Racing the tides of King Sound

 Racing the tides of King Sound

The highlight of our Kimberley Wild trip to Cape Leveque was the tide race we saw from One Arm Point.  Tour leader James Weeding took us to a cliff-top viewpoint to show us the rising tide swirling round the reefs and islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago, and making trains of white water southward.  We could hear the noise of the racing sea.  As the tide range in King Sound is about 9 metres a huge quantity of sea water must flow in from the Indian Ocean and back out again twice daily.  At high tide off One Arm Point the current weakens, and then reverses, so that during the ebb there is an equally strong outflow northward, with white water bubbling past the reefs and islands in that direction.James told us that in 1822 Captain Philip Parker King sailed past Cape Leveque on the brig Bathurst, and found himself swept southward by these strong tidal currents.  He navigated his ship between the islands and reefs, and came ashore on a headland that he named Point Cunningham, after the famous botanist Allan Cunningham, who was on board.  Subsequently Captain John Lort Stokes named King Sound after the captain of the Bathurst.

- Richard Wilson travelled on Kimberley Wild’s 1 Day Cape Leveque Adventure

 

 

Venturing into Tunnel Creek

  Strange encounters in Tunnel Creek

Descending into the subterranean world of Tunnel Creek, the air temperature dropped dramatically - welcome relief from the Kimberley sun. Flicking my torch into life, I headed for the darkness, crossing sandy banks and wading through the shin-deep water. Shining the torch down, I could see freshwater prawns wiggling around my toes. Then the guide suddenly stopped, switched off his torch and pointed into the darkness across to our right. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I saw two tiny red eyes looking back at us. Though crocodile sightings are rare here, the occasional freshwater fellow does find his way in. Now I know these crocodiles are far more docile and harmless than their estuarine cousins, but I was truly uncomfortable with such a shadowy encounter. Not surprisingly, the rest of our venture into Tunnel Creek passed quickly as we picked up pace and raced towards the daylight ahead.  After a refreshing swim in a crocodile-free waterhole, we retraced our steps through the darkness, eyes peeled for our snappy friend.

- Helen Craig travelled on Kimberley Wild’s 1 Day Windjana Gorge - Tunnel Creek Adventure

 

Jandamarra Country

  Into the heart of Jandamarra Country

Our guide’s dark leathery hands grabbed at the spinifex, plucking handfuls and making a bouquet with other dry shrubbery. Bundling it all together he placed it on a clear patch of earth and set fire to it. As smoke billowed from the green leaves, he quietly spoke a few words in his traditional language. Continuing to chant, he invited us to walk through the white smoke that was curling its way towards vast blue sky. Having passed through, we had been formally welcomed into ‘Bunuba Country’. The Indigenous Bunuba people are traditional owners of a spectacular part of the West Kimberley region in northwest Australia, including the well-known Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek. The Bunuba have roamed these rocky gorges and vast grassy plains for thousands of years. Our guide, Dillon, was born and raised here and now lives in the remote Biridu Community, where we are headed as guests for the evening. On the way, we pause to explore a rocky outcrop, known only to locals, where rock art thousands of years old can been seen by the lucky few who are taken there.  It is late afternoon as we approach Biridu. Our rough 4WD track heads across Pigeon Creek, named after the Bunuba warrior, Jandamarra, who the white settlers nicknamed ‘Pigeon’. Often considered to be the Indigenous Ned Kelly, Jandamarra frustrated authorities for years back in the 1890’s while fighting for the freedom of his people; he died a legend during a defiant last stand, at the entrance of the cave through which Tunnel Creek flows.

Emerging from the Pigeon Creek bed, we drive down a dirt airstrip, clouds of red dust billowing behind us, before arriving in the Community itself. Locals come out to welcome us with broad smiles and spirited kids fall about laughing. The sun descends, as we set up camp beneath the Coolibah trees on the banks of Pigeon Creek. Corellas squawk in the sky above as they head home for the evening, while the relative cool of the night brings relief from the day’s heat and stars fill the Kimberley sky. Our dinner cooks on the campfire, as Dillon entertains us with stories of his youth in the area, local Bunuba legends and adventures of the hero, Jandamarra.  

This country has largely been off limits to travellers and watching the campfire flicker, surrounded by tall grasslands, swollen boab trees and new friends, I feel privileged to be here. It is unfortunate that remote Indigenous communities have experienced such negative media attention in recent months – I realize that for me this has been an experience of a lifetime, sadly one few other Australians have embarked upon themselves.

- Gina Woods travelled on Kimberley Wild’s 3 Day West Kimberley Experience

 

Green Tree Ants

  Eating green tree ants at Windjana Gorge!

My latest adventure was into the West Kimberley of Australia, a beautiful medley of vast cattle stations, pristine gorge country and indigenous homelands. Travelling east from Broome, we left the fresh coastal air and entered a seemingly endless savannah of Australian pindan wattles, melaleuca, bloodwood and boab trees. Scattered throughout were dense anthills built tirelessly in red pindan soil. As the landscape passed by, my eyes were peeled for Kimberley cattle, wallabies and black kites soaring above. Smoke billowed In the distance as fires burn freely on cattle stations, an atmospheric dry season ritual that has endured for thousands of years to invigorate the environment, promoting fresh growth and renewed life. 

Reaching the red soil of the famous Gibb River Road, we left the tarmac behind and travel towards the picturesque Napier Range. Once a Devonian reef, the rocks that form these mountains are over 350 million years old, amongst the oldest on the planet. Turning into the Windjana Gorge National Park, dramatic cliffs formed a backdrop to the natural habitat. Walking towards the cliffs, a narrow cavern marked the entrance to the gorge itself. An outback oasis, this geological wonder stretches 3.5 kilometres into the escarpment. Rugged gorge walls towered 90 metres above us as freshwater crocodiles sunned themselves on the banks of the river. These prehistoric-looking creatures are relatively harmless and the brave can get quite close! Our guide showed us some local indigenous bushtucker, including green tree ants, which he offered as a refreshing treat. Hesitantly, I did as instructed and bit off the ant’s abdomen. The citrus flavour was surprising and though green tree ants would not usually be on my menu, and may never be again, it was an experience. Later that afternoon, as the sun began to descend over the Kimberley, we set up camp beneath the gorge walls that glowed a brilliant red. Currawongs squawked overhead as they made their way home for the night while I helped our guide prepare dinner over a flickering campfire. 

What a wonderful Aussie experience!

 - Serena Elmore travelled on Kimberley Wild’s 3 Day West Kimberley Experience

 

The Saltwater People

Experience the land of the Bardi - the saltwater people

My guide, Debbie Sibosado, fell silent as a flock of red-tailed, black cockatoos flew overhead. She became agitated, shuffled on her feet and kept her head down. I silently waited, admiring the birds, looking at the rugged bush land around me, and the red soil beneath my feet. The midday sun was beating down as the uncomfortable interlude passed. Soon enough Debbie revived and as cool as a cucumber, while I sweated profusely in my descent into sweltering mess, continued our bushtucker walk through her native Djugaragyn back yard.

Debbie is an Indigenous guide, one of the Bardi ’saltwater people’ whose traditional homeland is the remote Dampier Peninsula in northwest Australia. After a long legal battle, the Bardi people finally won recognition of their native land rights to the Peninsula as recently as 2005. Today, the region is slowly becoming known beyond the Kimberleys, as one of the most unique, pristine, coastal environments in Australia. Home to rust red pindan soil, blinding white sandy beaches by iridescent ocean, unspoilt native scrubland and many Indigenous communities, the Dampier Peninsula, or Dampierland, offers some of the most authentic and rewarding Australian experiences.
 
I had left Broome at dawn, bumped my way up the 4WD Cape Leveque Road, and reached Djugaragyn by 11am. Joining Debbie for an insightful exploratory into Dampierland history, culture and flora, we discovered atmospheric old timber stockyards, from the land’s past life as a cattle station, tried local bushtucker, learnt about untouchable ‘law trees’  and revealed a traditional medicine for headaches – one for my next hangover hopefully. Some time later, as we were enjoying a plate of hot damper, fresh from the fire, Debbie explained her earlier discomfort. Red-tailed, black cockatoos are her inlaws and according to Bardi law, when she encounters them she must show respect and neither look nor not speak until they have passed. I wondered for while who my secret inlaws could be. While I am speechless when I see a dreaded huntsman spider, I soon decided phobic fear and ancient law were far from the same thing.