The Kimberley - Wild and Wonderful

The Kimberley is one of Australia's hidden treasures with an immense and complex landscape that encompasses spectacular gorges, waterfalls and cave systems, pockets of lush rainforest and an astonishing variety of wildlife. Wild and wonderful, the Kimberley is one of the world's last great wilderness areas.

The Kimberley is home to only 40,000 people meaning that there are fewer people per kilometre than almost any other place on the planet.

Located north of the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate in the Kimberley is a tropical monsoon climate, defined by a distinct wet season and dry season. This climate is typical not only in Western Australia, but across all of Australia's North.

The Kimberley dry season is characterised by clear blue skies, easterly winds and balmy days with some chilly nights. The weather is very stable, and outdoor activities and events can be planned years in advance. The chance of rain is very unlikely. Every day is so beautifully perfect.

The Kimberley wet season however, is a different story. During the wet season, the Kimberley becomes hot and humid, sometimes violent, and above all unpredictable.

The remote Kimberley region of north Western Australia was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first arrivals landing about 40,000 years ago from the islands of what is now Indonesia.

The Kimberley region is home to hundreds of thousands of rock art paintings and drawings known as Bradshaw or Wandjina rock art. These beautiful and mysterious paintings are hidden in outback bush galleries on the huge escarpments and terracotta rock surfaces of the north Kimberley.

The first European to explore the region was Alexander Forrest in 1879. Forrest was the first European man to discover and name the Kimberley district, the Margaret and Ord Rivers, the King Leopold Ranges, and the fertile area between the Fitzroy and Ord Rivers. He subsequently set himself up as a land agent specialising in the Kimberleys and was thus instrumental in the leasing of over 51 million acres in the region during 1883.

The Durack family sought Forrest's advice and went on to establish the Lissadell, Argyle, Rosewood and Ivanhoe cattle stations in the Kimberleys. It was at the Ivanhoe Station, to the north of Kununurra, that Kimberley Durack first began experimenting with the possibility of growing cash crops on the rich black alluvial soils of the Ord River valley. This was to later grow into the Ord River Scheme.

European settlement expanded during the late 19th century, when cattle were driven across Australia from the eastern states in search of good pasture lands. Many other Europeans arrived soon after, when gold was discovered around Halls Creek and pearls were harvested at Broome.

Margaret River - Untamed Beauty

Margaret River WA was originally a chilled out surfie town, but has evolved into a delightful smorgasbord of premium wine, fine restaurants and food, dazzling beaches, spectacular forests and scenery – just a three hour drive south of Perth.

Blessed with a perfect Mediterranean maritime climate, the four seasons are gently defined in this relaxed and soulful corner of the country.

It is a region for all seasons, whether it is autumn dawn walks in wooded valleys veiled in mist; cosy winter nights spent with good friends and a great local wine around a roaring fire; spring picnics amid towering karri forest ablaze with wildflowers; or warm summer days lazing on a secluded beach by a sparkling sea.

The region offers a fine supply of world-class wineries, boutique breweries, and restaurants overlooking sweeping vineyards and surf breaks. While the region’s 60 plus wineries produce less than one per cent of Australian wine, they are responsible for over 15 per cent of the country's premium wine.

Active visitors are able to go rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, whale watching, or even throw in a line and try their luck catching some local snapper or simply be enthralled watching the locals take on awe-inspiring breakers at world-class surf break, Surfers Point.

UNTAMED BEAUTY

From the tranquil waters of Geographe Bay in the north, down the ancient cave-carved Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, through the picturesque vineyards and karri forest of the heartland, to the desolate beauty of Cape Leeuwin in the south, this is a place of splendid natural contrasts.

Explore networks of underground caves, a rugged coastline, squeaky-clean sandy beaches, turquoise water, towering forests and bush and coastal walk trails.

The wild, rugged beauty of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge with its dramatic cliffs and rocks, the tranquil aqua waters of the many protected bays, the local vineyards covered in rising mist in the early morning all contribute to outstanding visual splendour. It’s a photographer’s dream.

The intrepid traveller can journey along the Cape to Cape Track, stretching from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste. The total journey takes up to 6 days. However, many sections of the trail make for a most enjoyable short stroll or day walk.

Large stingrays grace the waters of Hamelin Bay. There are schools of dolphins, the occasional seal, and on land kangaroos, possums and bird life aplenty. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers' meandering waterways are visited by pelicans, hundreds of black swans, red necked stints, egrets while onshore blue wrens, silvereyes, magpies and a number of species of cockatoos.

Out at the Leeuwin Cape and along the spectacular beaches view a variety of seabirds including the Yellow nosed Albatross, Great winged Petrel, the Australasian Gannet and the Flesh-footed Shearwater, to name just a few. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers also offer abundant water activities, ranging from canoeing to fishing and boating. The Blackwood is also becoming internationally renowned for its favourable kitesurfing conditions.

In Spring the countryside comes alive with a huge variety of Australian wildflowers which lay a carpet of mesmerising colours through the forests and coastal heath. It’s wonderful for those who like to walk and explore.

BEACHES
The serene aqua water of Hamelin Bay provides the perfect ambiance for relaxing in the sun, beach combing, swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving out on the shipwrecks. This bay is often graced with the presence of stingrays which can be hand fed.

FISHING
The area is a fisherman’s paradise. Fishing from a boat, the jetty or the riverbank may yield Bream, Herring and Yellow Fin Whiting. Blue Manor crabs are found in season and beach fishing all along the coast is extensive and worth the exploration and effort.

Ningaloo Reef - Turtles, Whales, and Deep History

Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia's mid north coast, has gained an impressive reputation as one of Earth's last ocean paradises. It's one of the largest fringing reefs in the world and unlike many others, is accessed just by stepping off the beach.

Swim with Whale Sharks, snorkel and dive the reefs, or just wander along the shoreline exploring the crystal clear waters for an appreciation and close up view of the aquatic world and nature at its premium.

Ningaloo Reef comprises 200 species of hard corals and 50 species of soft corals with over 520 species of fish. The reefs close proximity to the shoreline means it is easily accessible, being a diver's and snorkeller's paradise. The Ningaloo Reef is famous for Whale Sharks, Mantarays, Humpback whales, Dugongs, Turtles, Potato Cod and hundreds of other different fish species.

The Ningaloo marine park stretches 260 kilometres from Bundegi Reef near the town of Exmouth to Amherst Point near Coral Bay in the south. It reaches nearly 20 kilometres seaward, encompassing a massive 5,000 square kilometres of ocean.

Whale Sharks – The world’s biggest species of fish feed on the reef from March to June, following the mass spawning of coral in the Ningaloo Marine Park, after slowly passing through the tropical waters of the oceans.

The reef is also rich in coral and other marine life. During the winter months, the reef is part of the migratory routes for dolphins, dugongs, manta rays and humpback whales. The beaches of the reef are an important breeding ground of the loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtles. They also depend on the reef for nesting and food.

Humpback whales visit the Ningaloo Reef between June to November each year migrating twice annually through the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park into the Exmouth Gulf. The first visit occurs in autumn during their northern migration, and they return in their southern migration each spring. Female Humpback Whales give birth in the deeper offshore waters where whales and their calves then spend their time frolicking in the calm Exmouth Gulf waters. Blue and sperm whales have been observed in the offshore regions of the reserve as have minke, Bryde's, southern right and killer whales. Dolphins are also relatively common in the reserve.

In 2006, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science discovered in the marine park’s deeper waters gardens of sponges that are thought to be species completely new to science.

Rare turtle species hatch here in late January and February. Watch this amazing natural phenomenon on special guided, eco-interactive trails.

With the continental shelf only kilometres offshore, fishing and the Ningaloo Reef go hand in hand. There are many opportunities for beach, reef and game fishing in the diverse environment of Ningaloo. Sanctuary zones are special conservation zones where fishing is strictly prohibited but there are many other areas in the Marine Park where the fishing is superb.

Land based fishing is a popular recreational pastime as there are many different species to be caught. Beach fishing often produces surprising reef species while fishing in Exmouth Gulf turns up a variety of estuarine species. Mud crabbing and squid fishing are also popular activities. Enquire locally about what’s on the bite!

The reef protects a lagoon that is on average only 2-4 metres deep and is rich in marine life. There are limitless snorkel sites along the Ningaloo coastline and a variety of ways to access them. Experience the Ningaloo Reef from a dive boat, catamaran, coral viewing boat, sea kayak, from the air on a scenic flight, or by snorkelling from the beach. Slip on a snorkel or diving gear and swim with graceful manta rays, see dolphins and schools of brightly coloured fish in the clearest turquoise water imaginable.

And off the water, go four wheel driving to Cape Range National Park to see amazing red rock canyons and gorges.There has been a long association between Aboriginal people and the Ningaloo region. Materials found in rock shelters, shell middens and caves on the Cape Range Peninsula indicate that Aboriginal people have lived on the Ningaloo coast for over 30,000 years.