Paradise In The Kimberley
Exploring one of the most remote and unpopulated places on earth, full of spectacular gorges, waterfalls and cave systems, pockets of lush rainforest and a variety of wildlife.
The far north western corner of Australia, known as the Kimberley, is a vast wilderness area spanning 421,500 square kilometres (approximately 261,000 square miles). It is three times the size of England, and three fifths the size of Texas and yet it is home to only 40,000 people, most of whom live in the frontier towns of Kununurra and Broome.
The Kimberley has fewer people per square kilometre than almost any other place on earth and its immense and complex landscape is a place of hidden treasures; it contains spectacular gorges, waterfalls and cave systems, pockets of lush rainforest and a variety of wildlife.
The Kimberley is dissected by one dirt track, the Gibb River Road, and skirted to the south by one tarmac road, the Great Northern Highway. Along these two roads are a few caravan parks, lodges, fuel stops and local tour enterprises and I travelled the length of both in 2015... but that’s another story! This story is about the Kimberley’s 12,000+ kilometres of coastline and 2500 islands that are home to only a handful of settlements, each of which is home to very few people. This coast is about as wild and wonderful as anywhere on our planet.
And so, to Paradise; a 35 metre (115 foot) motor yacht that, since its launch in December 2014 has proven to be the finest charter vessel based in Western Australia. Paradise and her crew spend summers in Perth sailing to Rottnest Island and the South West of the state, then spend winter in the Kimberley – the best time to be there is from late May to early September.
Paradise sleeps 10 guests in 5 beautifully appointed cabins, and I joined a gorgeous family of six who generously invited me to travel with them on what would be the trip of a lifetime! We left the scant civilisation of Broome behind and flew for an hour by chartered seaplane to the Buccaneer Archipelago and a place known as the Horizontal Falls. There was such excitement as we saw our beautiful white boat set against the backdrop of rugged islands and jade green water and swooped in to land just nearby.
Lovely Rachel unpacked our luggage while we enjoyed lunch on deck - the first of many excellent meals on board! My host, Manoj, took pleasure in working with chef Sarah to plan delicious meals from all parts of the world and incorporating the freshest possible fish, mud crab and prawns as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and deserts that had been loaded in Broome. Drinks had also been pre-ordered & loaded so that favourite wines, local gins and plenty of sparkling were available to toast the magnificent Kimberley sunsets and celebrate the end of every adventure filled day.
The adventures began with a spin through the Horizontal Falls – at Talbot Bay the huge surge of the Kimberley tides (up to 10 metres) creates an intense current that hurtles through two narrow coastal gorges creating a waterfall effect, at times several metres high. The tide was lower when we visited and our jet-boat rocketed through first 20 metre and second 10 metre gap into the swirling mass of water in the isolated bay behind. You can’t help but grin and want to shout Yahoo as you whizz through. Also at Talbot Bay we were introduced to the Tawny Nurse Sharks that we encountered in a few locations, at times they would hang around the back of the boat, as did the big crocodiles of the Hunter River, for as much as the Indian Ocean looks inviting, the Kimberley is no place for swimming!
Yet we did swim everyday, in freshwater swimming holes high up on the cliffs and plateaus, some as big as an Olympic pool, some deep dark holes but all completely natural, without another soul in ‘cooeee’ (or sight) and all with a gushing waterfall, the perfect spot for cooling off after a hot climb to see spectacular and ancient Aboriginal rock art galleries.
We sailed for 8 days and everyday was a new adventure, for the first 5 days we had pilot Roger and his AS350 Squirrel with us as we moved north along the coast. Roger provided quick transport to remote places, opportunities for heli-fishing and spectacular sightseeing; his flying skills were other-worldly, and we wound along gorges with sheer cliffs on either side, we plummeted off the edge of Mt Trafalgar and we touched down on tiny platforms to access a particularly good waterhole that he had discovered on a previous trip. In the Kimberley, local experience is EVERYTHING, and with Roger, Matt and Luke as our pilot, guide and skipper we were in great hands.
A few of my personal Kimberley highlights were:
- Heli-fishing for Barramundi, the kids learned to fish and hooked some big fish (which Sarah later prepared for our meals). At one spot we were watched by a curious Johnsons crocodile (the little freshwater species that are not as threatening as the giant salties).
- The hike up behind spectacular Raft Point, past ancient Boab trees to the first of several truly amazing rock art galleries.
- Helicopter flying over the vast Montgomery Reef as the tide rushed off its edge, strewing turtles and small sharks in its foaming rivulets.
- Sitting on top of Mt Trafalgar (the highest point in the Kimberley) and feeling the power of the landscape wash over me – one of those tangible, magic moments in life.
- The diversity of the river systems; the Prince Regent, Sale, Roe and Hunter were all explored in our tenders and all were different and presented new experiences
- Rock formations and the white sandy beaches of the Anderdon Islands, aperfect spot for a beach picnic and later a bonfire.
A seaplane collected us in the Hunter River to fly us back to civilisation and we left the crew and our yacht as we had first seen them– waving warmly from an elegant floating Paradise surrounded by the vast wildness of this true paradise!
TRAVEL PLANNING
I would go back to the Kimberley coast in a heartbeat, it was truly a privilege to be in such a massive and unspoilt part of the world and to share it with such a warm and generous family.
Whilst not everybody has the budget for a private yacht, I have firsthand experience aboard some of the excellent shared cruise options that ply these waters.
A private yacht is perfect for groups of friends or family groups, if children are involved I would suggest a minimum of age of 8 years, both for parental piece of mind and for them to enjoy, learn and grow through the experience.
The Kimberley is wilderness and landscapes, rugged beauty and huge adventures – it is not for everyone, but to be honest, we don’t want everyone to go there… the lack of ‘traffic’ is one of its divine attributes.