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

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

  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

  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

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.
 
Following lunch, I bade farewell to Debbie and her husband Steve, the best damper-maker I have ever met, and continued bumping north towards Cape Leveque, the isolated tip of the Dampier Peninsula.  Cape Leveque is known locally as Kooljaman, hence the name of its award-winning Indigenous-owned Kooljaman Resort. The French name was given in honour of a French hydrographer, Pierre Leveque, who first noticed the incredibly powerful tidal flow that passes the Cape, as the ocean retreats dramatically through the Buccaneer Archipelago on one of the biggest tides in the southern hemisphere.
 
The Kooljaman beach shelters offer one of the most awesome camping spots I have experienced in Australia. These rustic shelters, made from old timber and dried palm fronds, are perched on a low rocky ledge, just a couple of metres from the transparent sea. Kicking back I felt I could have been on the edge of a remote island in Asia. Snorkelling and fishing are the best way to spend an afternoon here though my fishing skills being as average as they are, the small campfire out front was only used for roasting potatoes. Must remember next time to bring a skilled fisherman as I hankered for barbecued trevally as the sun set over the Indian Ocean, illuminating the red cliffs around me. Sleeping to the sound of the ocean, I felt a more idyllic camping spot is hard to imagine.
 
As the sun rose, I reluctantly dismantled my tent. As I did so, I recalled a story I had heard about someone who had previously camped here, discovering a King Brown snake curled up under her tent. Whether it has been there all night was unknown but spending the night asleep on one of the country’s deadliest snakes would surely have made a good travel brag for years to come.
 
With no scary snakes about however, I set off to see if I could encounter something similarly dangerous in the bay of nearby Lombadina Community. Lombadina local, Robert Sibosado, offers sea kayak adventures, timed daily according to the tide. My kayak trip was to leave the oasis-like settlement of Lombadina at 7am before the Kimberley sun gained too much strength. I met Robert at the Community office and headed off in his 4WD through the dunes. Emerging onto the bay, my sunnies swung on to subdue to glare of bright white sand a blue sea as we cruised along the flawless beach crescent. Soon enough it was time to take to the sea as we unloaded the kayaks, kitted up and set off. The water was so clear that its depth was difficult to assess as we paddled out into the big blue yonder.  Not a soul could be seen in any direction and it was difficult not to appreciate the bay’s isolation and protective owners. Without its native title status, who knows what kind of rampant development would have been inflicted on this paradise by now – a gleaming resort with imported palm trees a wealthy tourists would have stolen its pristine innocence. Gliding across the bay I imagined Robert’s ancestors centuries ago, watching the tall masts of explorer ships from distant lands arrive on the horizon, bringing with them the winds of change that would transform this remote and beautiful land into the Australia we know today.
 
Robert brought me back to today as he pointed out the rocky reef we were heading for. Known locally as Bungard, this reef is of great significance to the Lombadina people as a favourite and fruitful fishing spot. I have visited the Bardi homeland during their Iralboo season, so fish are aplenty – in particular, mullet, trevally, mangrove jack and the delicious bluebone. Robert’s eyes are well tuned-in as he points out schools of mullet in the distance, visible only for a moment riding the peak of a small wave. With another excited jerk he points out a stingray. How he can tell the difference in a split second between a stingray and a rock shadow is beyond me as my untrained eyes stare vainly at the glistening sea. The sun is already beating down from the sky so we anchor the kayaks and roll off into the clear water to cool off and swim with the schools of fish that dance gracefully in the dappled underwater light. Climbing back into the kayak was a less than elegant moment but I was refreshed for the return to the beach. Driving back towards the Lombadina settlement, we pause to rescue a ghost crab, spied scuttling under our 4WD wheels. Roberts respect for his land and its natural inhabitants is inspiring – if only all Australians felt this way!

Later that day, I began my journey back down the pindan road towards Broome. The Dampier Peninsular had offered me the opportunity to be welcomed into its Aboriginal communities, meet its relaxed and friendly locals and truly envy their coastal Bardi lifestyle. Their love for the land and knowledge of its secrets means that this pristine natural environment could not be in better hands.

- Jennifer travelled on Kimberley Wild’s 3 Day Cape Leveque Experience