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Garden Island, Australia

Stay in Rockingham: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Rockingham

All 14 on Rockingham's map

Watch this spot We email you when Garden Island is worth the trip.

Rockingham, Western Australia, as seen from Palm Beach Jetty, Image 4, May 2019
Rockingham, the nearest town, 11 km away. Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Garden Island

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (256°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (76°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea is about 19°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 22°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually March and April, with about 2 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rockingham.

Water about 19°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 32 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Perth International Airport (PER), changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

    See flights ORD → PER · Skyscanner from about £960 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h from the airport to Garden Island.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Rockingham, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    Garden Island is 11 km from the beds: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in Rockingham, 11 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Rockingham · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Rockingham · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Garden Island on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Garden Island does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct08 ft11 s1,410kJ18°C
Mon 19Oct07 ft9 s730kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct136 ft9 s444kJ18°C
Wed 21Oct09 ft12 s2,208kJ19°C
Thu 22Oct010 ft11 s2,125kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct011 ft11 s2,596kJ15°C
Sat 24Oct09 ft10 s1,539kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct07 ft10 s989kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct286 ft8 s372kJ18°C
Tue 27Oct664 ft9 s255kJ26°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to PER, changing at HKG, then 1h by road. About 32h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Garden Island

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to PER, changing at HKG, then 1h by road. About 32h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Rockingham each day: Crystals, Garden Island, Pengoes, Penguin Island, Spot x.

The trip from Rockingham, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,655–£3,200 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to PER, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£960–£1,995
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£240–£395
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£105–£175
Total£1,655–£3,200

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Rockingham

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: Rockingham, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.