Surf Breaks, Pizza and Wine: Survivor Contestant Felicity Palmateer’s Top Spots in Margaret River

“Margaret River was the perfect place to grow up,” says Felicity “Flick” Palmateer.

The pro surfer and media personality now splits her time between coastal WA and Sydney, where she hosts for new media channel Top Knotz, but she still beams when she recalls an action-packed childhood spent in nature – and especially the ocean.

“I was an adventure kid,” she says, “and Margaret River is all adventure. It’s outdoor sports and activities. I got into surfing when I was six years old and started competing when I was 12. My dad surfs: he’s like the eternal grommet. He’s still more stoked to go surfing these days than I am.”

After catching her first waves in Perth, young Palmateer quickly graduated to the bigger, more powerful surf in Margaret River, where the Indian Ocean creates notoriously robust breaks. Soon she was winning competitions, breaking records and chasing the biggest possible waves, which in turn boosted her profile enough to land her on two seasons of Survivor. She also does sports commentating on surfing and co-hosts the In Deep podcast with her close friend and fellow surfer, Laura Enever.

But again, she’s always got time for the gorgeous coast where she grew up. “The beauty of Margaret River is that the whole coastline is essentially national park,” says Palmateer. “There are very few places left in the world that are untouched on the ocean, and it gives this sense of rawness that you just don’t get anymore. It’s not built up. You feel more connected to nature.”

Both as a child and adult, one of the most anticipated events on her annual calendar has been the Margaret River Pro surfing competition, which runs from April 17 to 27 this year. Held at Surfers Point – home to the aptly titled centrepiece Main Break as well as The Box – the comp was a qualifying series event for years before getting upgraded to a world championship tour event. Spectators can watch for free as the world’s absolute best surfers battle it out against an idyllic backdrop.

There’s even a boardwalk at the front where you can greet the surfers and give them a high five. That’s exactly what Palmateer did as a child when she spotted Australian surf icon Layne Beachley, asking her to sign a poster. That poster – and its inspiring message from Beachley about setting goals for yourself – remained on Palmateer’s bedside table. And about 15 years after their brief encounter, Palmateer broke her idol’s record in 2015 at Cow Bombie, an XXL wave two kilometres off the shore of Gracetown in between Margaret River and Yallingup. That achievement kickstarted her big-wave career, and she has since gone on to compete at the highest level of big-wave surfing, including top events in Hawaii and beyond.

Despite her hectic schedule, Palmateer still has a wealth of recommendations about surf destinations in Margaret River – though she keeps some closely guarded secret spots to herself. For beginners she recommends Boranup, a white sand beach that requires a 4WD to get there. She also points newcomers toward Margaret River Surfing Academy, founded and formerly run by her cousin Josh Palmateer.

More experienced surfers are absolutely spoilt for choice. “From Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste, you’ve got anywhere from 50 to 100 surf breaks,” she says. “Behind Gracetown, there are three kilometres of surf spots. They’re all high-performance waves. They get crowded but they’re very consistent. For something off the beaten track, you’ve got a beach called Contos about 20 minutes south of Margaret River. It doesn’t get too crowded, and you can sneak away to lots of rock pools. The track takes you through the Boranup Forest and there’s a beautiful lookout, which gives you this amazing vista looking down on the beach.”

Palmateer is also full of tips for the town of Margaret River and surrounds. For health and wellness, she singles out Skuhlpt for Pilates and health spa Mend for contrast therapy. For breakfast, she says you can’t beat White Elephant Cafe, situated right on the beach. And for dinner, Pizzica has a gorgeous interior and epic woodfired pizza, and she raves about the squid salad at the pet and family-friendly Margaret River Brewhouse. She also points to Leeuwin Estate for its art gallery, three-course meals and 2014 chardonnay, and to Glenarty Road for sustainable, farm-to-table dining on an actual farm. And for cocktails, there’s Morries in town and Dear Darnell’s in nearby Witchcliffe.

Even if you’re not an avid follower of surfing, the Margaret River Pro is still a perfect (and free) excuse for visiting the picturesque, wine-rich region during the final stretch of autumn.

“April-May for me is the sweet spot,” says Palmateer. “You get the lightest winds and you start to get some nice swells. It’s still warm during the day, and at night it’s cool enough to maybe have a fire. You can rug up and get under the doona.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Tourism Western Australia.