8 Day Spirit of the Kimberley - OBSOLETE

Tour Details

Operator

Kimberley Wild Expeditions

Destinations

Broome, Kimberley Region, Bungle Bungles, Cape Leveque, Geikie Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Windjana Gorge, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek

Departs From

Broome

Tour Description

Tour operators April to October only.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Cape Leveque (Kooljaman), Bardi Bushtucker Walk, Snorkelling, Beagle Bay Pearl Shell Church Altar, One Arm Point Aquaculture Hatchery, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Bungle Bungle,s Echidna Chasm, Cathedral Gorge, China Wall, Mimbi Caves, Geikie Gorge Cruise.

Experience the true spirit of the Kimberley - from the saltwater Bardi culture, pristine beaches and rugged red cliffs of Cape Leveque to the World Heritage Bungle Bungles, ancient Mimbi Caves 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 Beagle Bay & Lombadina

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. Our first stop is the Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community, home of the Beagle Bay Church with its glimmering pearl shell altar, for morning tea. Journey on to enjoy lunch in the laid-back Lombadina Community, a beautiful and welcoming community, which is home to an interesting bush timber church. Later we travel to beautiful Cape Leveque to set up camp at Kooljaman, right on the edge of the Indian Ocean. A warm Kimberley sunset is a great way to end the day before our famous Kimberley BBQ under the stars. (LD)

Day 2 Cape Leveque & Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

The morning at Cape Leveque is yours to enjoy as you please. You may like to join our guide on a snorkelling adventure (equipment provided), or take up one of the many optional extras on offer. Alternatively you may prefer to spend your time simply enjoying the pristine beaches and rugged red coastline for which Cape Leveque is famous. Across the peninsula, we visit Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. In 1946 Dean Brown skippered a rickety wooden lugger into an unknown frontier to discover this hidden paradise: his descendents continue to operate what is now the oldest Pearl Farm in Australia. We enjoy an alfresco lunch and an insight into this remote pearling industry on the Farm Tour. In the afternoon, there is also an opportunity to join Patrol Boat ride to explore the property from the water or embark on a fabulous Giant Tides boat ride (own expense). Alternatively kick back in the gardens and browse the gallery before we return to Kooljaman. (BLD)

Day 3 One Arm Point & Broome

This morning our Aboriginal guide introduces us to Bardi 'saltwater' country on a leisurely guided bushwalk, providing an indepth insight into indigenous bush tucker, lifestyle and culture. We then travel 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. Driving back through the dusk, keep an eye out for wildlife before arriving at your hotel in Broome at approximately 6.30pm. Tonight is a free evening. (BL)

Day 4 Geikie Gorge & Fitzroy Crossing

We ease into Kimberley gorge country as we travel east towards Fitzroy Crossing. Visit the Old Fitzroy Crossing and colourful Mangkaja Aboriginal Arts Centre before joining a local National Park Ranger on a guided cruise through majestic Geikie 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. That evening, camp by the Fitzroy River. (LD)

Days 5-6 Purnululu National Park: Bungle Bungles

Visit the gold rush town of Halls Creek and see the remarkable China Wall enroute to Purnululu National Park, home of the magnificent Bungle Bungles. On arrival in Purnululu, there is time to orient ourselves and settle into our new private Bungle Bungles Safari Camp. After a delightful bush sunset, relax with a delicious meal and evening under the stars. 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 $335pp, own expense) to put it all into perspective. (BLD/BLD)

Day 7 Mimbi Caves

We bid farewell to Purnululu and travel to the ancient realm of Mimbi Caves, one of Western Australia's largest cave systems, in the heart of Gooniyandi Country. Spiritually significant, these limestone caves are one of the oldest identified sites of human occupation in Australia. Delve into Dreamtime with our local Gooniyandi guide who shares traditional stories and reveals the secrets of Mimbi Caves, a sanctuary of crystal clear pools, rare fossils and ancient rock art. Share fresh damper and billy tea with the Gooniyandi traditional owners before we head for Fitzroy Crossing. (BL)

Day 8 Windjana Gorge & Tunnel Creek

Following another night by the Fitzroy River, we head for Bunuba country - once a Devonian reef, this terrain is over 350 million years old and home to a diverse array of animals and plants. In the morning we seek the adventure of 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 before we travel to the geological wonder of Windjana Gorge, a delightful oasis in the outback. Beneath gorge walls rising 90m, we enjoy a picnic lunch and search for freshwater crocodiles, local birdlife and Indigenous bushtucker. The Gibb River Road then leads us from the picturesque Napier Ranges as we begin the return to Broome via the Derby ‘Boab Prison Tree’. (BL)