More people are kicked to death by donkies in Australia than are killed by sharks. The statistic fails to mention that there is zero possibility of being kicked to death by a donkey when you're out windsurfing, and I guess not much chance of being chomped by a shark whilst feeding donkies carrots. However in places like this, with the deep sea beneath you, I'm sure you'd much rather see a donkey treading water towards you than a shark's fin.

It wasn't something I'd really considered until arriving in Australia, but it gave me a good excuse to ask some fishermen, who we met in a pub between Margies and Windy Harbour, if they'd ever caught a donkey. "Nah mate, we fish off the rocks for carpet sharks, reef sharks, bronze whalers..." "Hang on a minute" I interrupted, "aren't they those big mothers?" "Nah mate, they're only this long" he jestered to a stool in the distance "So they are big mothers" "Nah mate, the whites are big mothers, they wouldn't even fit in this bar!"

It was just the way to start our Australian odessy. We'd flown all this way, carried all this kit, bought a van, decked it out with bed and board rack and were already too frightened go windsurfing or walking in pasture land. But I doubt there's any sympathy from the audience.

Frightened now of sharks and donkies, we were pleasently surprised to arrive at Salmon Beach. Couldn't imagine a salmon attack would do much harm. Silly of me really. What happens here is when you go surfing, one of your mates stands on the cliff. He has two signals. If he raises his right arm, it means come ashore, we're going fishing. If he raises his left, it means come ashore, there's a shark behind you. I haven't even mentioned the killer red-back spiders and instant death snakes yet, mate.

Nevertheless Western Australia has some of the best windsurfing spots in the world, famed by the big wave spot Margeret River, the lagoon and jumping at Lancelin and the high winds of Geraldton.