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Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, but I've been research kite spots in Australia for an end of Dec / early Jan trip for a couple of weeks. I keep seeing conflicting information on wind seasons and recommendations to go east coast / vs west coast.
My wife and I would be flying from NYC and we want a place to kite for a week, and then to be able to visit a bit of the country , relax on some nice beaches.
Thanks for the help.
Hi bkkite,
If you're looking for strong, reliable and stable winds at this time of the year, the West Coast is your best choice by far!
Based on my own stats I kept for the last 8 years, you have at least a 95% chance to get strong winds (18 to 25 knots+) on a daily basis during those 2 weeks in the Perth area. Perth's summer climate is ideal for sea breezes to form very regularly and you simply don't have this wind pattern anywhere on the East coast at this time of the year.
The quickest and best flights are with Qatar Airways with only 1 stop each way in Doha between NYC and Perth. Otherwise you have to travel to LAX, then the East-Coast of Australia, then Perth...which is pretty painful and adds a lot of extra travel time.
Keep in mind that 2 Weeks is a relatively short trip coming from this far. The 12 hour jet lag is pretty brutal and it takes a couple of days to fully recover from it. If you can make it for an extra week, it would make much more sense.
If you chose to get to Perth, my advice would be to hire a big campervan (small motorhome/rv) so you can travel to many kite spots and setup your kite a short distance away from your campsite. There are great caravan parks with amenities everywhere along the coast (get the Wikicamp Australia App).
You will inevitably get a recommendation with pictures from our serial poster Cauncy who lives around the Geraldton area (4 hour drive North of Perth). There are in deed some awesome spots to kite around there and even further up north if you make to Shark Bay ( 8 hour drive North of Perth). You must stop by Coronation Beach (15 min North of Geradlton) which has to be on the top 3 list of spots I've ever kited.
Keep in mind that winds will be much stronger up North and it's not everyone's cup of tea. Around Geraldton and further north at this time of year it's common for the winds to blow in excess of 30 knots on a daily basis. A bit hard to ''relax on the beach'' in such conditions. It really depends what kind of kiting conditions/style you're into.
I also strongly recommend you visit the Margaret river area (4 hour drive South of Perth).
If you ever make it to Pinnaroo Point in Perth's Northern Beaches be sure to come say Hi, I'd be happy to give you some local tips.
Christian - KiteBud.
Yeh,first carpark botany bay..is kiter central in Sydney in summer. 3 klms from Sydney airport. Plenty of tourist stimulation on no wind days such as harbour bridge walk...opera house..jetcat on sydney harbour to manly..bondi to bronte cliffwalk.good luck.
It's good in Melbourne (St Kilda) , Sydney less wind than Melbourne, but Western Australia is really next level. You'll kite everyday there.
Here are some tourist attractions a couple of Newyorkers might appreciate near Perth on light wind days. Rottnest Island. Fremantle prison . Caversham wildlife park. Penguin Island (Penguin Island is just near a kite beach). AQWA aquarium. My American neighbour was extremely impressed by the snorkelling in Marmion marine park, as locals we just take it for granted. Have a great trip and don't kite within 200m of the surf lifesaving flags.
Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions.
Besides being American, we're nee yorkers so we are always impressed by anything natural and outdoors :)
Particularly like the camping car idea, ill start looking into that. Sounds like west coast is the way to go for wind, not sure why i found so many sources that said it was the low season?
Anyone aware of any catamaran kite trips on either coast?
Hi Bkkite,
Is West vs East even a choice? I grew up in Sydney and have lived here in Perth for 15 years. There is no comparing the winds here in Perth to East Coast. I've done a lap of the country covering everywhere from Cooktown in the NE to Port Hedland in the NW and hands down, WA has the best and most reliable wind by a country mile. Many of the worlds Pro riders train in WA in the Northern Hemispheres off season.
Perth will give you the most 18-25 knot days and usually at around that time of year, expect up 30 knots (not uncommon). If you want more wind head further north to Geraldton. Expect 25-35 knots up there (its relentless). I wouldn't suggest going further North, too hot, too windy, too many flies. If we get a rare trough condition where Perth swelters in offshore winds, you simply drive down south and enjoy the strong SE winds of the South Coast.
South coast is cool water but plenty of wind in the 18-25 knot range. Best beaches in WA are on the South Coast of WA. Albany, Esperence, etc are insanely beautiful beaches with sand so white and clean it squeeks to walk on. Margaret RIver if you are into waves and wine and there are tonnes of beaches up the entire coast to Geraldton. Rottnest is a bit of a must do whilst in Perth. You can kite Salmon Bay which is pretty beautiful too.
Loads to see and do and the "Outback" is a very short drive, although, if you go inland too far, the heat will drive you nuts. Stick to the coast and you'll have a crackin' holiday for you and the missus.
And yes, fair dinkum, it's true, we really do have kangaroos as pets and take them to the cafe with us (Mullaloo Dome Cafe), and they hop wild on the beach (in Esperence at least).
DM 
Hey Bkkite,
Catarmaran trips are mostly on the Great Barrier Reef on the Northern Queensland coast. The GBR is in strife and has not been the tourist attraction it once was due to neglect after tropical cyclones, river runoff, mining run off and coral bleaching. The Ningaloo Reef is much less well known and is ten times better than the GBR.
There are Catarmaran trips which operate out of Exmouth in the winter (April to September) and some come down as far as Geraldton in the summer months with trips out to the Abrolhos Islands ~70km off the Geraldton coast. This place is insane for kiting and surfing in one of the most untouched natural reef systems in Australia. The clearest water imaginable and all the island groups are no taller than about 1m above Sea Level so kiting and surfing can be in butter conditions even in Summer where you would expect 25-30 knot winds daily. I've kited, surfed and spearfished this area and it is mind blowing. You cannot stay on any island out there unless you know someone, who lives there, so you have to be on a boat which has capacity to sleep.
DM
Hey mate,
Do both of you guys kite ? If you are looking for a good trip West is best. Keen to help out when you are over if needing any help let us know. Highly recommend the Lancelin lodge they are more then accommodating even can organise transport after epic downwinders. I also hope trumps wall doesn't make it hard to get out of the USA ????:-)
This place rocks you guys Will love it.
If your city lovers WA is a waste of your time, here's a few of my favourite spots and trips at my locals
Enjoy the city
Just to put a different perspective on it from Cauncy, one of the benefits of a place like Safety Bay, or any other locations close enough to the city, is that you can have a look around at other things if you need a break or there is no wind.
There have been a few years where I have driven into Perth on wind free days just to have a look around. I think if you are travelling with a family you need to make sure that its not too boring for those that can't sail or don't want to.
I think this year my friend was talking to a Swiss couple that were staying at WestOz and they seemed to like the fact they could just walk over the road to go kiting or take a walk to the shops or just do nothing and share the child minding duties.
I know some people like to get away from the crowds, but for some people the crowds aren't such a problem. Ask someone in Tarifa if the crowds in Safety Bay are a problem!
