SEVEN DAY SPIRIT OF THE KIMBERLEY
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HIGHLIGHTS
Cape Leveque, Bardi Bushtucker Walk, Snorkelling, Beagle Bay
Pearl Shell Church Altar, One Arm Point Aquaculture Hatchery, Windjana
Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Bungle Bungles, Echidna Chasm, Cathedral Gorge,
Geikie Gorge Cruise
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (*see Trip Notes). After enjoying a bush
sunset, relax as we enjoy a delicious meal and evening under the stars.
Day 6 Bungle
Bungles
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
Day 7 Geikie
Gorge & 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
approximately 10.30pm
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