Surfing locations in the Capes region of South West Western Australia

Coordinates: 34°S 115°E / 34°S 115°E

Wydalup Bay

Most surf breaks in the Capes region^{[note 1]} – from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin – within the larger area known as the South West region of Western Australia tend to have the name Margaret River^[4] attached, despite the wide geographic range of locations where the breaks are located.

Context

Surfing in this region was well established in the 1970s,^[5] with a 1970 government mapping guide to the region identifying surfing locations.^[6]

By the 1990s the names of the individual breaks were so well established^[7] that online and published guides were able to locate and identify the behaviours of the breaks.

The surfing culture of the region is well embedded in the communities along the coast.^[8]

The roads named below run off Caves Road, the main western route between Dunsborough and Augusta. The identification of nearby roads does not guarantee that there is access to any of these locations.

Some systems in describing locations, have Margaret River North^[9] - this list divides as below, using Yalingup, and Gracetown, as boundaries of smaller surfing regions.

The Ngari Capes Marine Park has some of the breaks listed below in the Special Purpose Zone (Surfing) locations in the park.^[10]

East of Cape Naturaliste

These breaks are in the north-west corner of Geographe Bay, sheltered by Cape Naturaliste, and are not directly exposed to westerly winds or surges.

• Castle Rock – north of Dunsborough, and south of Eagle Bay
• Rocky Point – north of Eagle Bay, and east of Bunker Bay
• The Farm and Bone Yards^[11] – east of Bunker Bay
• The Quarries – north-west corner of Bunker Bay

South of Cape Naturaliste and north of Yallingup

These breaks are in an isolated difficult access area of the coast north of Yallingup.

• Windmills – north of Sugarloaf Rock^{[note 2]}
• Three Bears – midway between Sugarloaf and Yallingup ^{[note 3]}
• Yallingup^{[note 4]} and Rabbit Hill^{[note 5]} – just north of Yallingup

South of Yallingup and north of Gracetown

The beaches Three Bears, Yallingup, Smiths Beach and Injidup are all considered "beaches of Yallingup" with related surf breaks of the same names. These breaks are mostly more accessible, but not all.

• Smiths and Supertubes – at Smiths Beach
• Injidup Point/Carparks and Pea Break – south end of Indijup Beach and just north of Cape Clairault
• Cape Clairault – just south of location with same name
• Wildcat and The Window – west of Quinninup Road
• Moses Rock – at west end of road with same name
• Honeycombs – isolated and south of Moses Rock Road
• Gallows – at end of Cullen Road
• Guillotine – west of Juniper Road
• North Point – at northern side of Cowaramup Bay
• Mousetraps – south of Supertubes

Gracetown and south to the Margaret River mouth

Gracetown is a locality on the coastline on Cowaramup Bay, Margaret River Mouth (south side) is the location of Prevelly

• Cowaramup Bombora ("Cow Bombie")
• South Point and Huzzawouie (Huzzas) – southern side of Cowaramup Bay
• Left Handers – south of Cowaramup Bay
• The Womb
• Ellensbrook
• The Box – at Cape Mentelle
• The Rivermouth

Prevelly and south to Redgate

Just south of the Margaret river mouth, Surfers Point is the location of the Margaret River Pro surfing events^[13] and the central point by which tourism promotion, and simplified explanations of the surfing region focus upon.^[14]

• Surfers Point and Southside
• Bombies and Boatramp
• Grunters
• Gas Bay
• Boodjidup
• Redgate^[15]

Redgate and south to Cape Hamelin

Breaks and locations between Redgate and Cape Hamelin are more spread out, and not as easily accessed as some northern breaks.

• Conto's Beach – just north of Cape Freycinet
• Bornaup – north of Hamelin Bay
• Deepdene – just south of Cape Hamelin^[16]

Further reading

Note: these items occur in multiple editions, the editions here might not reflect either the most recent or most accurate guides to locations or names.

• Blair, Larry (2004), Wave-finder : Australia (3rd ed.), Hedonist Surf Co, ISBN 978-0-9581726-6-0
• Rennie, Chris (2002), The surfer's travel guide Australia (3rd ed.), Liquid Addictions, ISBN 978-0-9577754-8-0
• Thornley, Mark; Wilson, Peter; Bartholomew, Wayne, 1954-; Dante, Veda (2003), Surfing Australia (Rev. ed.), Periplus, ISBN 978-962-593-774-8
• Warren, Mark (1998), Mark Warren's atlas of Australian surfing (Rev. ed.), HarperSports, ISBN 978-0-7322-5926-6

Notes

1. "Capes region" is used without much care for actual sanctioned names;^[1] Gaynor's report^[2] is closer to the best fit of such usage, also "Cape to Cape" is used regularly.^[3]
2. The surfing area has been allocated Special Zone for surfing in the Ngari Capes Marine Park
3. The surfing area has been allocated Special Zone for surfing in the Ngari Capes Marine Park
4. The surfing area has been allocated Special Zone for surfing in the Ngari Capes Marine Park
5. Also found with spelling of "Rabits"^[12]

References

1. "South West Capes Region". Holiday-WA.net. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
2. Andrea Gaynor, Amrit Kendrick and Mark Westera (July 2008), An Oral History of Fishing and Diving in the Capes Region of South-West Western Australia. (PDF), School of Humanities and School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, retrieved 14 December 2013
3. Litchfield, Bob; Litchfield, Caroline (2000), Cape to Cape : images and impressions of the Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin region, Bob Litchfield Pty Ltd, ISBN 978-0-646-40580-3
4. http://www.margaretriver.com/surf-spots Margaret River.com's surf spots list of those close to the Margaret River mouth area.
5. Margaret River & Districts Historical Society
6. Western Australia. Dept. of Lands and Surveys. Mapping Branch (1970), Busselton-Augusta, Dept. of Lands & Surveys, retrieved 28 November 2013
7. Terry, Matt (1999), A guide to surfing hot spots in south western Australia, Waxed, ISBN 978-0-646-37794-0
8. Holt, Robert A; Edith Cowan University. Faculty of Regional Professional Studies (2012), Cape crusaders an ethnography investigating the surfing subculture of Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, retrieved 28 November 2013
9. http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Australia_Pacific/Australia/WA/Margaret_River_North/rabits/
10. http://www.oceans.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2187719/fisheries-oceans.pdf
11. http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Bunker-Bay-Boneyards Boneyards located at Bunker Bay
12. http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Australia_Pacific/Australia/WA/Margaret_River_North/rabits/
13. http://www.margaretriver.com/surf-spots
14. http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Things_to_See_and_Do/Must_See_and_Do/Pages/Top_10_Surfing_Spots.aspx
15. http://beachsafe.org.au/beach/wa0652 Redgate Beach information from Beachsafe
16. http://swell.willyweather.com.au/wa/south-west/cape-hamelin.html