7 Day Spirit Of The Kimberley

Overview

Experience the true spirit of the Kimberley - from the saltwater Bardi culture, pristine beaches and rugged red cliffs of Cape Leveque to indigenous Bunuba culture, the World Heritage Bungle Bungles and the picturesque gorges of the West Kimberley. This trip is like no other in the Kimberley as it explores both the well-known sights and some of the hidden secrets of this extraordinary, remote part of Australia.

Itinerary

Day 1: Kelk Creek & Cape Leveque

The Dampier Peninsula is an extraordinary blend of pristine beaches and dramatic coastlines, rich in traditional Aboriginal culture. Travelling up the red 4WD track, learn about the region's fascinating history from our guided commentary and documentary DVDs. Our first stop is the Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community, home of the Beagle Bay Church with its glimmering pearl shell altar, for morning tea. Further north, we visit the Kelk Creek Bush Retreat, where our Aboriginal guide and her family introduce us to their traditional Bardi ‘saltwater country’. A leisurely guided bushwalk offers an in-depth insight into their indigenous lifestyle and culture while the freshly made damper and billy tea at the end of the walk is well worth the wait! Later, after a delicious lunch, we travel to beautiful Cape Leveque to set up camp right on the edge of the Indian Ocean. A spectacular Kimberley sunset is a great way to end the day before our famous Kimberley BBQ under the stars.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 2: Cape Leveque

The day at Cape Leveque is yours to enjoy as you please. You may like to join our guide on a snorkelling or fishing adventure (included), or take up one of the many optional extras on offer including embarking on an Indigenous sea kayaking adventure, hiring a dinghy or splurging on a scenic flight across the archipelago and horizontal falls. Alternatively you may prefer to spend your time simply enjoying the pristine beaches and rugged red coastline for which Cape Leveque is famous. Whether you like swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing or long walks along the beach, Cape Leveque is a great way to relax away a day.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 3 One Arm Point & Lombadina

After breakfast we journey to the One Arm Point Community perched on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula. From here we can view the spectacular Buccaneer Archipelago and witness the huge tidal flows of the Kimberley, the second biggest in the world. We visit the Community’s aquaculture hatchery, complete with barramundi, pearl and trochus shell. Travelling on, we enjoy lunch in the laid-back Lombadina Community, a beautiful and welcoming community, which is home to a local craft shop and interesting bush timber church. Driving back through the dusk, keep an eye out for wildlife, before arriving back in Broome at approximately 6.30pm to check into your hotel for a free evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 4: Windjana Gorge & Tunnel Creek

After an early morning pick up (approx 6.30am), we continue our Kimberley experience with a journey inland to the Gibb River Road, via the Derby ‘Boab Prison Tree’, and on through the picturesque Napier Ranges. Once a Devonian reef, these mountains are over 350 million years old and home to a diverse array of animals and plants. The perfect place to experience the stunning natural beauty of an outback oasis is the 3.5km geological wonder of Windjana Gorge. Beneath gorge walls rising 90m, we search for freshwater crocodiles, local birdlife and Indigenous bushtucker. After a picnic lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring Tunnel Creek, a 750-metre cave system in which we discover secret caves and a large variety of wildlife. It is here we also learn the legend of Jandamarra, an Aboriginal freedom fighter who used the tunnel as a hide-out in the late 1800’s. Freshen up with a swim in the idyllic waterhole at the end of the tunnel. As dusk settles, we break our journey with a comfortable night camping by the river at the Fitzroy River Lodge, in the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 5: China Wall & Purnululu National Park

Leaving Fitzroy Crossing with the birds allows us to arrive in Purnululu National Park, home of the magnificent Bungle Bungles, in the late afternoon. On the way, we visit the gold rush town of Halls Creek to see the remarkable China Wall. On arrival in Purnululu, there is time to orient ourselves, explore the surrounds and settle into our basic, yet comfortable, permanent tented accommodation at the Walardi Wilderness Camp*. After enjoying a bush sunset, relax as we enjoy a delicious meal and evening under the stars.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 6: Bungle Bungle

Spend the next day exploring the highlights of this extraordinary National Park, the most famous of which are the Bungle Bungle domes. Rivers created this landscape of unique orange and black striped ‘beehive’ geological formations over a period of 20 million years. Unbelievably, only the locals knew it existed until the early 1980’s. To protect its unique landscape, the area was made a national park in 1987 and now enjoys World Heritage status. We explore the 2km long Echidna Chasm, known for its towering Livistonia Palm trees, and take a short walk (2-3km) into stunning Cathedral Gorge, where towering rocks create a natural amphitheatre. There is time in the afternoon to take an optional scenic flight and enjoy a birds-eye view of the beehive domes (approx $265pp, own expense) to put it all into perspective.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 7: Broome

Another early morning start sees us return westward, reaching the banks of the Fitzroy River once again for a picnic lunch in Geikie Gorge. It is a long day so relax, watch the Kimberley plains drift by or enjoy a movie. In the afternoon, join a local National Park Ranger on a guided cruise through the majestic gorge that nature carved between the Geikie and Oscar Ranges. Learn of the fascinating geology of this natural wonder and discover the huge array of wildlife, including freshwater crocodiles, birds and fish. Pausing for dinner en route (own expense), we later arrive back in Broome at 10.30 pm.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Further Information

Accommodation

Camping (3nts), Hotel (1nt), Permanent Tents (2nts) *see notes

Meals

5 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 5 Dinners included
Note: 1. April departures are subject to weather conditions and road closures.
Note 2. Breakfast on Day 4 and Dinner on Days 3 & 7 are not included - allow approximately AU$80.