Kimberley

KIMBERLEY COASTAL CAMP

Bush Camp in the Kimberley, Western Australia

The Kimberley coast remains one of the least explored and most spectacular coastlines in Australia. The craggy cliffs coming down to the water’s edge, with sandstone and shell covered beaches make this area nearly inaccessible and you venture into the region only with people who know it. Rocky and Liz Terry have made their home in one of the most beautiful and remote parts of the Kimberley and have learned how to live with, and enjoy, its extremes of climate. Their camp near the Mitchell Plateau is an unexpected delight.

Hosts: Rocky & Liz Terry

Accommodation / Meals: A maximum of eight guests can be accommodated in the four comfortable but simple wooden chalets. Crushed coral and sand make up the floor with small bedside mats and there are wooden frame beds, a bedside lamp, mirror, bedside table and a fan. Bathroom facilities are not ensuite: there are two showers and two loos, both open air but surrounded by corrugated iron, built on the back of a rock out crop. The shared facilities are not an imposition, in fact their stylishly rudimentary appearance is very much in line with the camp and feels very appropriate to the style of experience that is being provided.

The main camp is a large and open area under a corrugated roof supported by large timber beams. An open kitchen and “help yourself to the fridge”style gives it a laid back and friendly camp atmosphere.

Food is of the very highest standard (and quantity). Dinner is especially good and quite often depends on the catch-of-the-day – you might be dining on tuna or salmon sashimi, baked barramundi, kedgerees, smoked mackerel, prawn fishcakes - the list is endless.

Activities: Fishing: the camp provides some of the best fishing in Australia. Fish you can expect to catch are barramundi, mangrove jack, tuna, mackerel, Giant, Golden Trevally. Rocky will take you out in sync with the tides to ensure that you fish at prime times and in prime spots. Both professional and amateur/beginner fishermen are easily looked after at the same time and Rocky’s style makes them blend well. Lures can be bought at the camp and rods borrowed.

Swimming: in the sea is not advised, mainly due to crocodiles, sharks and the box jelly fish, but there is a salt water pool in camp and a seasonal waterhole in the nearby creek. Picnic lunches can be arranged on one of the nearby islands where the fish that you’ve caught can also be cooked in the coals. Mudcrabs and oysters also provide excellent local ingredients.

Walks: If you are not the keenest of fishermen, then the walks behind the camp onto the plateau in search of aboriginal art are an education in themselves as Liz guides you through the rich culture that once permeated the area, and gives you a completely different perspective on the depth and wealth of Australian history well beyond the recent confines of European settlement. Liz has extensive knowledge of the aboriginal art of the area, notably Wandjina and Bradshaw art and conveys the stories with great passion.

Helicopter trips with a picnic lunch to visit the Mitchell Falls, or to Prince Frederick bay, one of the most spectacular parts of the Kimberley coast.

Relaxing at camp: the early morning light from behind the plateau and the sunsets, falling behind Crystal Head and the Indian Ocean create a magical feeling in camp. However – anytime of day it’s easy to relax here, either in the saltwater swimming pool or just watching the terns diving on bait balls, the tuna jumping in the sea or the dolphins feeding in close to shore.

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Thursday, 14 December 2006 - Australian Travel Agents Licence No. 2TA4511