In October 2025 I took an 8 week road trip from Darwin NT to WA. This blog contains some of the travel and winging learnings to assist others embarking on a similar journey.

Driving times and destinations:

Darwin to Broome (Barn Hill Station) 2.0 days
Broome to Exmouth (Cape Range NP) 1.5 days
Exmouth to Bunbury (Koombana Beach) 1.5 days
Bunbury to Geraldton (Coronation Beach) 1.0 day
Geraldton to Exmouth 1.0 day
Exmouth to Darwin 3.0 days

Rough fuel calculations – $120 to $150 for 65L of unleaded would give me approximately 500 km range. No need for jerry cans, there are no gaps between fuel stations more than 300 km. Most expensive fuel was at Warmun west of Kununurra, and Pardoo north of Port Hedland. Sandfire (further north) is a much better roadhouse for a feed. Fitzroy Crossing only sells non-aromatic fuel. Keep the car and caravan locked when going into the servo.

Get a fly net if you can’t handle heaps of WA flies.

October to December is when the wind starts picking up on the west coast. It gets too hot for the grey nomads and they head south which makes finding a camp site easier. Coming from Darwin you will find it is not too hot. Some windy nights at Cape Range I wore a fleece to bed.

GEAR TO TAKE

• Full wing quiver – 3.0 to 3.5m for 25 knots plus, 6.0m for 10 knots, and an everyday wing 4.5 or 5.0m
• Surf foil and 5 to 6 ft board
• A tinnie, SUP or kayak for glassy days, snorkelling and fishing gear
• Antiseptic for cuts

BARN HILL STATION

Two full days driving from Darwin brings you to the WA coast. I’m not a fan of Kununurra town but there are caravan parks near Ivanhoe Crossing or back by Lake Argyle for the halfway stop. Roebuck Plains is an awesome roadhouse and is where you turn left to stay on the Great Northern Highway, if not going straight ahead 35km to Broome.

Barn Hill Station is about 100 km south of the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse followed by 10 km of sandy two wheel drive fenceline track to get in. My one night stay turned in to eight. Tides are huge, beaches are amazing, birdlife is prolific. You can easily walk a couple of hours in both directions provided you time the tides correctly and you don’t get stuck against a cliff.

Winging worked for me as the wind came in every arvo at 15 knots, aligned with the tides when I was there. I entered from the corner of the beach about 300m north of the main office area. It is open beach and no one around, massive tides, so don’t stuff up. The rollers here had good power coming from deep water and no outer reef. It is croccy so keep your eyes peeled.

There are a couple of fishos shacks which were good for washing down out of the dirt. There is unlimited groundwater for showers and wash down but I wouldn’t drink it unless you require a deep cleanse.

CAPE RANGE

Although November is Exmouth’s windiest month there will be numerous (magical) light wind days when you can snorkel or fish. Paddle Yardie Creek. Good kayak / tinnie access to lagoon at Neds/Mesa Camp, Sandy Bay or Pilgramunna. <MAP>

If the waves are on go to Dunes (main) beach for a surf, at north end of the Cape outside of the park. Another great surf spot is 1km offshore from Yardie Ck. For SUPs, head to Steps, 1km south of Dunes, or further south to The Bombie.

The Bombie is accessed from Hunters beach, which is opposite the road leading to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. Hunters is a gentle SUP or SUP foil wave. Further south is Jurabi Point which has three breaks that are good for wing foiling. Head a few kays south down the bitumen and turn in to a sandy track to find Graveyards, good for SUP and wing foil on higher tides.

Sandy Bay is a flat water paradise. One of the best spots for picking up the wind. It gets very busy with kites and windsurfers. There are heaps of camp sites which is good if you are travelling in a group. I mainly camped at Mesa, just south of Neds.

KOOMBANA BEACH – BUNBURY

• Sheltered flat water, good for practicing manoeuvres
• Rolling swells to the north of Bunbury Port on the right conditions
• Friendly local crew, grassy setup area, good beach access and parking
• If direct offshore in SE winds you will require good upwind ability
• Prevailing SW winds are moderated by Cape Naturalist
• Majority of wingers are using 5.0m, larger than I anticipated
• A local recommended I visit Coronation Beach in Geraldton, and Avalon Beach near Mandurah.

CORONATION BEACH – GERALDTON

My favourite setup even through I only got to spend one afternoon here. Approximately 30 km drive north of Geraldton. Camping is available at the beach but BYO water, or at Goodies Eco Camp (they have water) back on the highway.

Windsurfers launch in the shallower water to the left of the images, wings in the middle, and kites downwind to the right. Foil out to the white-water and gybe on to a roller and carve. Repeat all afternoon. This is a world-renowned windsurfing spot and there are heaps of friendly people from everywhere.