Western Australia – Cape Range

Welcome to Cape Range — where jagged red rock meets reef-blue glass and the land looks like it hasn’t changed in a million years. This place is raw, remote, and makes you feel small in the best kind of way.

Most roll in here chasing the Ningaloo, but if you’ve got a kite and a bit of patience, Sandy Bay is the gem. Clean, shallow turquoise water stretches for days, protected by the outer reef. The seabreeze rolls in solid from October to March — classic SSW — and when it lines up, it’s perfection. Flat water, wide space, zero crowds. Just you and the elements.

Launch is sandy, but pick your spot — too close to shore and it’ll swirl with that reef-side off-angle gust. Slide west along the beach to get cleaner wind and a longer tack. It’s best mid to high tide, when the bay fills in and gives you more play space.

No toilets, no shops, no water. You’re in the national park — bring everything, leave nothing. National Parks entry fee applies, and it’s worth every cent for the privilege of riding in a place this wild.

Cape Range isn’t a beginner’s beach or a quick session stop. It’s a make-the-effort, bring-your-gear, set-up-camp kind of spot. Stay a few days, chase wind when it shows, snorkel the reef when it doesn’t, and sleep under skies that’ll ruin city lights forever.

This one’s not a detour — it’s a destination.