OUTBACK MAGIC
Heed the Kimberley’s call
WORDS BONITA GRIMA
OUTBACK MAGIC
Heed the Kimberley’s call
WORDS BONITA GRIMA
The Bungle Bungle Range is just one of the magnificent highlights on offer in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
Once you visit the Kimberley region in Western Australia’s great north, it never really leaves you. The deeper you dig beneath its surface, the harder it becomes to resist returning to its magnificent natural and cultural attractions.
The Kimberley takes in a massive 421,451 square kilometres of timeless Country. This journey from west to east, from the bustling coastal town of Broome to the region’s inland heart, Kununurra, covers only a fraction of the Kimberley, but includes some incredible highlights. Add the knowledge of local Aboriginal guides into the mix, and you are sure to experience an amazing adventure that will stay with you forever.
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Northern territory
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
Click on a marker to find out the locations
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Welcome to Saltwater Country.
Coastal Colour
The gateway to the Kimberley, Broome, will greet you warmly with colour – from the turquoise blue of the Indian Ocean paired with the brilliant white sand of its beaches and the rich red earth known as pindan. It’s also where Yawuru man Bart Pigram of Narlijia Experiences will introduce you to Saltwater Country. Follow in the footsteps of the Yawuru people during Bart’s Mangrove Discovery Experience at Roebuck Bay. Learn traditional uses for mango wood while exploring the forest ecosystem at low tide, hear Creation stories connected to the land and sample bush tucker, including rock oysters sourced straight from the sea.
Learn about Saltwater Country from a Yawuru guide.
Nature's rich bounty.
In addition to his Aboriginal heritage, Pigram’s diverse family history includes European and Asian ties to Broome that date back to the town’s early pearling days at the turn of the 20th century — a lineage that enables him talk about the history of this important hub.
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The crystal clear waters of Cygnet Bay, Broome, from the air. Photo credit: Bonita Grima.
Learn about living off the land on a walking tour of Cygnet Bay's tidal flats.
Pearls of Wisdom
To learn more about the history of pearling and Aboriginal culture, your next stop is Cygnet Bay, 220 kilometres north, on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula. Borrgoron, as it’s known to the Bardi and Jawi people, is one of the last pristine marine wilderness areas in the world. While it can be accessed via the newly-sealed Broome-Cape Leveque Road, the most scenic way to appreciate its remoteness is by small plane.
Borrgoron, as it’s known to the Bardi and Jawi people, is one of the last pristine and marine wilderness areas in the world.
As a fourth-generation pearler and proud Bardi man, you could say Terry Hunter knows a thing or two about the area’s local gems. His Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours, operating out of the area’s oldest pearl farm at Cygnet Bay, provide insights into the Bardi Jawi people’s connection to the coastline and the beginnings of the region’s pearl trade.
Terry Hunter is a fourth generation pearler.
Try your hand at foraging for fresh oysters on a Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tour.
Resident Riji artist Bruce Wiggan at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. Photo credit: Bonita Grima.
Terry will share stories from his childhood and introduce you to Bardi Jawi culture with experiences that include foraging for bush foods and medicines, the sourcing of freshwater on tidal flats, and an art lesson in the traditional pearl shell carving technique known as ‘riji’. With Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm also offering camping and glamping accommodation — including the chance to stay in a historic pearlers' shack — it’s worth spending a night or two here before heading back to Broome.
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Aboriginal tour guides at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts share their skills, knowledge and stories of art, Country and culture.
An Outback Canvas
Venturing inland from Broome, Kununurra is easily reached by air. For road-trippers it’s either an 11-hour journey via National Highway 1, or a 1,166 kilometre 4WD adventure along the iconic Gibb River Road. Highlights along this mostly unsealed road include El Questro Wilderness Park, Windjana Gorge, and the dramatic canyons, waterfalls and ranges of various national parks.
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts & Tours, Kununurra, Western Australia.
Upon reaching Kununurra, the team at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts & Tours will welcome you to Miriwoong Country with a traditional ceremony, known as a ‘Mantha’, as part of its artist-led tour of the multimedia gallery, sculpture garden and studios. As one of Australia’s oldest continuously operating art centres, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts has been supporting the economic independence of Aboriginal artists and their communities across the Kimberley since the 1980s and is responsible for nurturing the talents and careers of famous artists such as Rover Thomas and Queenie McKenzie. The artists are believed to be unique in continuing to paint with traditional ochre, rather than acrylics.
Artistic designs adorn the studio's individually painted poles and pathways of sandblasted pavers.
Waringarri nurtures the careers of Aboriginal artists.
For something truly special, join Waringarri Aboriginal Arts’ Mirima National Park Walk, or Sunset Tour. The former takes you on a journey with Miriwoong Elders through the ancient escarpments of Mirima National Park — exploring rock art sites and learning about the traditional use of plants and artefacts — whilst the Sunset Tour will immerse you in Dreaming stories, Aboriginal history, and the hypnotic sounds of the didgeridoo as you enjoy bush tucker foods and panoramic views of an outback landscape painted in the glorious glow of a Kimberley sunset.
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The World Heritage-listed Bungle Bungle Range.
Stories set in Sandstone
A scenic flight above the Bungle Bungle Range within Purnululu National Park, then a walk that winds through its giant beehive-shaped domes, is a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime experience. And learning about the Bungle Bungle Range's cultural and geographical history through the wisdom and words of a gifted guide and storyteller like Rebecca Sampi, will be a highlight. Born and raised in the East Kimberley, Rebecca has been visiting the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site since childhood, but the area has been home to her people — the Gija, for more than 20,000 years. Departing from Kununurra, Kingfisher Tours operate regular flights to the Bungle Bungle Range, with Rebecca conducting day hikes and overnight tours. One of their best is the Bungles Day Trek Extended (with Echidna Chasm). Rebecca leads the way, uncovering hidden messages and sacred stories deep within the layers of sandstone.
See Purnululu National Park through the eyes of an Aboriginal guide.
Visit Cathedral Gorge, in the Purnululu National Park, and you will understand why the site is culturally significant to the Gija people.
Entering the stunning natural amphitheatre of Cathedral Gorge is a magical moment. The gorge is a circular cavern of red rock that towers to an opening where a waterfall cascades during the wet season. It is one of the Gija people’s most culturally significant sites. Singing traditional songs and sharing knowledge and stories, Rebecca's hauntingly beautiful voice journeys over thousands of years, leaving you with a sense of wonder and gratitude for a window into this precious world. But then that’s the call of the Kimberley — it has a way of working its way into your heart.
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