Gracetown – wine, surf, kite, hanging on the farm, and close with Taj

From there we went on to Ben, a long-term friend of Gerry, who has a wonderful house on a farm near Gracetown surrounded by acres and acres of nature.

farm family life

Although we are ocean people we love the country living. We listen to the sound of the sheep in the mornings and enjoy the silence at night. We pick dozens of fresh juicy figs from the tree, have a table tennis match, or just hang out and chill and talk.

getting fresh figues from the tree

Ben is an amazing host, and a wonderful father to his 2 year old girl Stella. Life on the farm is peaceful, your soul comes to rest.
No industrial sounds or timetables to disturb your raw natural life rhythm. That rhythm typically begins with a surf down at Huzzas in Cowaramup Bay, where Gerry took his very first wave 15 years ago. After a few days a big swell arrives and Huzzas is breaking far outside, almost parallel to the latter part of the left at South Point. The next day luck strikes again and we get our first kite session at Gnarabup Boat Ramp in Prevelly on a SW 20 knot day.

About 10 guys and girls head straight through the reef to the outside break on small kites and surfboards with foot straps. Most of them are ex windsurfers, and used to masthead and bigger waves from the main break here at Margaret River. They are clearly in a different league, riding down the waves and slashing along their faces, while looping and swinging their kites from side to side. The next day the wind shifts to SE 20-25 knots, a perfect setting for the Augusta River Mouth, one of the most beautiful beaches down here.

Tuaregs at the beach

The wind blows over across the dunes and we kite directly parallel in the river mouth, only a few meters from the land, with glassy water. A little paradise with only a few guys out. Everyone is playful, jumping and twisting and turning their boards and kites. Big smiles everywhere…
Although Dunsborough in the North has also grown tremendously Margaret River remains the central surf town, with cool cafes, surf shops, organic food, Steiner schools, a surf academy for kids, and people who surf. From 4 to 94, everyone here seems to ride waves in some form or another. The wineries have provided jobs. There are waves every single day, somewhere along this coast.

Sienna at Smith\’s Beach, one of the jewels of this coast

Smith\’s Beach again, which features a heavy surf break on a reef in the middle

how turquoise can you get? Gesine enjoying the fresh Indian ocean

Redgate Beach, another jewel

Robinson on a rock at the North end of Boranup Beach

The town feels like there is a sense of community. People live here because they love it, not because of money or careers or status. And they tend to be friendly and supportive, compassionate, and they love their coast. The community has done an incredible job of protecting their most precious asset, the coast line. Most of the surf spots are still only accessible by 4Wheel Drive, car parks are hidden behind the dunes, and the lookouts open to pristine clean white sand beaches with turquoise waters.

Creatures of the sea…

Urchins make beautiful jewelry

We seem to be a bit of a groupie for Taj Burrow, currently the world’s best surfer, who was born and raised on this coast in Yallingup. Without any specific plan we had the lucky timing to watch him win the Pipe Masters in Hawaii in Dec (the last event of the 2009 Surfing World Championship), as well as Snapper Rocks (the first event of the 2010 season, on the East Coast in Coolangata), and here we were again, just in time to watch him compete at the Drug Aware Pro event at Margaret River.

Robinsons with his big hero Taj

The car park on the cliff provides a perfect viewing platform.

surf groupies

We sit right next to the Brazilian team, which has an impressive number of surfers who have made it to the third round. Being next to them you feel, how much surfing means to them. And still, they live for love and joy, hunting for some dates for the evening in between.

Getting ready with music meditation

The crowd is very international, relaxed and in good spirits. In an incredibly suspenseful final Josh Kerr edges out Taj Burrow in the final 2 minutes with some radical aerial maneuvers on some large faces.

At the end of the day Sienna dances to the beat of the event music…

Categories: Australia Westcoast