From food to farmstay, Australia’s north-west offers unique experiences. Here are five ideas to add to your itinerary.
Acquire a deeper understanding of the Kimberley by seeing it through the eyes of the people who have called it home for more than 40,000 years. The Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council lists tour operators that offer authentic insights into their homelands. Uptuyu Aboriginal Adventures, for example, can teach you about bush medicine and the history of the region while taking you to rivers, gorges and ancient rock-art galleries. If you’re interested in more contemporary art, check out the Desert River Sea project’s Kimberley Aboriginal Art Trail Map – a self-drive guide to art centres across the Kimberley that welcome visitors.
Home Valley Station is a working cattle station covering some 250,000 hectares. Stockmen and women lead guests on horseback through the property, retracing parts of the graziers’ original 1800s stock route.
A three-hour round trip from Broome, Ramada Eco Beach Resort is suitable for a daytrip or overnight stay. Keep cool at the white-sand beach or, for guests, in the resort’s infinity pool. The on-site restaurant specialises in mod-Oz flavours.
In 1946, when coastal town Broome was a rough-and-ready outpost, Dean Brown skippered a pearling lugger to Cape Leveque, 200 kilometres further north, and established Cygnet Bay Pearls. Today you need only a 4WD to get there. Once you’ve toured the farm, stay for lunch or a night in the safari tents.
Or possibly dinners. You can enjoy Malaysian flavours at Rambutan or Australian classics like Surf and Turf at Sunset Bar & Grill. From March, Zensai reopens for the season. Executive chef Joji Iwama’s elegant Japanese has only added to the appeal of Broome’s most popular resort.