The time has come to leave Australia. I have been here for just over two years now. It has been a very good trip with overall mostly good times. I have got used to this huge diverse country and seen a lot, from barren expanses of saltbush to the lush rainforests, bloody strange animals and even stranger people! Looking around I remember how uniquely Australian so many things are here that I found quite odd when I arrived. I find myself speaking the lingo I have picked up along the way, like the famous “mate” and lesser known phrases to the wider English speaking world like “feeling crook” (feeling unwell/sick) and referring to all large quantities as “heaps” (particularly South Australian, especially the phrase “heaps good”)
Herbert the van has been sold now (after almost 70,000kms done with him) and while the lifestyle of travelling around in a van is amazing, it is time for a change to enjoy some of the comforts of living in some sort of a building. Iris and I appreciate these comforts much more now after this experience! Particularly the three main ones of running water, power and space to stand up and move around without going outside!
To the windsurfing, the main reason I came to Australia in the first place. This season has been pretty up and down with wind and swell but I have has a awesome time!
The jumping at Coronation Beach by Geraldton has been great every time I have been there and it is definitely the best place to learn to loop I have ever sailed! Just avoid the place near Christmas and New Years as its packed!
As for down the line sailing Margret River and Gnaraloo are amazing! Unfortunately we had only 2 days of wind in Gnaraloo but it is a lot of fun and I have never done so many turns on one wave! It’s a mission to get there but well worth it, even for only 2 days of sailing.
The end of the season was spent mainly sailing at Margret River and hanging out with Morgan, Scott and Dan, some very good windsurfers from back home in Ireland. We got some amazing days there with some of the biggest waves I have ever been on!
Margret River is a nice change from the other spots in Western Australia as you are closer to civilisation and the weather is milder too.
The other spot I have to mention although I haven’t sailed there this season as it is on the east coast is Currumbin Alley on the Gold Coast in Queensland. The best starboard tack waves I have sailed when it works and a nice crew of locals to have a chat to on the days you are waiting for it to work.
At the moment Iris and I are in Sydney staying at a friends place hanging around waiting for my working holiday for New Zealand. It has taken a while so I hope I get it or we may be flying back to Ireland. We will see what happens so watch this space!
