the Ningaloo Reef stretches from Exmouth to Red Bluff so its 462km long..

tightlines....I don't mind you asking at all. I owe Gnaraloo. I don't surf, kite,sail or fish all i do is try and improve the faculities and ensure public use and environmental protection of this spectacular part of the coast. Of course i would like more people here cause then someday in the distant future i may not owe it and i can take up kiteing and be out there dropping in on you all.....hehe

Vwpete is a good friend of mine who brought this thread to my attention, i don't see anything in his post's that isn't true. And he's a kiter so like u all he doesn't want to share it either.....and i have seen his girlfriend........and unfortunately he wont share her either....hehe.......

How much do you owe Gnaraloo?

Don't know who GBoss is or where he is from but...

I've seen 23 kiters out in September 2006 (or maybe it was 2007) with 18 poleys...and I've got photos and video of the circus. Whilst that is the most I've seen over 15 trips in 7 years, the situation has definitely not improved. The number of absolute kooks killing most sessions up there increases every season.

Tombies cannot handle a lot of kiters. When you add in kooks or inexperienced kiters, it can handle even less. Unfortunately, there are more and more people who think that just cause they've spent a lot of money on gear and half an idea of what to do, they can ignore all wave etiquette and ruin it for everyone else.

Tombies is dangerous for inexperienced kiters. Fullstop.
But Tombies can also be dangerous for experienced kiters when it gets over 4-5 foot.
Above all, Tombies is dangerous for EVERYONE when there are too many people in the lineup.

If you can't swim, can't grasp the idea of wave etiquette, not willing to ditch your gear, are inconsiderate and/or above all, a kook, I would not suggest you go up there to kite.

As for mice and flies - there are good and bad seasons. I killed 13 flies with one swat on one trip; on another we caught 18 mice in a bucket with a hole in the lid at our camp site along the fence. So yes it can be bad.

As for price? Bull**** it hasn't increased. It went from $8 a night in 2004 to $13 in to $18 to $20 (or is that $22?) last year and the introduction of 'premium camp sites' where you have to pay for a minimum of 2 people a night. Each campsite used to have its own bin which was emptied everyday by 10am - I know cause I used to do it in return for accommodation when I was a uni student. Not anymore. As for facilities - don't know about the homestead, but the only thing I've seen improve recently is placing dirt over the caprock on the way to Tombies...once in 7 years. They've also since shut one of the toilet blocks so it's down to 2 now.

Exploitation and kooks have killed Gnaraloo. Shame.

I don't know how to do that yellow thing yet so i'll just retype it....

Kiterdan said.....As for mice and flies - there are good and bad seasons....very true

Kiterdan said.......As for price? Bull**** it hasn't increased. It went from $8 a night in 2004 to $13 in to $18 to $20 (or is that $22?) GBoss said.....The price hasn't increased since 2007........it is still $18 in summer.

Kiterdan said......introduction of 'premium camp sites' where you have to pay for a minimum of 2 people a night

Premiuin camp sites don't apply in the summer sailing/kiteing season and if you come with a friend which most do, it's no issue

Kiterdan said........Each campsite used to have its own bin which was emptied everyday by 10am .........That was over 50 black plastic bags some with virtually nothing in them being put into the tip and burned EACHDAY. Now there are 3 central bins locations where cans and bottles are recycled, no plastic bags are burnt and the whellie bins are washed everyday. At least someone is trying to save the planet.

All toilet blocks are open during the holiday periods when the demand is there.

If you have photos and video of 23 kiters and 18 poleys, I'd love to see them it must look spectacular especially if the swell was big. September is pretty much the peek season for kiting at Gnaraloo so you got to expect the biggest crowds. The conditions in October/November can be just as good and there's a lot less people so why not come then.

Surely one of the benefits of Tombies being so dangerous is that it keeps the beginners away, and if they are stupid enough to try and go out.......they only do it once...
Etiquette rules are usually posted up in the toilets and the notice boards each season, its not Gnaraloo's fault if some guys/girls don't abide by them. Perhaps this is something that should be drilled home more strongly by the schools teaching new kiters as a very important part of the sport.

SlingyJosh start your road trip tomorrow night 20 to 25 knots with the swell 2m and rising to 4m a beautifull 32 degrees and you will have to share it with 2 other people at the moment....according to seabreeze anyway


And Mask...............far far to much, that's why its 2.16am and i'm still working

keep up the good work GBoss love it up there just hope my kids get a chance to enjoy it as it is

great spot
probably my favorite place to go in the world

crowds are the way of the modern world
dont like em never did never will

gnaraloo hardly crowded by other place standards
but is crowded compared to some spots

as said seek and you will find

but cant do much about it, writing inaccurate stuff wont put people off
its along way, either you like the life style or you dont

they are running a tourist business too, so promoting and encouraging visitors is to be expected

expensive - haha
where else can you sit in front of an open fire, drink beer, eating hour fresh seafood after world class surfing fishing kiting (all in one day) watching sun set over whales playing in a pristine environment - priceless

Crowds are never a problem once it gets over 6 foot.

DM

Select to expand quote

bolgo said...

great spot
where else can you sit in front of an open fire, drink beer, eating hour fresh seafood after world class surfing fishing kiting (all in one day) watching sun set over whales playing in a pristine environment - priceless

Just so long as after too many cc's the Chief doesn't want to wack on !!!

or a wack off!

6ft statement true eh jjd?

watch your step
you definitely need a lot of fitness, dont underestimate this place once its 6foot and bigger, it will eat you up and spit you out down the end of the line, sometimes bouncing you down the coral heads hehehe
but dont worry, there will be plenty to take your wave if you hesitate on the takeoff

Nice pics,

Glad its not crowded....hate to post an exagerated claim...

Select to expand quote

GBoss said...




Stamp.... the Ningaloo Reef stretches from Exmouth to Red Bluff so its 462km long..

go 460 km north of gnaraloo and you are nearly at dampier.
tombies to exmouth is about 170 km, but the reef finishes about 20 km south of NW cape.