Windy Harbour over easter

I've always wanted to head down south around Easter to try and get into some salmon, so this year with a few days off work and uni decided to make the pilgrimage for a couple of days of fishing and relaxing (boozing). My Norwegian mate was keen as mustard, he's not too experienced with fishing but loves camping and exploring the country regardless. So after much consideration decided to head to Windy Harbour and have a look around for a campsite for a couple of days. The plan was pitch some tents and some tarps close to the beach and go from there. Neither of us had been there before so it was mostly going to be guess work.

So I headed off to pick him up around 5am Wednesday morning, and naturally we didn't get moving til about 6:30. How good is it leaving Perth down an empty freeway when the lanes heading the other way are choccas!

After a few hours and a stop or two on the way we left Northcliffe for the final leg. By now the ute tray was pretty flooded, so its a good thing everything was stored in plastic clip boxes! Well then the hail began. This was to set the mood for most of the trip...

First off took a drive to Salmon Beach for a few photos from the top. Well it was blowing around 40kn with a swell of several metres so fishing was out of the question for the time being!

After heading through the settlement of Windy Harbour, we took the track east with the plan on pitching tents at the Gardner River mouth. So down went the tyres and exploring began.

After about 8 or 9 kays reached the track to the beach and stuck like glue to the tracks, as the rest of the dune looked nastily deep and soft. Made it to the rivermouth and hopped out for a celebratory can. And got rained on...and rained on. Up went the tents, literally, cos they were basically being blown away. Note: must invest in bigger sand pegs. Spent the next hour or two in between setting up and hiding from the downpours in the car. Only managed a quick cast for nothing

Spirits were beginning to get a bit down as we couldn't even get a tarp shelter set up in that weather. Spending three days and two nights drenched and covered in sand... but that's what campings all about right? haha

Well then two of the best blokes around popped up in their little cruiser and in a nice way questioned why the hell we were so stupid as to be there... and proceeded to tell us about this cabin in the forest up the river, which is free for the public, currently vacant and has a FIREPLACE and DRY WOOD. Well, that sold us. So back everything went in the car and we headed back over the dunes towards the river.

What was I said about sticking to the tracks? Kinda slid off to the side.



I tell you what, that cabin was the greatest thing ever at that point. Ripped off the wet gear, got a fire going and basically stayed in front of that thing for the bigger part of the trip, overlooking the river and ocean. Beautiful!

Day two involved a bit of fishing but it was the same story again. Wind was a bit lighter but swell was still up. Rain didn't stop. Saw two salmon in buckets as we arrived at salmon beach, but those people said the fish were extremely few and far between. Didn't see a single fish pulled in while we were there on day two. Maybe it wasn't meant to be!

Why the hell would someone wear gumboots in a big swell? Musta still been drunk.



Day three and the plan was to pack up early, cook up a feed, spend the morning at salmon beach again before heading home. Well we didnt make it there til after 10am however the weather was looking great... as it does on the day you have to leave. One salmon had been caught all morning between about 30 fishos. So not looking too flash again!

Multiculturalism..

I walked up the beach to the far cliffs, throwing metals, richters and poppers for about 3 hours to no avail. I had all but given up, plus we had to be back in Perth by about 6 so time was really up. On just about the last cast I was going to give, the richter got smashed and line started screaming off. That's the first salmon I've hooked except for small salmon trout, and I tell you what, I understand why people make the trip. What an exciting fish! I spent the next few minutes sh**ting my pants about losing the fish as it lept in the air and took off every time I got it near the shore. Got the bugger in, it wasnt huge probably only max about 5kg, but man was I satisfied. One fish was enough, straight back to the car and home again!



Loved it down Windy Harbour, will definitely have to treck it down again and explore some of the other huts and campsites I've heard about in the national park.


sarcasm0's picture

Posts: 1396

Date Joined: 25/06/09

Nice report

Tue, 2011-05-03 11:57

Thanks for that.  The mouth of the Gardner river looks just like it did when I was last there nearly 20 years ago. My family used to head down that way when I was a kid, I have said to Jane a few times we should go for another trip down that way.

Nice fish at the end, persistance pays off.

Bryan

scottland's picture

Posts: 3031

Date Joined: 10/05/10

nice report

Tue, 2011-05-03 12:06

 how long did it take to dig yourself out?   nice salmon to

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i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers

DazSamFishing's picture

Posts: 1518

Date Joined: 19/08/09

great report. pity about the

Tue, 2011-05-03 12:24

great report. pity about the fishing, but at least you got one. would've been a good experience nonetheless

ricey's picture

Posts: 731

Date Joined: 24/12/09

parents have a place at Windy Harbour

Tue, 2011-05-03 12:31

man you did it tough and terrible spot to camp LOL. squatters village only about 100m and is protected. next time book the camping ground in the settlemene will be only five minutes to salmon bay from there.

 

My cousin landed about 5 over easter there, but was the only one landing any she thought. they reckon the water was too warm.

 

Is a great place when (very rarely) the wind is right. Try some of the four wheel drive access beaches closer to Northcliff like Malimup and Warren Beach too, trek to get there though.

 

some good snaps though. You may have seen my granddad's wind generator too if you went through the settlement, I believe it can be seen from the moon ...

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Wise man says - first take the plank out of your own eye before trying to take the speck out of somebody else's.

lunker's picture

Posts: 107

Date Joined: 08/01/10

Surprisingly it only took

Tue, 2011-05-03 12:32

Surprisingly it only took maybe 5 mins to get out. Doesn't look like it in the pics but the car was on a big slope to the left. With a big of a dig and a push managed to reserve backwards and down the dune. Didn't make the same mistake the second time hehe. Yeah the fishing wasn't great but I was stoked to get at least one before I left, and that was just a bonus on top of a great relaxing couple of days

Gjoe's picture

Posts: 68

Date Joined: 18/09/10

Tough stuff

Tue, 2011-05-03 12:39

Farout man things did not work in your favour but well done on getting a decent salmon.

Some good snaps too!

Goatlobster's picture

Posts: 77

Date Joined: 03/04/10

 ICanYouCan REDCAN! Hahah

Thu, 2011-05-12 11:35

 ICanYouCan REDCAN! Hahah nice story mate, struck it lucky with that cabin and nice work gettin a salmon!

lunker's picture

Posts: 107

Date Joined: 08/01/10

haha nothing like

Fri, 2011-05-13 13:03

haha nothing like strawberries n cream! get it up ya!