Bluff /Gnaraloo Pioneers ...the first?

I haven't been there for quite a while but it would be interesting to know who and when the first guys to surf/windsurf/kitesurf the place were.

After leaving school in Ballarat, 77 I met up with some mates in Geraldton, we surfed lots of places over there which were unbelievably uncrowded, flat rocks and Drummonds, coming from Vicco it was not uncommon for us to drive to remote places and see if there were waves, there was one bloke the owner of the new surf shop, we had some memorable sessions, no one seemed to drive in search.
At one of those Sunday sessions at a pub on the north side of Geraldton[ winterson?] at the bar I started a chat with a bloke who told me of waves up north of Carnavon, he was a station hand at Gnarloo, on the back of a cigarette packet he drew sort of directions to this place called Red Bluff.
Within a week or so a mate called Nat and I ended up driving north in my old Peogeot 404 wagon, fortunately he was a mechanic but the car handled the roads well as they sit higher than he standard wagon, anyway we finally got to the station at the bluff, Quobba, and was met by the station hand, who took little prompting to go in search of this wave, bull**** there are no f,,cking waves ya dickheads" too sharky. so we headed of in the doorless land rover with the esky full of beer,[ like a scene from a aussie book called "wake in fright" we came accross this place, amazing headland, beaches untouched and great f..cking peeling left handers.
We went back to the station and and the made ourselves at home in the station quarters, there was some do on at the local mining company that night so we went along with the station hands, the female cook and the nanny who looked after the owners kids.
The party was a bit of a hoot, Nat and I made short work of situation both able to engage with the chicks much to the dislike of the mining blokes, a couple of surfies cruise into town take a shine to what may have been the only two girls within cooee, [only later did I grow a concience], anyway what followed over the next few weeks was plenty of surf and fun, the sea life was amazing, friggin great big turtles coming up beside you heaps of different fins, sea snake and monstrous sea urchins on the rocks, we went to Carnavon to find surfers to surf with us. there were only 3 or 4 fisherman there , no surfies, what a paradise, haven't been back would love to, without doubt it was one of the best adventures I have had in my life

I spent 5 months working at that mine, Texada, in 77. A bloody salt mine and I was an auto sparky so everything rusted.
I never surfed but lots of great memories, I was 22 and the wife as 19, we used to explore all over the place along the coast in the cruiser shorty between the mine and up to Coral Bay, camping etc with our mates. As said lots of marine life and too easy to catch, lots of swimming and body surfing the small stuff.

Ockanui, made me remember having to beat the single guys away from my young wife, not a lot of talent up there in those days

I'm pretty sure George Simpson (fisherman and skipper at the time) was the first one to discover and first surf the bluff and Tombies.

The first were the indigenous [now] boat people who came ashore in their 10

bark canoes from the middle east...... next and the first euro chappys were

the dutch who wen ship wrecked surfed in land on flotsam.....local stone art

recognizes this , and is ultimate proof.

my first trip there was in late eighties. drove from perth and stopped for a party in carnarvon, sobbered up driving along the track, got to the bluff at dawn. Went for surf to clear head. first wave was a head high closeout, over the falls on 1 foot deep reef. I got about ten sea urchin spines in my foot and bruises of all different colours on my foot. I didnt put booties on cause i thought it was too small. Second day it picked up a bit, I got three waves in a row where the lip just smashed me in the back of the head (i'm on my backhand). the third one had me seeing stars. creased board. borrowed a board for next few days of surf. That lip is a lot heavier than you think.
Lessons learnt
1. forget the bottom turn if your a natural foot, angle it
2. stay high
3. be very patient getting in and out of water
4. bring a spare board
5. bring a medical kit

spot1 key hole time and about to be claimed

Thanks for the stories boys !!

Yes some good stories and words of wisdom re sea urchins they were the meanest what is the set up now with regard to facilities and accommodation at the bluff and surrounding breaks and how many people there nowadays?

back in the early days before computers were used at the dole office, I believe that it was possible to go on the dole in Perth and maybe in Geraldton and have relatively unhindered access to surf most days, apart from having to answer to the breeze coming in at various times of the day

Nice thread.
I Was there in the late 80's with about 8 or 9 other surfers in the whole place. We camped in the small cave. Surfed pumped nearly the whole time.
I remember Bentley and another freak/dodgy character called Stumpy.
Last time I was there about 7 years ago the place had really changed with a heap more development and about 50-60 guys out .
Does anybody remember the old coffee table book "Surfing Wild Australia"? It has some shots of 10' Bluff in the early days. Managed to find my old copy a couple of days ago.

I remember the stone hut up the hill that the Kalbarri Board riders had built (or so I was told) - is it still there?

thanks for posting the photos, I bought a book called " Cactus" surfing journals from solitude by Christo Reid, the Bluff has similarities to Cactus re: the isolation, the unforgiving surf and landscape