Body surfing at Kookynie goes back to those big rain days of yore when flood waters rushed down the creek into Niagara Dam. Older Kookyniers remember surfing through boulders using kangaroo-skin & wooden flippers. In 1897-98 the dam was built to assure water supply for the new mining metropolis, and named after its US counterpart, inaugurated by WA Premier Forrest. It was an instant ’white elephant’.
Flood creek flows into the dam are rare these days, so surfers have a long drive down to the Great Australian Bight. You can get lucky though - blue skies and waves to yourself and seals. Winter ocean temperature means wetsuit is de rigeur. Send ‘em up Huey!
[...] months as shark season. As regular KC readers know, despite its inland location Kookynie has a tradition of body surfing, practised these days by a very small coterie of avid afficionados. Add in the ocean swimming [...]