Boutique hotels
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El Questro Homestead
- Style
- Rugged riverside luxe
- Setting
- One million acres of wilderness
The Kimberley Overview
Western Australia
- Countryside
- Mountains and monsoons, cascades and creeks
- Country life
- Mining, meandering and marvelling
One of the world’s few remaining patches of wilderness, this remote patch of Western Australia is a rugged land of plunging waterfalls, jagged gorges and lush tropical flora.
Although The Kimberley was one of the first regions of Australia to be settled, by arrivals from Indonesia tens of thousands of years ago, it remains the nation’s most uninhabited region, thanks to the harsh landscape and the often-scorching temperatures. It’s the hottest area in Australia, which, combined with its violent monsoon climate, makes it practically unbearable during the summer months. However, these extreme conditions have helped make the Kimberley’s landscape exceedingly varied and eye-grabbingly beautiful. Steep gorges tear through broad eucalyptus-dotted savanna plains, astonishing waterfalls cascade down sheer rocky canyon walls into limpid swimming holes, and unexpectedly luxuriant pockets of rainforest ring the Indian Ocean coastline. With striking landmarks such as the rocky beehive-like Bungle Bungles, and the uncanny – but spectacular – Horizontal Falls.
Typically The Kimberley
Take a scenic flight to the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park where you’ll fly over 45,000 hectares of imposing orange and black striped, beehive-like mounds that make up the Bungle Bungle Range, one of nature’s most amazing creations. These scenic flights can also include a tour of the Argyle Diamond Mine, the largest supplier of diamonds in the world and the only continuous producer of the very rare pink diamonds. Be warned: they are very beautiful, very expensive and very irresistible. For scenic flights, see www.slingair.com.au.Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- Cabs are limited in the Kimberley, and you can forget any notions of flagging one down in the street – there aren’t many streets, for one thing. If you’re in Broome, Broome Taxis (+61 (0)8 9192 1133) will take you anywhere you need to in the city. In Kununurra, try Spud’s Taxis (+61 (0)8 9168 2553)
- Tipping culture
- Tipping’s rare in Australia, and the Kimberley is no exception. 10 per cent is fine if service merits.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Set your body clock to Kimberley time and ease into the unhurried pace of life. Outdoor pursuits take place in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the scorching sun. An afternoon siesta is highly advisable if you don’t take the heat well.
- Packing tips
- A hat. Any hat will do, but an authentic Australian Akubra will serve you best in these parts. You don’t visit the Kimberley if adventure isn’t your bag, so be sure to have grippy shoes for tramping in, a backpack for water and camera gear, and a map of the night sky for evening stargazing.
- Recommended reads
- Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack, and its sequel Sons in the Saddle, tells the story of the author’s relatives who pioneered this area. The sequel is Sons in the Saddle. Sara Hendersen’s Strength to Strength recounts the challenges she faced as a lone woman managing a sprawling cattle station after her husband’s death.
- Cuisine
- Much of the Kimberley’s landscape is on the desolate, inaccessible side so most food tends to be transported from other regions, as far away as Perth. In the nearby Ord River Valley, however, farmers cultivate tropical treats such as citrus fruits, mangoes, melons, sugarcane, pawpaw, bananas and asparagus. In meatier terms, barramundi are a delicious native eating fish, a number of cattle stations produce fine quality beef, and the numerous crocodiles of the region are as tasty as they are dangerous…
- Currency
- Australian Dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT +9 hours
- Dialling codes
- Australia: +61; Western Australia: (0)8. Forget mobiles in these parts.
- Do go/don't go
- The Kimberley has a monsoon climate, and can therefore be violent, unpredicatable and rather waterlogged during the hotter months between November and March. May is ideal.
Don't go home without...
attempting to catch one of the area’s legendary “fighting fish” a.k.a. the barramundi, known for its battling qualities. Even if you don’t manage to land a barra, sitting back and fishing in this quiet wilderness is about as relaxing as it gets.
