Western Australia

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

JUNE 23, 2022

WELCOME BACK TO A LAND BEYOND IMAGINATION

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W H E R E A DV E N T U R E A N D I N D U LG E N C E M E E T Welcome to the Margaret River Region, where adventure and indulgence meet. Hop from cellar doors and restaurants to stunning beaches, tall-timber forests and ancient caves.

In Western Australia there’s so much more to explore.

Reconnect with family and friends, and share an adventure together. Whether it’s meeting friendly quokkas on Rottnest Island / Wadjemup, swimming with gentle whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, or exploring the otherworldly landscapes of the Kimberley – it’s time to wander out yonder in WA.

P L A N YO U R T R I P AT WA N D E R O U T YO N D E R . C O M . A U

MARGARET RIVER REGION

Uncover a summer of wonder when you wander out yonder

TASTE OF PERTH & THE SWAN VALLEY PACK AGE

SAL SALIS NINGALOO REEF, EXMOUTH

Spoil yourself in luxury and gourmet delights in Perth with this indulgent package, exclusive to Travel Associates.

Enjoy three nights at The Ritz-Carlton Perth with a room upgrade*, breakfast daily, a USD$100* equivalent hotel credit, coffee, art and wine tours along with so much more.

Camp in luxury on the edge of the largest fringing World Heritage-listed coral reef in the world with this exclusive Travel Associates package. Enjoy your regionally inspired daily menu and alcoholic beverages included in your stay, along with many more unforgettable experiences to enjoy.

*T&Cs apply. Selected travel dates 7 Nov - 16 Dec 22 and 5 Feb - 30 Mar 23 (Sundays to Thursdays only, excluding public holidays*)

*T&Cs apply. Selected travel dates 1 Sep - 11 Nov 22 (Blackout dates 22 Sep - 4 Oct 22).

3 night luxur y package from $1399pp*

3 night s in a Wildernes s Tent from $2938pp*

Rowley Shoals Marine Park

Call your local Travel Associates expert on 13 70 71 or scan our QR code.

Dismcoroveer

*Travel restrictions and conditions apply. Prices and taxes are correct at time of distribution (20 May 2022) and are subject to change without notice. All offers end 18 July 2022 unless sold out prior. Airfares not included. Prices are per person, in AUD and in complete twin accommodation (unless otherwise stated). “Room upgrade on arrival” OR “Complimentary room upgrade” where stated is subject to availability and must be mentioned at time of booking and upon arrival at your stay. Early check-in and late check-out is subject to availability and must be mentioned at time of booking and upon arrival at your stay. Hotel credit: (In any form) is per room and must be used during the duration of your stay. Credit cannot be transferred or exchanged for cash value. If any remaining credit remains at the end of your stay, the credit will be forfeited. Breakfast inclusion: Unless otherwise stated, all breakfast inclusions are valued for up to 2 guests in the same room. The monetary value of some products are based on the advertised price of the inclusion as advertised by the supplier. Any stated savings amount or bonus inclusions (including free nights) has already been included into the price advertised. Cancellation Conditions: Unless otherwise mentioned, normal cancellation conditions apply. If you need to cancel your booking, ensure you notify your Travel Associates advisor as soon as possible. Cancellation conditions will vary. To view the cancellation condition for each holiday, speak to your Travel Associates advisor. Advertised price includes non-refundable Travel Associates Purple Ribbon Service Concierge and/or Booking and Management fees, savings amount and bonus night/s if applicable. See a full fee breakdown here – www.travelAassociates.com/service-fees. Strictly limited availability. Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Prices shown are for payments made by cash in store. Please contact your local travel advisor or visit www.travelassociates.com for full terms and conditions. Advertised prices are for products booked with Travel Associates retail advisors within Australia. Pricing may vary if you are booking with a Travel Associates at Home independent travel advisor or Travel Associates franchise office as they operate as independent businesses and determine their own pricing and service fees. TA22048

CONTENTS

Little Armstrong Bay, Rottnest Island

6 Ningaloo encounters 12 Aerial perspective 14 Perth and surrounds 18 Food tour 20 Kimberley trips 24 Swimming spots 26 Remote lodges 32 Cruising returns 38 Fine wines

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

40 Pearl farmers EDITOR Steve Waterson ART DIRECTOR Shireen Nolan SUB EDITOR Anne-Maree Gale GPO Box 4245, Sydney 2001 Phone (02) 9288 3000 PRODUCTION NSW PREMEDIA ON THE COVER Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park Printed by Ovato for the proprietor and publisher, Nationwide News Pty Limited (ACN 008 438 828), of 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, for insertion in The Australian, June 23, 2022

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

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ore than 20 years ago I climbed into a Land Cruiser in Kununurra and headed south through Western Australia to Broome, a modest 1000km jaunt, with side trips into the majestic Kimberley for a taste of the Gibb River Road, and a few hours south of Halls Creek to scramble over shattered rocks into the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater.

On a dozen visits since, most of them for work, I’ve picked up a reasonable working knowledge of the state, but that first drive stays with me. I remember stopping the car late at night on the Tanami Track, three hours’ serious driving from the nearest electric light, turning everything off (probably not too smart, on reflection) and flattening myself on the roof.

The stars under these skies, as clear as those above the open ocean, are so dense they feel almost oppressive, as though they might sink and crush you. It’s an atavistic wonder, an insight into why our ancestors, and the Indigenous people who cherish these lands, felt so closely linked to the heavens.

One of hundreds of treasured memories that include a sunset, all alone, amid the Pinnacles; walking among an absurd profusion of wildflowers on the sandplains near Kalbarri; Aboriginal art on cave walls from a time before history; cliffs and gorges built of rock older than life; beaches of brilliant white sand; the startling thrill of encounters with wildlife; world-class restaurants and more winery visits than I’d care to reveal to my doctor.

It was all on hold for a while, but after two rather dull years exploring our well-trodden backyards, the nation’s Covid restrictions have been lifted and the Australian lust for travel is reborn, more vigorous than ever.

For many, WA is top of their wish list as the country reopens, and the state stands ready and eager to welcome them. For my part, I’ve wanted to swim with the whale sharks and their friends at Ningaloo Reef for the three decades since I first heard of them, but I’ve never had the luck, or wit, to travel during whale shark season, although 2023 looks promising.

Last year, with interstate travel all but impossible, our magazine about Western Australia offered a big-picture appreciation of the state, its history and attractions. This time, we have tried to satisfy our readers’ interest with a more actionable guide, giving practical advice and itineraries to suit travellers both relaxed and intrepid; from those seeking the comforts of a luxury cruise or the serenity of a remote lodge, to those boldly crossing ancient landscapes in their 4WDs or bravely eating and drinking their way across half a continent.

We can, of course, only give a tiny, tempting taste of the range of experiences available; for further detailed information I would recommend travellers begin by consulting the superbly curated, comprehensive web pages of Tourism Western Australia.

It’s time to dust off the suitcases and start planning.

Steve Waterson

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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WHALE OF A TIME Breathtaking encounters in an amazing, alien world

STORY BY

LOUISE GOLDSBURY

Clockwise from main: Humpback and baby; whale shark approaching; Sal Salis; shoal of fish at Ningaloo Reef

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THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 30, 2021

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; KYLE BOWMAN; BROOK PYKE

C

aptivated by the glow-in-the-dark spots of a whale shark, I initially think I’m seeing things. Peering through my snorkel mask at the grey shape emerging below us, a humpback and her newborn come into view. Wait, who invited them? This is supposed to be a whale shark swim.

Riding on its mother’s back, the calf was possibly born today. By the look of its undeveloped dorsal fin, this beautiful baby is likely no more than two or three days old. Such an adorable sight is truly breathtaking. Even wilder is to be the human in this four-tier fish and mammal sandwich.

Although the wildlife is several metres away, it feels like an intimate encounter in another world.

The bonus sighting is particularly fortunate as people are not usually allowed to swim with whale calves in Australia. We just got lucky when they appeared out of nowhere, from the depths of Ningaloo Reef.

Upstaged, the bus-sized whale shark speeds away, leaving mum and bub to be spotted by the three other people in the water. Subaquatic squeals resonate through our snorkels, as we share this joyful moment.

But that’s not the last surprise. After a break on Live Ningaloo’s boat, we slide back into the deep.

“Heads in the water!” our guide instructs.

From a floating position, I immerse my face and discover a massive manta ray, flapping its black wings in slow motion. Everyone watches in awe as the majestic creature glides around the ocean like an angel.

We lose count of the number of whale sharks after eight or nine swims, rendering our group exhausted. Finally, dolphins and an elusive dugong appear during afternoon tea, and we can hardly believe our luck. It’s a marine megafauna extravaganza.

Local tour operator Live Ningaloo offers inwater experiences with whale sharks (March to July) and migrating humpbacks (August to October). However, there are periods of transition when you can find “the big three”: whale sharks, humpbacks and manta rays. The best chance is on the company’s new tour, Life on Ningaloo, inspired by the locals’ enviable lifestyle.

“The post-Covid-19 world is different, and we’ve learned a lot,” says co-founder Murray Pattison.

“One thing we know for sure is how fortunate we are to live in a place like Ningaloo, so we’ve decided to take this opportunity to share what we love best about Ningaloo Reef: its diversity and uniqueness.

We didn’t want to limit our tours to [one type of] whales. We share what life is like for us when we decide to take the boat out for a day.”

Whether it’s for business or pleasure, Ningaloo Marine Park regulations stipulate that only 10 people can swim with a whale shark at a time, and only seven swimmers with a humpback. As a sustainable and minimal-impact operation, Live Ningaloo follows these limits for its total number

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

of passengers per trip, so that nobody has to wait their turn on the boat.

Despite the rules about maintaining a safe distance (four metres from whale sharks, 30 metres from humpbacks), the curious creatures can come closer. Whales sharks, in particular, might head straight for you, like oncoming traffic, with gaping mouths as wide as the length of your body. Unless you’re plankton, they will suddenly change direction at the last second. The first time it happens is utterly exhilarating.

While this interaction has been popular for decades, swimming with “humpies” is relatively new in Ningaloo. As one of the few places where it’s offered in the world, Western Australia is probably the most regulated. Since 2016, the Department of Parks and Wildlife has granted a trial licence to only 11 tour operators. The trial continues until next year before it transitions to a licensed industry in 2024.

Other ways to explore Ningaloo

According to UNESCO, the World Heritage-listed, 260km-long, near-shore Ningaloo Reef harbours more than 300 coral species, 700 reef fish species,

650 mollusc species, 600 crustacean species and 1000 species of marine algae. Along the coast, an estimated 10,000 marine turtle nests are deposited annually. Less frequently sighted are orcas, blue whales, minke whales and octopus, but there’s plenty more to see in the sea.

Snorkelling off the quieter, sheltered beaches of neighbouring Coral Bay is popular with families. Tours by kayak and glass-bottom boat depart daily from Coral Bay and the nearest town of Exmouth. Whale-watching cruises run from June through November, when 40,000 humpbacks migrate between their summer breeding grounds in the Kimberley and their winter feeding grounds in Antarctica.

Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf are also premier fishing destinations. Evolution Fishing Charters operates full-day trips on a 15m vessel for maximum six passengers. Go blue water fishing for marlin, mahi mahi, tuna and wahoo, or scour the reefs from gulf to continental shelf for giant trevally, red emperor, mackerel, snapper and sailfish. Longer “live aboard” expeditions, for up to four people, venture to the offshore canyons, shoals and islands further north.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

Live Ningaloo Whale shark swims costs $575 per person including transfers between Exmouth and the boat, snorkelling gear and wetsuits, professional photos taken underwater and on deck, lunch, snacks, drinks and a glass of sparkling wine to toast the day’s adventures. The humpback swim is $500 per person; liveningaloo.com.au Sal Salis A minimum three-night stay starts at $785 per night, per person, twinshare, including all meals, drinks, water sports and guided activities.

The property is 100km/1.5-hour drive from Learmonth Airport.

Transfers must be booked in advance. Alternatively, take a scenic flight ($300 per person) from the airport to Yardie Creek Station, where staff will collect guests in a buggy; salsalis.com.au Getting here from Perth Fly: Learmonth Airport, 37km from Exmouth, is serviced daily by Qantas.

Drive: Exmouth is 1270km/13hour drive north. For a road trip including stops at major attractions on the west coast, a minimum of six days is recommended

Clockwise from opposite: Manta Ray and companion; aerial view of Ningaloo Reef and Coral Bay; whale shark; diver

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; BROOKE PYKE

Adventures on dry land

It’s easy to forget the 604,500-ha Ningaloo Coast comprises a whole lot of dry land, too. Directly adjacent to the East Indian Ocean is an arid coastline, where the karst landscape is riddled with hundreds of caves, groundwater streams, limestone ridges and deserted beaches. These habitats support a variety of rare and endemic birds and reptiles, with many species not found elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cape Range National Park is the dry heart of this remarkable region. Visually, the burnt-orange canyons contrast dramatically with the turquoise water and earthy tones. Self-guided or guided hiking through this scenery is unforgettable.

Among the acacia trees and spinifex are red kangaroos, echidnas, emus, geckoes and bangarra (sand goanna). At Mangrove Bay, observe eagles, ospreys, shorebirds, mangrove whistlers and fantails. In the Mandu Mandu Gorge, keep an eye out for black-footed rock wallabies feeding on sheer cliffs at dawn or dusk.

Yardie Creek, where the pristine water is trapped by a sandbar, is a sanctuary for shovelnose rays and turtles. The Gorge Rim Track (2.5km JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

return) is a spectacular route to explore the creek, overlooking the reef, and more than 100 species of birdlife. Splashes of colour brighten the scene in late winter and early spring, when 630 flowering plant species burst into bloom. Endemic species include the Cape Range Kurrajong, Cape Range Desert Pea, and Yardie Morning Glory.

Day trips and multi-night holidays are organised by Exmouth Adventure Co. These small-group getaways include hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding and camping within the national park. The eighthour “Ningaloo In A Day” tour encompasses a walk, snorkelling and lunch.

From the ranges to the reef, these astonishing landscapes are best viewed from above. The water is so clear, even the marine life is visible. Ningaloo Aviation offers scenic flights in fixed-wing planes, painted like whale sharks, for up to three passengers. Or soar like a bird in a microlight with Birds Eye View’s introductory flights.

the unpretentious comfort of Sal Salis, one of WA’s most exclusive accommodations. With direct access to the reef, the eco-certified, off-grid camp has 15 solar-powered, ensuite tents perched above the dunes between the beach and the bushland of Cape Range.

From the shore, it’s barely a fin kick to the coral to seek out crayfish, eels, rays and turtles.

The staff organise optional activities such as kayaking excursions, gorge walks, sunset yoga and stargazing. Each evening, everyone dines outdoors at a communal long table, creating an instant dinner party under the Milky Way. The well-stocked, self-serve, all-inclusive bar is available 24 hours a day.

Don’t be surprised to find what you’re not expecting. Just like my mix-and-match whale encounters, when I take my airport transfer in the morning, I glance down a sandy track for a final glimpse of the ocean and instead I see a dingo.

Safari-style glamping

Louise Goldsbury was a guest of Tourism Western Australia.

At the end of the day, it’s a treat to come back to

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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ROAD TRIP#1 NORTHERN EXPOSURE

Burnt ochres, silver eucalypts and blue skies are the backdrop for a classic journey

STORY BY

NATASHA DRAGUN

Aerial view of Wolfe Creek Crater in the east Kimberley

Two paths traverse the Kimberley between Kununurra and Broome: the Great Northern Highway, and the Gibb River Road. The latter is a 4WD enthusiast’s dream – lonely unsealed roads and rapid river crossings. My rental car prefers the former, which offers as many scenic diversions, but fewer bumps.

But first I’m in isolated Kununurra, which owes its existence to the Ord River Irrigation Scheme.

The ambitious mid-1900s project enabled this part of Western Australia to grow everything from sandalwood to sunflowers, without awaiting a downpour. It can also grow sugar cane, as I discover at Hoochery Distillery over a flight of rum paired with barramundi tacos.

In the space of a few hours, I swap a sunset Ord River cruise for a sunrise glide over the Bungle Bungles, those beehive-domed rock formations comprising one of Australia’s 20 World Heritage Sites. Observing these ancient striated formations from the ground, enveloped by sun-scorched soil, is a humbling experience; taking the expanse in from the air is perspective changing. The enormous bumps pop from a pancake-flat landscape, like spines of sleeping dragons.

Day 3: Kununurra to Mimbi Caves

Few things are as hypnotic as the great swathes of Australian nothingness – ancient Earth so rippled by sun and wind you wonder how it stays in place.

This is my backdrop for 550km. It’s by far my longest driving day, and I’m thankful to see Halls Creek on the horizon, halfway to my destination.

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On the verge of the Great Sandy Desert, it’s the only place for miles. Side note: epic Southern Cross stargazing awaits, if you decide to overnight here.

Another side note: if you have a 4WD, a 150-km detour offers you Wolfe Creek, the second-largest meteorite crater on Earth. I’m in town with enough time to stretch my legs at the Yarliyil Art Centre, home to a masterful curation from more than 100 Indigenous Australian creatives.

Day 4: Mimbi Caves to Fitzroy Crossing

What were you doing 350 million years ago? This is when one of Australia’s most fascinating geological wonders, the Mimbi Caves, began its journey.

A few hundred megayears later, Gooniyandi people moved in, inhabiting this jaw-dropping subterranean network carved from a fossilised reef.

My Indigenous guide leads me through this Devonian world; we refuel post-tour with still-warm wattleseed damper.

An hour further lies Fitzroy Crossing, an outback station full of country swagger. Its eponymous river carved through the countryside millennia ago, creating the soaring striated cliffs of Danggu Geikie Gorge. Cruising the waterway near sunset, I hang my head back and admire white-bellied sea eagles and rare purple-crowned fairy wren, catching wind currents that ruffle tussock grass.

Day 5: Fitzroy Crossing to Broome

One might mistake the next part of my Kimberley crossing for a sci-fi movie set. Among its few inhabitations is Derby, sitting pretty beside King Sound. I’ll be back this way tomorrow – via air. On

the ground, Kunumudj (the Boab Prison Tree) is in no way huggable – its circumference is 14m. An estimated 1500 years old, this hollowed-out specimen is a sacred place to the Nyikina people.

Similar bottle-shaped trees cover the countryside, ringed by tall stands of grass bristling like an old man’s beard.

Day 6: Broome

A slice of white sand and pindan soil between the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean and the mangroves of Roebuck Bay, Broome boasts a surprisingly multicultural population – 60 languages are spoken around town. Its early prospectors found fortunes in the pearling industry, which thrives to this day.

Today’s first stop: A journey back toward Derby to experience the Horizontal Falls by air and sea.

Nothing prepares you for your encounter with this phenomenon, drawing visitors in – literally – with its forceful movement of water. At lowest tide, one million litres per second squeeze through two narrow gaps in the McLarty Range – a waterfall turned sideways.

By high tide, the flow is rushing in the opposite direction through the chasm. Boats crossing the falls buck and jive over enormous undulating eddies and froth, while light aircraft hover over the spectacle’s rising spray.

Today’s final stop: Following the locals to Cable Beach to watch the sunset with 4WDs, camels and foot traffic meandering over its 22km. I grab a drink and sink my feet into the sand, saluting the end of another spectacular WA day.

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Day 1 & 2: Kununurra & Purnululu National Park

True connection. welcometocountry.com

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Bungle Bungle Explorer

Dreaming in the Quay

Sunset over the Ranges

Experience the natural wonders of Purnululu National Park on an incredible day tour. Witness the region's rugged beauty from the skies as you soar over the World Heritage listed site before joining Traditional Custodians on spectacular walks through Country.

Watch Perth's city lights dance on Elizabeth Quay as you deepen your appreciation of the region's history alongside your Nyungar guide. Learn about the Dreaming, Nyungar history and admire stunning public art. Image credit: Kellie Markwell Photography.

Visit, browse and learn at Western Australia's oldest Aboriginal art centre.

Watch as the sacred land of Miriwoong Country transforms with the vibrant colours of sunset, unfolding to the majestic sounds of the didgeridoo as you indulge in fresh bush foods.

welcometocountry.com

Sometimes, the best way to take the pulse of a destination is with a little (or a lot) of perspective. Like, from the air. Here are six ways to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Western Australia STORY BY

NATASHA DRAGUN

Kununurra to Purnululu National Park Perth to Margaret River

The 270km drive south from Perth to the Margaret River region takes three hours. Your scenic journey with Swan River Seaplanes is half that, and includes an enormous number of otherwise unseen attractions. This expedition is just as much about the journey as the destination, your 70-minute flight circling over the West Australian capital before making the turn towards Fremantle, Cape Naturaliste and Sugarloaf Rock.

Landing amid the Margaret River’s acclaimed vines you have five hours to explore with a guide.

And it begins (the way it also ends) with a glass of wine.

In between cellar doors, there’s a decadent lunch and side trip to the beach. Because how many other places in the world grow grapes next to the sand?

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You’re delivered back to Perth in sky-high style, hopefully with a bottle or two of shiraz and cab sav tucked away in your bag. swanriverseaplanes.com.au Broome to Horizontal Falls

There are plenty of reasons to linger in Broome, the pearling capital of Australia and home to one of the country’s most multicultural populations. But there are just as many to use this beguiling town as the gateway to a Kimberley adventure.

The northwest of WA has a remarkable – and literal – pull thanks to the second-biggest tides in the world at Talbot Bay. Every morning, the sea surges through two chasms in the McLarty Range, shifting water levels by 12m. Then in the afternoon, it all reverses and pushes back out the other way.

You can walk through Purnululu National Park – and it’s spectacular. But it doesn’t quite do justice to how immense this World Heritage-listed pocket of the state really is.

Despite its vastness and obscurity – it covers more than 240,000ha and is pocked with the 300m-high domes of the Bungle Bungle Range – this part of the Kimberley was largely unknown to travellers until the 1980s.

Traditional landowners, however, have regarded it as a sacred place for millennia. And you can see why. This is a special place, all striated beehive rock formations amid end-of-the-Earth gorges and chasms. It’s made even more memorable for the fact that everything around it is completely flat, a perspective you only fully appreciate from the air on a chopper flight over the World Heritage Site.

Bonus: You get to glimpse Lake Argyle, the Ord THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; FRANCES ANDRIJICH; CHRISTIANFLETCHER; SALTY WINGS; LYNDALL HANBURY

TRAVEL WITH ALTITUDE

Better known as the Horizontal Falls, this spectacular phenomenon has all hearts racing when you fly over it, the ochre escarpments like ancient totems awash with toothpaste-white swells.

Even better if you then jump in a boat and see the spectacle from the water, your chariot bucking and twisting in resistance to the fury of the froth. gohorizontalfallstours.com.au

Clockwise from far left: aerial view of Fremantle; Eastern Gulf tidal patterns, Francois Peron National Park; Horizontal Falls, Talbot Bay; the Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu; Sugarloaf Rock, Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park; Rowley Shoals Marine Park, near Broome; hot air ballooning in the Avon Valley

River Irrigation Scheme, the Osmand Ranges and the (now closed) Argyle Diamond Mine. helispirit.com.au Shark Bay

The colours of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay are so vivid you’ll think they’re painted on – a patchwork of blues fading into powdery white sand that requires sunglasses to decode its curves.

But you can swap your sunnies for goggles on a flight over the coastline. This is an experience for the record books. This network of coves and hamlets below you comprises the largest bay in Australia, with more than 1000km of beaches creating a coral-like fan from the air.

But not everything you see is sandy – peer down onto Shell Beach, where the snow-white colour comes from billions of tiny coquina bivalve shells, up to 10m deep and stretching for 70km.

And just when you thought the outlook couldn’t get any better, you fly over Monkey Mia, where dolphin spottings are practically guaranteed. sharkbayaviation.com Avon Valley

Bucolic farmland, caramel-coloured rivers and (in season) pastures of eye-popping wildflowers – the JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

patchwork of the Avon Valley is best appreciated from the air. Windward Balloon Adventures knows best, taking you up high over the countryside in a basket departing just 100km northeast of Perth.

Blissfully, it takes off just as the sun begins to dapple the fields below you.

The only sound as you drift towards the WA clouds is the occasional ballast blast, the flames of your hot-air balloon shooting you on a skyward trajectory … and then taking you down, so you can glide low over rivers and treetops before landing for a glass or two of bubbles.

Because how else do you salute the start of such a day in WA? ballooning.net.au

the True North helicopter to see them navigate their way through the Indian Ocean.

And with a cap of 36 people aboard the ship, you’re guaranteed that what you see – the mantas, turtles, those humpbacks, not to mention the opaline reef – will be a secret sight you share with an exclusive few. truenorth.com.au

Rowley Shoals

A chain of three coral atolls 300km west of Broome, Rowley Shoals is the kind of place divers visit and are then spoilt for all future underwater expeditions.

The marine life here defies the imagination. One minute you’re drifting over coy reef sharks, purplelipped clams and iridescent blue starfish; the next you’re flippering through immense coral gardens with shimmering schools of tropical fish.

Pods of breaching humpbacks are a common sight during migration; dip your head below the surface to hear their songs. Then take to the skies in WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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PERTH

AROUND THE TOWN Apart from the delights of a sophisticated city, Perth has other gems within easy reach

STORY BY

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PAUL GARVEY

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Back in those wonderful carefree years before Covid came along and ruined all our fun, Perth was in the middle of a hotel-building frenzy.

After years of neglect, the city’s premium accommodation offerings were completely transformed as huge slabs of money were pumped into building new top-end properties across the city.

Big international names such as Ritz-Carlton, Westin and InterContinental arrived in town, while the immense Crown Towers complex and the stunning COMO The Treasury opened to cater for the well-heeled.

The pandemic caused problems for everyone, but the bean counters who signed off on those big investments had extra reason to worry as their new ventures grappled with the massive fall in visitor numbers from interstate and overseas.

With travel now getting more or less back to normal, visitors are spoilt for choice for places to stay in the Perth CBD. While the premium market has become more crowded since it opened its doors in 2015, COMO The Treasury still stands as Perth’s pre-eminent

hotel. It is the centrepiece of the State Buildings, the 150-year-old structure that sat derelict for decades before it was the subject of an extravagant rejuvenation worthy of its position in the middle of Perth.

Everything about COMO The Treasury, and indeed the State Buildings themselves, says elegance, sophistication, and taste. COMO’s hotel rooms are vast, beautifully decorated and take full advantage of the building’s original high ceilings and period features.

The broader State Building complex is home to a disproportionate and almost unfair number of Perth’s best bars and restaurants. Indeed, it’s possible to have an extraordinary weekend without even leaving the confines of the building.

The rooftop is home to the acclaimed fine dining restaurant, Wildflower, which leans heavily on foraged local ingredients revolving around the six seasons of the local Noongar people. A typical menu will feature Manjimup marron – a large freshwater crayfish found only in WA – and bush foods anise myrtle and lemon aspen.

While Wildflower occupies the uppermost level THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

Clockwise from left: Wildflower terrace at COMO The Treasury; WA Museum Boola Bardip Perth; Optus Stadium; Elizabeth Quay

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

of the State Buildings, both literally and metaphorically, the building’s other restaurants also rank among Perth’s best.

Among the standouts is Long Chim, a loud and lively take on Thai street food. The deep-fried whole fish is a must.

COMO The Treasury’s prime position in the heart of the CBD also makes it an ideal launching point to explore the city.

Perth’s latest rejuvenation was under way before Covid hit, but many of its newer additions have had little if any time opened up to the wider world.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

The Elizabeth Quay precinct was opened several years ago in an attempt to finally bring together the Perth CBD and the Swan River, and has continued to grow into its skin as more of its sites are developed. It is worth a stop during a mid-morning walk along the banks of the Swan, while it is also home to the Ritz-Carlton and its acclaimed Hearth restaurant.

Further along the Swan is the spectacular $1.6 billion Optus Stadium, perched on a bend of the river and offering stunning views westward over the city. Having opened its doors in early 2018, the

stadium was designed to be a big drawcard for international and interstate visitors.

Beyond the weekly AFL fixtures, major events planned for the near future include game two of this year’s State of Origin, the Wallabies versus England in July, and exhibition matches featuring English football giants Manchester United, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leeds United.

Those with an adventurous streak can also try Ozone, the new suspended walkway above the stadium’s rooftop that allows visitors (with the safety of a harness) to lean out over the playing field.

A somewhat more sedate, but no less impressive, new addition to Perth is the new $400 million WA Museum Boola Bardip.

The museum, which opened in November 2020, features exhibits devoted to WA’s Indigenous and contemporary history and its wildlife.

Just as stunning as the museum’s landmark new structure are the restored buildings that they wrap around: the heritage-listed Hackett Hall, which dates back to the 19th century, is home to Otto, the museum’s blue whale skeleton.

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FREMANTLE

Beyond being the ideal departure point for the ferries to Rottnest, Fremantle is well worth a visit in its own right.

The port city is both home to some of WA’s most historic buildings – the redevelopment frenzy that wiped out many of the Perth CBD’s grand old buildings in the 1980s ran out of steam before it could reach Freo – and is also Perth’s bohemian heart.

Sites such as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, which dates back to the mid1800s, and the 190-year-old Roundhouse – the first permanent building built in the Swan River Colony, offer more than enough for history buffs but it is the food and drinking options that are perhaps Fremantle’s biggest lure.

At arguably the top of Fremantle’s dining tree is the much-loved Bread in Common, a converted warehouse that dispenses coffee and bread (baked freshly in-house) to locals while also doing a roaring trade out of its open kitchen. The share plate menu features anchovy toast, duck-fat roast potatoes, delicately rendered lamb ribs, and a host of dishes centred around in-season vegetables sourced locally or harvested directly from the expansive gardens of Bread in Common’s nearby sister venue, Coogee Common.

As you would expect from a hipster hub, there is now also a distillery on almost every Freo corner.

One of the originals is the Republic of Fremantle, which also runs a “gin school” in which you can make your own custom-distilled gin.

Another of Freo’s best venues is the Old Synagogue, which is home to four different bars and restaurants. As its name suggests, the building was WA’s first synagogue but closed in 1910. The main synagogue itself is the main dining room of Asian fusion restaurant Tonic + Ginger, while beneath the building is the hidden cocktail bar L’Chaim.

Fremantle’s newest addition is the Gage Roads brewpub, a sprawling venue built inside the centuryold A Shed – a 100m-long former cargo shed – right on the waterfront at the Fremantle port.

The giant venue, which opened in January, could have been just another example of a WA beer barn, but is lifted to another level by its prime location and a menu that is executed better than one may expect from such a high-volume kitchen (the kingfish tacos with pineapple salsa and chipotle cream is a highlight).

It’s also possible to walk straight from Gage Roads onto a ferry across the water to Rottnest, although it can be hard to tear yourself away after a few beers in the sunshine.

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As you would expect from a hipster hub, there is now also a distillery on almost every Freo corner

From top: Bread in Common; Gage Roads; the Roundhouse; Fremantle from the air

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

ROTTNEST

Perth’s island playground of Rottnest has been beloved of generations of West Australians, but its appeal has at times been missed by visitors from further afield, who have a different idea of an island holiday in mind.

Rotto is all about the basics: beaches, bare feet and bicycles. The main accommodation on the island, the waterfront bungalows of the Thomson, Longreach and Geordie Bays, are all administered by the state government and their interior reflects a bureaucrat’s approach to holiday decor.

While the simple, spartan school-camp-style furnishings of these bungalows don’t raise an eyebrow for those who have grown up holidaying on the island, they have sometimes proved disconcerting for those accustomed to the sort of holiday accommodation more typically found on the islands of the Mediterranean or the Pacific.

In recent years, however, the range of higher-end options available on the island has widened considerably.

The Samphire Hotel, a sleek boutique offering rooms with quality furnishings, private outdoor rain showers and daybeds on verandas overlooking the waters of Thomson Bay, opened its doors in late 2020.

Samphire’s opening followed on the heels of the arrival at the island of glamping. Discovery Rottnest comprises 83 eco-tents nestled in the dunes behind Pinky Beach. Pinky’s lies between the picturesque Bathurst lighthouse and arguably the island’s best swimming location, The Basin, a series of sheltered pools naturally carved out of the surrounding reef.

The Rottnest settlement and all of its accommodation is clustered around Thomson Bay, which faces back towards Perth, and the Longreach and Geordie Bays to the north.

While it is easy enough to walk between those areas, a bike is a must for anyone wanting to explore the rest of the island and seek out the majority of Rottnest’s bays and beaches.

As its name suggests, Pedal & Flipper offers bikes, snorkel sets and diving equipment for rent, and it’s worth splurging on the electric bike option so you have more energy to snorkel at the likes of Parker Point and Little Salmon Bay, both of which feature underwater plaques to guide you on your way.

Once on wheels, it is easy to find a beautiful bay all of your own and Rottnest’s orientation means you will always find somewhere that’s protected from the wind.

Dining has also historically been something of a laggard at Rottnest, but that too has taken big leaps in recent years.

Among the new arrivals is Isola, a waterfront restaurant offering classic Italian cuisine, and Lontara, offering a Bali-inspired share menu with a heavy focus on West Australian seafood. Back at the glamping tents at Discovery Rottnest, Pinky’s Beach Club offers casual dining and a decent cocktail list.

But Rottnest is a reminder of the beauty in the simple things, and no visit – whether for a day or a week – is complete without dropping past the Rottnest Bakery, which has been famous for its pies, bread and jam doughnuts for generations.

The only thing West Australians love as much as Rottnest is complaining about the price of accommodation at the island, and it pays to be forewarned.

While tents at Discovery and rooms at Samphire start at $285 and $260 a night respectively during the off-season, prices almost treble during the peak of summer holidays.

On the bright side, however, the quokka selfies are free.

Clockwise from above: The Samphire Hotel,

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; JILLIAN MCHUGH; SAMUEL DAVIES

Parker Point; Little Salmon Bay; cameraloving quokka; Isola restaurant

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

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STORY BY

Frui Momento

JOHN LETHLEAN

Relatively new and still developing its own identity, Frui is a fortuitous partnership between a fine chef – Seth James (ex-Wills Domain) – and a winemaker/ producer – Larry Cherubino. Together, they’ve created a sexy space with excellent, relatively simple food and a wine list that goes beyond the owner’s own portfolio. The new go-to. fruimomento.com.au Glenarty Road

A delightful extension of the owners’ farm, this could so easily have been a good idea that fell flat. It doesn’t. Great produce grown onsite, warm hospitality, fine, informed cooking and a lovely chic/rustic vibe make Fridays and Saturdays, in particular, one of the region’s best lunches. glenartyroad.com.au

GOURMET REGION ON A PLATE

Chow’s Table

A mod-Cantonese restaurant attached to a winery (House of Cards)? You’d better believe it. Smart modern space, professional management and food that continues to reach new heights three years from launch makes this place a true gem for locals. chowstable.com.au

Eat your way around this very special corner of Australia

A

few state pollies came down from Perth; the local mayor polished his shoes and smiled for the local press; social media lit up with phrases like “about time”.

Yes, the arrival – finally – of Jetstar’s muchpostponed (because of Covid) first flight into the Busselton-Margaret River Regional Airport in April was a big deal. And not just because it means locals can now fly into Melbourne to watch their teams get flogged at the MCG without having to drive to Perth first.

The three flights per week service, conversely, means easterners can now bypass Perth altogether if their destination is the southwest of WA. And why wouldn’t it be? There’s a fair bit to see and do in this corner of the country, particularly if you like wine. Surfing. Bushwalking. Mountain biking. Fishing. Rugged coastal scenery. Blue, blue water. Or just going to the beach and hanging out.

The local – substantial – tourism sector, belted about by the Covid-related border restrictions for two years, is praying the new route will prove a conduit to good times.

Why, indeed, wouldn’t you fly straight into the small regional city of Busselton, hire a car, and do a driving holiday around this special piece of Australia before dumping the car in Perth and flying home from there after a few nights in a most underrated city? Take the scenic, convoluted route and miss the boring highways (Albany and Forrest).

Or just skip Perth altogether for another time?

A typical road trip “down south” will take in the Capes region, between Naturaliste and Leeuwin,

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Vasse Felix

known to the rest of the world as “Margaret River”; the Southern Forests in and around Nannup, Bridgetown, Manjimup and Pemberton; and the Great Southern around Walpole, Nornalup, Denmark and the regional capital city of Albany.

Beautiful Bremer Bay and Esperance are a bridge too far for most road trips, even for locals who think nothing of five-hour drives; better to fly from Perth.

Regardless, it may just be the “green bit” on a map of WA but it’s a vast state. When it comes to eating and drinking, you’ll need some inside intel.

Bungalow Social

A bit surfie, a bit zen, a lot wine of the minimal intervention type, Bungalow is a social spot, true to title, and a good place to “hang”, as they say. Pizza and other things on the menu, the Wine Room is Bungalow’s spot for more mature palates. bungalow.social Wills Domain

Delightful, contemporary food under the guidance of consultant chef Jed Gerrard, Wills mines the high end of Margaret River’s food scene to great success. Expect plenty of uniquely WA ingredients. willsdomain.com.au Arimia

THE CAPES The bulk of the state’s tourism infrastructure can be found between Busselton and Augusta.

Off the grid but not too far away, Arimia is all about sustainability and produce grown on-site. Like so many in the region, the menu is set. A little dour, but the food makes that almost worth it.

Burger Bones

Leeuwin Estate

You’ve flown Jetstar so you may be hungry: nip into Busselton from the airport and have one of the best burgers you’re likely to encounter anywhere in the state. facebook.com/BurgerBones Vasse Felix

A place that does everything right, VF is stylish, friendly, professional and just always incredibly delicious. Chef Brendan Pratt is at the top of his game and his food walks a fine line between creativity and accessibility. Importantly, the food is built around the wine, not an afterthought. vassefelix.com.au

Home to what some are calling Australia’s best white wine (the 2019 Art Series chardonnay) Leeuwin’s relaxed dining space and terrace is in a beautiful setting and the light, classic menu by Briton Dan Gedge has a seafood emphasis that highlights his roots working for Rick Stein in Cornwall.

Bunkers Beach House

The food’s ambitions probably exceed its execution, but there’s no getting around the sensational location on Bunker Bay. This is a rare taste of real seaside dining in this state. What a beach. The wine list is limited to the owner’s own portfolio (Fogarty THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

Wine Group) but that extends to four states so … something for everyone. bunkersbeachhouse.com.au

Barnyard 1978

Beerfarm

Craft brewery meets farm meets hipster paradise in a cow shed. This place is hugely popular for a reason. The onsite restaurant Burnt Ends does big flavoured and generous favourites with plenty of BBQ smoke and meat. beerfarm.com.au

Treehouse

Yarri

Frui Momento

Owned by local wine brand Snake & Herring, Dunsborough’s Yarri has legions of followers, and chef-partner Aaron Carr is behind an always interesting menu. Unfortunately, it’s set. yarri.com.au

Glenarty Road

Settlers Tavern

A rollicking and often noisy 70s pub, Settlers’ food, to a degree, reflects the owner’s US roots: plenty of BBQ. More importantly, it reflects an uncommon passion for wine, and Settlers’ collection is renowned throughout the nation. Naturally, the local wine community loves the joint. settlerstavern.com Barnyard1978

With little fanfare this architectural gem just off Caves Road has matured into one of the region’s best restaurants with clever food by former Cullen chef Iain Robertson. Pasta’s a thing: what about “Barnyard espresso pasta, eggplant, chèvre, walnut and vanilla brioche”? We like its decidedly Euro vibe. barnyard1978.com.au Southern Forests

Lovely road-trip territory taking in Bridgetown, Manjimup (home of the nation’s most furtive trufferies) and Pemberton, WA’s pinot noir hot-spot.

Yarri

Beerfarm

Jaspers

A mixed bag of hearty favourites (burgers, pasta, risotto and paella) rather than any type of specialist cooking, Jaspers is known for its whiskey collection and a good selection of local wine producers, including premium grower Picardy. jasperspemberton.com Treehouse

A cosy wine bar that takes its representation of just about every wine producer in the region seriously, Treehouse channels an Iberian muse with a list of user-friendly and familiar tapas and pintxos. treehousewinebar.com.au

Wills Domain

Arimia

Great Southern

Albany and Denmark – a regional city and delightful village on a coastal inlet with a burgeoning wine scene.

Majuba Bistro

Albany’s trad Euro bistro that every town deserves: marble tabletops, a red velvet booth, bentwood chairs and dark floorboards contribute to a very Continental vibe. Food with a French-ish and Spanish-ish accent; pasta and proper steak frites and a strong representation of the Great Southern wine producers. facebook.com/Majuba-Bistro Pepper and Salt

Something a little different for a winery restaurant: P&S at Forest Hill Winery, Denmark, takes a broad church of Asian cuisines as its muse for producedriven dishes. Curries, master stocks, spiced grills, noodles… An elegant space in a lovely location and the wines, particularly their rieslings, are excellent. pepperandsalt.com.au Liberte

Regional WA’s equivalent of the reimagined innercity boozer, Liberte has a louche, bohemian vibe and food inspired by Vietnam. Something you may not expect in Albany: a fine collection of familiar and rare amari, Italy’s irresistible digestivi. libertealbany.com.au

Leeuwin Estate Bunkers Beach House

Bred

Bungalow Social

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

The place you need to know about: a sourdough bakery first and foremost, Bred mills its own flour from a variety of locally grown wheats and grains. A place for viennoiserie, sandwiches, coffee and, of course, the sourdough you need for your picnics. bredco.com.aufacebook WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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SUPER-SIZED DAY TRIPS OF THE EAST KIMBERLEY Use Kununurra as a base, and let the experts show you the massive highlights of this astonishing world

CAROLYN BEASLEY

B

anking around the final river bend at an adrenaline-inducing clip, a curtain of spray flies up beside the speedboat.

Through it, I glimpse the end of our journey, a 98m-high wall, which now rears imposingly before us.

Disembarking the boat at the base of the wall, we board a bus to make the steep climb to the top. The dam across the Ord River marks the boundary between the long, slender Lake Kununurra which we have just navigated, and upstream, the mighty Lake Argyle, containing 18 times more water than Sydney Harbour. I had expected the dam wall to be big, and Lake Argyle too, but being here almost redefines the concept of big.

Being roughly twice the size of Victoria, the sheer

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scale of the Kimberley is hard to fathom, until you see it for yourself. Here, distances feel further, gorges are higher, potholes are deeper and landscapes are wilder than anywhere else.

Given the size and remoteness, it may seem like a strange choice for a mini-break. But rather than waiting for that elusive “right time” to come to the Kimberley, I’ve decided to fly in, and base myself in the Wyndham-East Kimberley hub of Kununurra.

While many opt to hire a 4WD, I’ve booked a series of daytrips with local guides, hoping to experience the region’s highlights with the logistics.

Over the next few days, I’ll visit geological marvels, hike gorges, swim under waterfalls and visit Indigenous rock art galleries, each night, returning to my comfy bed in town.

The Ord River

My Ord River journey with Triple J Tours, had started with a pick-up from my hotel. Once aboard the speedboat, we’d learnt that the diversion dam created for irrigation in 1973 created Lake Kununurra, the waterway that lies in the original river valley. Cranking up three 350hp engines, we zoom upstream for 55km, slicing through the striking cliffs of the Carr Boyd Range.

We stop frequently, spellbound by squawking, red-tailed black cockatoos and admiring the gravity-defying short-eared rock wallabies that seem to cling to the cliffs. We picnic in the shade of paperbarks and twisty pandanus palms, and potter into calm side tributaries where tiny Jacarna birds scuttle across lily pads. An azure kingfisher catches THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; LANDI BRADSHAW

STORY BY

the sunlight, diving for a watery snack, and a baby freshwater crocodile hides in the reeds.

At the second dam wall, created in 1996, we learn about the hydropower it facilitates, and pose for photos on the wall itself. Before returning to Kununurra by bus, we wander through the original (but now relocated) homestead of the pioneering pastoralists, the Durack family.

The Bungle Bungles

The next day I’m up early, boarding a light aircraft for an adventure to Purnululu National Park. It’s home to the Bungle Bungle Range, a place that tops many travel wish lists, being high on geological wow factor.

In the space of an hour, we’ve covered the distance that would normally take up to five hours by 4WD. Plus, from up here we can appreciate the extent of the beehive-like domes, and as we come in to land, it’s hard not to be mesmerised by this otherworldly landscape.

At the airstrip, we’re met by our guide Pete Ragland in a 4WD bus for a transfer to the 3km Cathedral Gorge trail. Following Pete, we discover a surreal maze of striped orange and black domes, the 350 million-year-old UNESCO World Heritagelisted site being the best example of cone karst formations in the world.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Clockwise from far right: Ord River; Carr Boyd Range; black-footed rock wallaby; Echidna Chasm in Purnululu National Park

Vibrant wattles and grevilleas line the way, and we’re enthralled as a pair of rainbow bee-eaters dart around their branch.

At the circular cavern of Cathedral Gorge, cool air swirls through the rocky amphitheatre, and the bell tones of a butcher bird are amplified. The gorge is famous for its acoustics, and symphonies and operas have been performed here.

Back in the bus, we continue towards our second hike, taking in commentary on the geology and the traditional owners, the Gija and Jaru people.

Reaching the north of the park, the white trunks of bloodwood trees contrast against the rusty range, and rare Livistona palms line the route inside the sheer, conglomerate walls of Echidna Chasm.

We tread carefully over loose, ancient river stones, progressing deeper into a narrow passageway. The chasm becomes almost too narrow to pass other walkers, and looking up, I see wedged boulders overhead. Close to midday, the sun illuminates the 180m-high walls, spreading an ethereal, orange light.

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In the know Fly to Kununurra via Perth with Virgin Australia or via Darwin with Qantas and Air North Tours Triple J Tours: Cruise along Lake Kununurra with lunch, view Lake Argyle and the Durack homestead, return by bus; $200 per person. triplejtours.com.au Bungle Bungle Guided Tours Fixed-wing return flight to Purnululu National Park, 4WD bus, guided hike to Cathedral Gorge, guided hike to Echidna Chasm, lunch; $1295 per person. bunglebungleguidedtours.com.au/ bungle-bungle-day-tours-from-kununurra/ flight-cathedral-gorge-domes-echidna-chasmguided-walk

Before we head back to town, Gareth has one more treat for us. In the late afternoon we join the Chamberlain Gorge Cruise, gliding through reflections of majestic rocky cliffs.

As we enjoy a glass of bubbles, we laugh at the cheeky archer fish who shoot jets of water at us, apparently their way of demanding fish food. We drive back to Kununurra, as the last glow of daylight leaves the sky behind us.

Mitchell Falls

El Questro

Rocky gorges are also a feature at El Questro Wilderness Park, one of the top destinations along the Kimberley’s most popular 4WD trip – the Gibb River Road. Luckily, visitors like me needn’t miss out, as there’s an epic guided day trip here, too.

Together with a handful of visitors, I’m met at my hotel by a Land Cruiser and cheery guide, Gareth Aver. On the one-hour drive, Gareth chats with us about El Questro’s history as a working station of 280,000ha and its present emphasis on sustainable tourism.

It’s still early when we arrive at Emma Gorge to commence our hike, passing emerald pools and crossing the river on rocky steps. Gareth explains we won’t find any fossils in the lower layers of rock here; these rocks are older than life itself.

“Being here makes you realise, we are such a tiny speck in the world,” he says.

Reaching the end of the gorge, we gaze upwards at an arc of fern-covered cliff. In the wet season a raging waterfall plunges over here, but now, as I float in the delightfully chilly pool below, I’m looking up through misty droplets, lightly floating over the waterfall.

Next, we transfer to El Questro’s main camping village, The Station. Here we lunch on crispyskinned barramundi or steak in the open-air restaurant overlooking a gurgling creek, complete with resident kookaburras. Then it’s off to the palmlined oasis of Zebedee Springs, where we have a private booking for a soak in the deliciously clear thermal hot springs.

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My final day trip from Kununurra takes me further afield, and covers an area the size of central Europe.

Eschewing a notoriously temperamental track, I’m choosing to fly to Mitchell Falls (known as PunamiiUunpuu to the Wunambal Gaambera traditional owners).

Touching down at the Mitchell Plateau’s rustic airstrip, my next ride awaits. The Jet Ranger 206 helicopter has no doors, offering the most exhilarating transfer to a bushwalk that I could ever imagine.

We land at the Mitchell Falls campsite and meet naturalist guide, Lisa Mason, who will lead our 4.5 km-hike to the falls. Brilliantly coloured red-winged parrots flash past us down the track, and we follow them into the tropical savannah.

The track flanks a creek lined with shady pandanus palms and on the higher ground, we pass mounds of rocks, ancient burial sites. Detouring down a steep side trail, we duck under a rocky arch.

Here, behind the veil of Little Mertens Falls, we’re spellbound by an Indigenous art gallery, featuring Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) art, perhaps up to 30,000 years old.

We continue on, carefully crossing above Big Mertens Falls, before the river plunges spectacularly into a narrow gorge. Above Mitchell Falls itself, we take a well-earned dip in the serene waterhole.

Finally, at the Mitchell Falls lookout we’re awed by the 80m, four-tiered waterfall thundering through a series of pools, the mass of white water contrasting against the orange sandstone.

To my delight, this tour features a breezy return to our plane, and from the rocky escarpment near the lookout, we board our waiting chopper for a birds-eye view of the falls.

El Questro Day Trip from Kununurra Including 4WD transfers, guided hike, lunch, Zebedee Springs and Chamberlain River Gorge; $285 per person. elquestro.com.au/explore/ activities-and-experiences/full-day-tours Mitchell Falls Discoverer by Aviair: Including return fixed-wing plane from Kununurra to Mitchell Plateau, helicopter to the guided hike, lunch, scenic helicopter over the falls, Wunambal Gaambera entry fee; $1685 per person. aviair.com.au/scenic-air-tours/mitchell-fallsdiscoverer

From top: Mitchell Falls; Emma Gorge hike; Zebedee Springs

Flying back to Kununurra, I’m feeling almost euphoric, high on the cumulative thrills of the last few days. My mind swirls with images of skidding along the Ord, swimming under waterfalls, of alien domes and helicopter bushwalks. Out my window, the angular ridges of the Cockburn Range glow auburn in the sunset, and again, I catch my breath.

Not for the first time this trip, I’m almost overcome with awe.

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

ROAD TRIP#2 KIMBERLEY IMMERSION A 4WD tour along the Kimberley’s Gibb River Road is a feast for the senses

STORY BY

CAROLYN BEASLEY

Cockburn Ranges, Gibb River Road

H

olding my torch, I clamber down into the mouth of a tunnel set into ancient limestone.

Water pools on the ground, and soon I’m in darkness, gingerly shuffling my way through a 750m-long passageway. In one part, the ceiling has collapsed and shafts of light illuminate bats flitting in and out, seeking respite from the Kimberley heat.

I think of Jandamarra, a young hero of the Indigenous Banuba people. He led a resistance against invading, often brutal, European pastoralists and although he was said to possess supernatural powers, he was killed here in 1897. Our driver-guide, Graham Middlemiss, has just imparted this story before we arrived, and I shiver. I’m sure I can feel something spiritual here.

I’d hoped for an immersive tour, but here in the dark, up to my knees in chilly, subterranean water, I’m literally immersed. Although I can’t see much, I’m feeling the Kimberley with all of my senses.

I’m on a nine-day 4WD Kimberley tour with APT. Starting and finishing in Broome, we’ll traverse a loop through the sealed Great Northern Highway and the infamous corrugations of the Gibb River Road.

There are many advantages to travelling “the Gibb” on a tour, rather than independently. The driving can be intense, and securing the scarce accommodation can be tricky. But one of the best advantages is the guiding, elevating the Kimberley experience way beyond just a visual treat.

On the Fitzroy River at Geikie Gorge (Ganggu) we take a ranger-guided boat trip, hearing stories of tiny fairy martins, who nest on the gorge walls, and I fall in love with a pair of brolgas dancing on the river bank. Agile wallabies hide in the bushes, and we hear the chattering of endangered purplecrowned fairy wrens.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

By the end of the second day, we’re rolling into one of APT’s own camps, Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge, in Purnululu National Park. My glamping tent is called Corella, and I wake early to raucous cockatoos, in duet with squeaking of double-barred finches.

Breakfast is cooked outside on the barbecue, and as in the other APT lodges, dinner is a three-course triumph, featuring touches of the Kimberley, like Cone Bay barramundi.

But nothing could be more Kimberley than the Bungle Bungle Range. It warrants a splurge on a helicopter flight, and I lean out the open side of the chopper, snapping photos of gorges and weathered outcrops. Then we’re over the World Heritagelisted beehive-shaped domes. They’re unlike anything I’ve seen before and I’m grinning from ear to ear.

Next, we hike through the domes to Cathedral Gorge, stopping in at Piccaninny Lookout to absorb In the know APT tours the Kimberley from April to September. The nine-day Essence of the Kimberley tour is from $6495 per person twin share. The 15-day Kimberley Complete tour includes additions, like the Mitchell Plateau and helicopter tour over Mitchell Falls; from $9895 per person twin share.

Accommodation is in comfortable hotels, station stays and wilderness camps. Tours take up to 22 guests and depart Broome. Rates exclude alcohol and Bungle Bungles helicopter

the orange desert vista. Driving to the north end of the park, Graham explains the geological contrasts here, and we discover mountains of conglomerate rock. We weave through Echidna Chasm, sandwiched between towering, sheer walls.

Later, at a lookout for sunset drinks, Graham whips out a cheese platter and plays classic Aussie rock on the bus stereo. We toast the Bungles as they turn from burnt orange to purple. From Kununurra, we traverse the Gibb River Road to El Questro Wilderness Park. There are several accommodation offerings here, and we’re booked into the quiet glamping resort at Emma Gorge, with its red cliff backdrop.

Just after dawn, we meet an El Questro ranger, Simon Harley, who guides our 3.2km return hike up Emma Gorge. Simon provides fascinating factoids, while Graham offers a helping hand to anyone who accepts it. At the end of the gorge, there’s an exquisite pool and we dive right in. Our early start has avoided most of the day’s heat, and the crowds.

Heading west to Galvans Gorge, Graham shows us a Wandjina painting, a creation being synonymous with the First Nations people of the region. The privilege of seeing this painting gives me goosebumps, and at the Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Cultural Centre outside Derby, we learn more about the Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal tribes. Here, workshops and a gallery showcase Wandjina and other local art.

It’s my last night and the wet season approaches.

In the darkness of my tent, I hear rumbling thunder, and smell the first drops of rain. I’m already planning to return after the wet, to feel the powerful waterfalls, to smell the wattles in flower. The Kimberley has drawn me in, and one visit, no matter how immersive, will never be enough.

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MAKING A SPLASH In remote gorges or ocean rockpools, manmade lakes or natural waterholes, Western Australia has no shortage of destinations to cool off.

Here are eight one-of-a-kind places to dive in STORY BY

NATASHA DRAGUN

Hamersley Gorge: Karijini National Park

Few places remain in the world where nature, unadulterated by civilisation, still truly humbles – reminding you how immense and wonderful the planet is, and how insignificant your troubles really are. Karijini National Park is one such destination, a vast wilderness area in the Pilbara region of northwest WA. Here, gorges seem to cleave off the edge of the Earth, and remote turquoise rockpools shimmer like precious gems. Look no further than Hamersley Gorge, where colourful swirls of ancient folded rock are draped with waterfalls rushing into a natural spa rockpool.

Hot tip: The walk to the swimming hole is short but tricky, and sturdy shoes are recommended. You can catch a glimpse from the lookout – but don’t you want to dive in?

The Aquarium, Yallingup

While surfers head straight to the Margaret River’s Smiths Beach, those who prefer a mask and flippers to a board and wax make a splash instead at The Aquarium. This sheltered lagoon’s gin-clear water is protected by enormous granite outcrops, creating not only a dramatic setting but also a natural rockpool that’s perfect for drifting about aimlessly – or for scouring the sea floor for crabs, starfish and other critters.

Hot tip: No facilities are offered here, and no running water, so plan ahead with plenty of chilled drink bottles and snacks.

Injidup Natural Spa, Yallingup

If you’re on the Yallingup coast for the day, make your next stop the Injidup Natural Spa. Bubbles froth all around as waves crash over rocks that protect this pool from the open Indian Ocean.

Depending on the tides and swell, you could even have waterfalls tumbling onto your head. If you can’t find a pocket of water all your own (it’s a popular spot), this stretch of WA coast is lined with a string of other rockpools.

Hot tip: If you’re looking for a place to watch the sun set – and let’s face it, who isn’t in WA? – pick Injidup.

Manning Gorge, Kimberley

Remote and ravishing, Manning Gorge is a welcome oasis along the Gibb River Road. Found within the confines (if they can be called that) of enormous Mt Barnett Station – clocking in at the size of a small country – the gorge sits pretty along Manning Creek, fed by waterfalls that pool to create an idyllic shaded swimming hole. After parking your car, you’ll hike 3km to your destination. But the additional effort just makes that moment you hit the water all the more refreshing. It also means you’ll likely have this patch of paradise all to yourself.

Look out for Bradshaw and Wandjina rock art, some of which dates back 30,000 years.

Hot tip: The waterfalls are seasonal (peak wet season is April to November), so check in advance to make sure they are flowing and that the pools are holding sufficient water to support a dip.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

Clockwise from main: Hamersley Gorge; Zebedee Springs; the Aquarium; Wellington Dam; Injidup Natural Spa; Fonty’s Pool

Zebedee Springs, El Questro Wilderness Park

Molly Springs, Kununurra

Drive 30km west of Kununurra into Ngamoowalem Conservation Park, and you’ll find a postcard-perfect place to cool off, at Molly Springs. What it lacks in size – only a couple of metres in diameter – it more than compensates with good looks. Cue gentle waterfalls dropping from sky-scraping red cliffs, all enveloped by tall gums providing welcome shade when you wade in. Find yourself a perch, and see how many animals you can spot: fish, goannas and a menagerie of birds all call this compelling spot home.

Hot tip: You will need a 4WD to reach the springs.

Bring a picnic – you’ll want to linger.

Fonty’s Pool, Manjimup

It may be manmade, but that doesn’t detract from the allure of this vast freshwater pool on the estate of a caravan park by the same name. People have been coming here to splash since 1925 – it’s so revered that the National Trust of Australia has bestowed Fonty’s Pool with heritage significance.

Although it’s now on privately owned land, nonpark guests can pay a small fee for access. It’s worth it. Nab a tractor tyre, and float about gazing at the glorious skies that seem to stretch forever in the southwest of the state.

Hot tip: If you’re visiting in June, time your stay to coincide with Truffle Kerfuffle, an indulgent celebration of this pungent (and prized) fungus.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Close to the top of Australia near the West Australian and Northern Territory borders, El Questro Wilderness Park’s 284,000ha offer a glimpse into a side of the Kimberley you didn’t know existed. Wedged here between sheer cliffs and prehistoric palms, Zebedee Springs sees ancient fault lines coax warm underground reservoir water to the surface. The result is a dreamy series of hot springs and waterfalls, tiered through a setting plucked from The Jungle Book. While you will certainly feel your muscles relax and your worries drift away, you won’t cool off here – the water remains a toasty 28C to 32 C year-round.

Hot tip: You need a 4WD to access the springs along the Gibb River Road. Or else join a guided tour.

Honeymoon Pool, Wellington National Park

You don’t have to travel to the ends of Western Australia to find cool respite. In fact, just 200 kilometres south of Perth you’ll discover a destination where you can dive in, breathe deep and chill out, in the shade of fragrant peppermint trees.

Occupying a nook along the Collie River in Wellington National Park, Honeymoon Pool is the kind of place where you could while away a whole day. The pool offers plenty of space to do just that, whether on the river’s banks or the decked area.

The latter also provides stepped access to the water – particularly handy if you have a kayak under your arm.

Hot tip: Also along the Collie River – just 2km upstream – Long Pool is another idyllic waterhole to take a dip, compare and contrast.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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STORY BY

PAUL GARVEY

READY TO WELCOME THE WORLD Cape Lodge is the perfect base to explore WA’s magical southwest

W

e haven’t been at Cape Lodge for long before the magic of WA’s southwest manifests itself. We step out of our room, one of only 22 scattered around the property’s 16ha, on to our lakeside deck, and the stillness is striking.

The surface of the lake is like glass, the only disturbance the paddling of two small ducks. The only sound is birdsong emanating from the surrounding bushland. It’s one of those moments that immediately dissolves all the stresses and worries that have followed us here from home.

The Margaret River region and the southwest corner of WA – or “Down South” as the locals call it – has long been renowned for its natural beauty and its wines, and after more than two years of pandemic it is eager to reconnect with the outside world.

The recent launch of direct flights between Melbourne and the southwest hub of Busselton – originally scheduled to begin in 2020 but delayed after Covid did its thing – has made exploring the Margaret River region easier for interstate travellers than ever before. It now takes no longer to get from Melbourne airport to lakeside at Cape Lodge as it does to drive down from Perth.

Cape Lodge, along with the likes of Injidup Spa 26

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Retreat and The Pullman Bunker Bay, is one of several premium hotels and resorts in the region, all eager to start welcoming back interstate and overseas guests.

Cape Lodge, our home for the weekend, has been an institution for decades and long been regarded as the pre-eminent place to stay in the region.

Iron-ore magnate Andrew Forrest bought the property late last year, adding it to his growing stable of luxury boutique hotels, including Olivia Newton-John’s Gaia resort in Byron Bay and Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

The small capacity of Cape Lodge means the lodge is able to organise itineraries tailored to the interests that have brought their guests to this corner of the world, be it the wine, the food or the natural beauty. The itinerary pulled together for our visit has a heavy focus on all things culinary, not only from some of the region’s best restaurants and wineries but also some of the local producers who are doing little things brilliantly.

It’s not easy to drag ourselves away from our serene lakeside deck, but our discomfort is eased somewhat by the comfort of the Jaguar sedan that is sent to ferry us to Vasse Felix, the first stop in the itinerary suggested by the Cape Lodge team.

It’s an ideal place to start, and not just because it is home to one of Margaret River’s top restaurants.

On arrival, we are taken into Vasse Felix’s original vines, where we are walked through the history of both the winery and the broader region, and the qualities that have helped make it such a stand-out.

In a rare example of bureaucratic efficiency and foresight, the winemaking potential of the Margaret River region was first identified through a study specially commissioned by the state government in the late 1950s.

The Romulus and Remus of the Margaret River wine region, Tom Cullity and Kevin Cullen, were the first to take the leap, establishing their respective Vasse Felix and Cullen Wines vineyards next door to one another in the late 1960s.

Cullity had developed a love for wine while working as a doctor in Britain, having fallen in with a crowd who spent their weekends visiting the vineyards of France and Germany. After returning to WA – and while continuing to work as a cardiologist – Cullity went ahead and planted eight ha of vines on the side of a hill.

Decades after Cullity and Cullen’s great leaps, those original vines remain and Margaret River now stands as one of the world’s great wine regions.

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

The area is responsible for just 2 per cent of Australia’s total wine production, but accounts for around a quarter of the country’s premium wine output. That disproportionate ability to deliver topshelf wines is a product of the region’s conditions, primarily its proximity to both the Indian and Southern Oceans and its soils.

The sea breezes – and the cold winds that blow in from the south – help the region avoid excessively high temperatures. Its soils are among the oldest in the world, their low fertility prompting the vines to pump more powerful flavours into the grapes.

The stroll through the vines is an ideal precursor to a long lunch at Vasse Felix restaurant. The menu under head chef Brendan Pratt is broadly classified as modern Australian, but features plenty of Asian flourishes such as XO and Szechuan.

A side of cabbage, that most humble of humble vegetables, is transformed by the addition of sesame and furikake, a Japanese seasoning typically sprinkled on rice. Fazzoletti sitting in a corn custard and topped with egg yolk is memorable, as is the Patagonian toothfish wrapped in seaweed.

While it was wine that put Margaret River on the map, the back blocks away from the major wineries are home to an array of people channelling the spirits of Cullity and Cullen into their own particular areas of passion.

Those quiet roads and dirt tracks are speckled with the likes of chocolatiers, patissiers, olive-oil makers and coffee roasters, and the Cape Lodge team organises for us to meet with three sets of energetic souls pursuing their particular passions.

All three held successful corporate careers, and all three are funnelling the same appetite for work that helped them succeed in the corporate world into their new endeavours.

Our first stop is One Table Farm, a project that grew out of the imagination of former corporate executive Tim and his wife Cree, a zoo vet.

Since buying their 40ha property nine years ago, Tim and Cree have established a small but incredibly diverse orchard that is home to more than 40 varieties of fruits, nuts and vegetables, all grown using regenerative farming principles.

There’s everything from coffee and tea plants, through to pears and apples and tropical fruits, a vast array of herbs and spices. More is on the way, with Tim and Cree now planning to add a range of Indigenous foods to their orchard.

Tim also runs a cooking school offering one-day sourdough workshops, sharing the secrets of his own longstanding obsession that began when he was sent to a sourdough class some 14 years ago.

Since then, he has been enchanted by the blend of science, creativity and intuition involved in the process. Tucking into a warm sourdough crumpet topped with honey from the farm, it’s easy to see how such an obsession could take hold.

Next up is a behind-the-scenes tour of Ovant, a new distillery near Cowaramup devoted to alcoholfree gin. Ovant is the brainchild of Tim Streitberg – a former oil and gas executive turned yoga instructor – and Chris Bothwell, who was the head sommelier at the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Clockwise, opposite: dining in the vines; a lakeside room; aerial view of Cape Lodge.

From top, a selection of the restaurant’s dishes

Dorchester in London. The pair wanted to develop something that would replicate the pleasure and rituals of drinking, but without the alcohol.

While other non-alcoholic gins on the market involve the traditional distilling of botanicals in vodka, with the alcohol subsequently burnt off, Ovant instead uses water and vapour and a unique custom-built distillery for the process.

The pair tried hundreds of different botanical combinations over two years before settling on three varieties: the juniper berry-based Grace, the aperitif-like Verve, and the dark digestif-like Royal.

The market for non-alcoholic spirits is growing rapidly, and Ovant is already featured at high-end restaurants in Australia and around the world.

Finally, there’s a visit to Treeton Hill Farm, which may just be one of the most extravagant egg farms in the country. Owner Gavin McLeod was born and

raised on a chicken farm, and after a long and successful career in mining and research he decided to return to the industry with a plan to run an egg farm in a whole new way.

A typical caged-hen egg farm will have around 180,000 chickens per hectare. A free-range egg farm will have 10,000 per hectare. At Treeton Hill, there are just 140 chickens per hectare.

The extra space for the Treeton Hill hens mean they are able to forage for worms and bugs, a luxury other commercial egg-layers will seldom if ever experience. They are also treated to Gavin’s special herbal tea, a secret recipe that he says helps protect the hens from illness and improves the flavour of the eggs.

The chickens are guarded by a squad of Italian Maremma sheepdogs who have been trained to keep nearby foxes and eagles at bay. Maremmas, whose ancestry has been traced back to ancient Rome, form bonds with the birds they protect and were famously used to help save the penguins of Victoria’s Middle Island. Treeton Hill’s hens are less productive due to the energy they burn when foraging, but they have a much longer productive life than typical cage or free range birds.

The morning expedition has been fascinating, but it is soon time to get back for what the southwest does best and settle in for another long lunch.

We head to Frui Memento, the restaurant recently opened by Seth James, the former executive chef of acclaimed Margaret River winery and restaurant Wills Domain, and legendary winemaker Larry Cherubino. The dining room might be the best-looking in the region, and it makes the most of its location overlooking an expansive manicured rose garden.

The food lives up to the setting, and Frui Memento is already being touted as one of the best restaurants in the state. The menu, which has a heavy focus on seafood and caviar, includes quail from nearby Wagin and wagyu rump from Margaret River. Whipped cod roe is served with impossibly thin shards of sweet potato.

There is also the “chick on a stick”: a simple chicken skewer that pays playful tribute to the infamous statue – a relic from the location’s previous incarnation – of a naked golden woman atop a towering plinth in the middle of the lake.

As much as we enjoy roaming through the region, it is something of a relief to finally get back to Cape Lodge.

The lodge has its own walking trail and a tennis court for working off the culinary indulgences, and there are sunset wine tastings in the lodge’s own vines each evening. And there’s still time to fit in one more dinner, this time at Cape Lodge’s own restaurant, which offers a nightly degustation menu, leaning heavily on what can be harvested from the substantial vegetable garden beds outside the restaurant.

Of course, the menu has a heavy focus on locally sourced produce: scallops from Rottnest Island, marron from Donnybrook, lamb loin from Albany.

It’s a fitting – and filling – way to finish a memorable weekend.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

27

STORY BY

PAIGE TAYLOR

RETREAT INTO NATURE In the heart of the Pilbara, Indigenous owners operate one of the nation’s top eco-tourism attractions

Clockwise from main: Karijini Eco Retreat by night; Karijini National Park; sunrise over the retreat; Fern Pool at Dales Gorge

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

The area is responsible for just 2 per cent of Australia’s total wine production, but accounts for around a quarter of the country’s premium wine output. That disproportionate ability to deliver topshelf wines is a product of the region’s conditions, primarily its proximity to both the Indian and Southern Oceans and its soils.

The sea breezes – and the cold winds that blow in from the south – help the region avoid excessively high temperatures. Its soils are among the oldest in the world, their low fertility prompting the vines to pump more powerful flavours into the grapes.

The stroll through the vines is an ideal precursor to a long lunch at Vasse Felix restaurant. The menu under head chef Brendan Pratt is broadly classified as modern Australian, but features plenty of Asian flourishes such as XO and Szechuan.

A side of cabbage, that most humble of humble vegetables, is transformed by the addition of sesame and furikake, a Japanese seasoning typically sprinkled on rice. Fazzoletti sitting in a corn custard and topped with egg yolk is memorable, as is the Patagonian toothfish wrapped in seaweed.

While it was wine that put Margaret River on the map, the back blocks away from the major wineries are home to an array of people channelling the spirits of Cullity and Cullen into their own particular areas of passion.

Those quiet roads and dirt tracks are speckled with the likes of chocolatiers, patissiers, olive-oil makers and coffee roasters, and the Cape Lodge team organises for us to meet with three sets of energetic souls pursuing their particular passions.

All three held successful corporate careers, and all three are funnelling the same appetite for work that helped them succeed in the corporate world into their new endeavours.

Our first stop is One Table Farm, a project that grew out of the imagination of former corporate executive Tim and his wife Cree, a zoo vet.

Since buying their 40ha property nine years ago, Tim and Cree have established a small but incredibly diverse orchard that is home to more than 40 varieties of fruits, nuts and vegetables, all grown using regenerative farming principles.

There’s everything from coffee and tea plants, through to pears and apples and tropical fruits, a vast array of herbs and spices. More is on the way, with Tim and Cree now planning to add a range of Indigenous foods to their orchard.

Tim also runs a cooking school offering one-day sourdough workshops, sharing the secrets of his own longstanding obsession that began when he was sent to a sourdough class some 14 years ago.

Since then, he has been enchanted by the blend of science, creativity and intuition involved in the process. Tucking into a warm sourdough crumpet topped with honey from the farm, it’s easy to see how such an obsession could take hold.

Next up is a behind-the-scenes tour of Ovant, a new distillery near Cowaramup devoted to alcoholfree gin. Ovant is the brainchild of Tim Streitberg – a former oil and gas executive turned yoga instructor – and Chris Bothwell, who was the head sommelier at the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Clockwise, opposite: dining in the vines; a lakeside room; aerial view of Cape Lodge.

From top, a selection of the restaurant’s dishes

Dorchester in London. The pair wanted to develop something that would replicate the pleasure and rituals of drinking, but without the alcohol.

While other non-alcoholic gins on the market involve the traditional distilling of botanicals in vodka, with the alcohol subsequently burnt off, Ovant instead uses water and vapour and a unique custom-built distillery for the process.

The pair tried hundreds of different botanical combinations over two years before settling on three varieties: the juniper berry-based Grace, the aperitif-like Verve, and the dark digestif-like Royal.

The market for non-alcoholic spirits is growing rapidly, and Ovant is already featured at high-end restaurants in Australia and around the world.

Finally, there’s a visit to Treeton Hill Farm, which may just be one of the most extravagant egg farms in the country. Owner Gavin McLeod was born and

raised on a chicken farm, and after a long and successful career in mining and research he decided to return to the industry with a plan to run an egg farm in a whole new way.

A typical caged-hen egg farm will have around 180,000 chickens per hectare. A free-range egg farm will have 10,000 per hectare. At Treeton Hill, there are just 140 chickens per hectare.

The extra space for the Treeton Hill hens mean they are able to forage for worms and bugs, a luxury other commercial egg-layers will seldom if ever experience. They are also treated to Gavin’s special herbal tea, a secret recipe that he says helps protect the hens from illness and improves the flavour of the eggs.

The chickens are guarded by a squad of Italian Maremma sheepdogs who have been trained to keep nearby foxes and eagles at bay. Maremmas, whose ancestry has been traced back to ancient Rome, form bonds with the birds they protect and were famously used to help save the penguins of Victoria’s Middle Island. Treeton Hill’s hens are less productive due to the energy they burn when foraging, but they have a much longer productive life than typical cage or free range birds.

The morning expedition has been fascinating, but it is soon time to get back for what the southwest does best and settle in for another long lunch.

We head to Frui Memento, the restaurant recently opened by Seth James, the former executive chef of acclaimed Margaret River winery and restaurant Wills Domain, and legendary winemaker Larry Cherubino. The dining room might be the best-looking in the region, and it makes the most of its location overlooking an expansive manicured rose garden.

The food lives up to the setting, and Frui Memento is already being touted as one of the best restaurants in the state. The menu, which has a heavy focus on seafood and caviar, includes quail from nearby Wagin and wagyu rump from Margaret River. Whipped cod roe is served with impossibly thin shards of sweet potato.

There is also the “chick on a stick”: a simple chicken skewer that pays playful tribute to the infamous statue – a relic from the location’s previous incarnation – of a naked golden woman atop a towering plinth in the middle of the lake.

As much as we enjoy roaming through the region, it is something of a relief to finally get back to Cape Lodge.

The lodge has its own walking trail and a tennis court for working off the culinary indulgences, and there are sunset wine tastings in the lodge’s own vines each evening. And there’s still time to fit in one more dinner, this time at Cape Lodge’s own restaurant, which offers a nightly degustation menu, leaning heavily on what can be harvested from the substantial vegetable garden beds outside the restaurant.

Of course, the menu has a heavy focus on locally sourced produce: scallops from Rottnest Island, marron from Donnybrook, lamb loin from Albany.

It’s a fitting – and filling – way to finish a memorable weekend.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

27

STORY BY

CAROLYN BEASLEY

FAR-FLUNG LODGES OF THE KIMBERLEY Get away from the crowds, and everything else, at these high-end retreats in the remote northwest

F

rom waterfalls and gorges to ancient rock art and legendary fishing, there’s simply nowhere quite like the wilderness of the Kimberley. Elevate your experience with a boutique Kimberley lodge, and see what it’s like to really get away from it all. Here, we showcase five of the best.

1. KIMBERLEY COASTAL CAMP

Right on the shores of Admiralty Gulf, Kimberley Coastal Camp has eight guest bungalows, all with ocean views. Rooms immerse visitors in nature with walls of bug-proof mesh and magazine-worthy outdoor ensuites incorporating rock formations.

Take a cooking class with your chef host and chat beside the campfire. Families are welcome.

$2900 per couple per night, inclusive of tours, meals, and alcoholic beverages. kimberleycoastalcamp.com.au 2. BUNGLE BUNGLE SAVANNAH LODGE

In Purnululu National Park, 315km south of Kununurra, you’ll find the beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Range. At Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge, 25 cosy double cabins and one family room dot the creekline, each featuring ensuites and king beds.

Take a dip in the only swimming pool in “the Bungles”, and enjoy a buffet dinner under the stars beside a campfire.

Signature experiences

Join guides for a hike through the beehive domes to Cathedral Gorge, carved out by eons of monsoonal rains. Extend the wonder, booking the full day experience which includes the sheer rock walls of Echidna Chasm.

Getting there and costs

Self-drive in a 4WD (up to 5 hours from Kununurra) or take one of the various flight options from Kununurra. Packages are available including flights, guided hikes and a stay at the lodge. Accommodation, dinner and breakfast only is $698 per couple per night, excluding alcohol. bunglebunglesavannahlodge.com.au

Signature experiences

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Fishing guides here will help even novices to hook barramundi, Spanish mackerel or coral trout. Later, they’ll cook your catch on a deserted island, producing a gourmet picnic under a boab tree.

Other highlights include touring Aboriginal rock art and catching mud crabs.

Getting there and costs

Guests arrive via charter flights from Kununurra, Darwin and Broome to the Mitchell Plateau, then helicopter transfer. Another option is a floatplane charter. Costs vary. Accommodation rates are 30

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

Clockwise from opposite: Kimberley Coastal Camp; El Questro; Faraway Bay; Berkerley River Lodge; Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge

3. EL QUESTRO HOMESTEAD

El Questro Wilderness Park (110km west of Kununurra) showcases 280,000ha of savannah, gorges and waterfalls to thousands of guests annually across their various accommodation options. But at the Homestead, you’ll find an allinclusive, luxurious sanctuary for just 20 guests.

Built on a cliff, the Homestead is cantilevered above the Chamberlain River. Dining is an elegant affair, with lunch served at a shady, long table, and dinner under the stars.

Signature experiences

Homestead guests enjoy guided gorge walks, cruising Chamberlain Gorge, 4WD safaris, and an exclusive soak in palm-fringed thermal pools at Zebedee Springs. Add a helicopter tour over the gorges, or combine a hike with a heli-transfer home.

Getting there and costs

Access is by self-drive four-wheel drive or a transfer from Kununurra (1.5 hours). Alternatively, splurge on a plane or heli-transfer. Book the Homestead from $2490 per couple per night including meals, select alcoholic beverages, and tours (excluding transfers and helicopter tours). elquestro.com.au 4. BERKELEY RIVER LODGE

At 190km northwest of Kununurra, Berkeley River Lodge claims to be the “most remote lodge in Australia”. Perched atop a sand dune overlooking the Timor Sea, it may also be one of the most spectacular. The 20 villas feature floor-to-ceiling glass, verandas, king beds and outdoor baths.

Rooms have air-conditioning, plus louvre windows for breezes. Gourmet breakfast and lunch are served a la carte, while dinner is degustation style.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Signature experiences

Cruise up the Berkeley River, discovering swimming holes, gorge hikes, and wildlife. Four-wheel-drive safaris offer sunset beverages, or cast a line for barramundi and queenfish. Ramp up the adventure with a helicopter tour to Aboriginal rock art galleries, or try heli-fishing.

Getting there and costs

Fly in from Kununurra (transfers included). Rates for two are $2850 per night, all inclusive, with the exception of premium alcoholic drinks and helicopter tours. berkeleyriverlodge.com.au 5. FARAWAY BAY

On a cliff-lined bay, some 280km northwest of Kununurra, Faraway Bay is an off-grid wilderness retreat. With only eight cabins with ensuite and air-

conditioning, you’ll see plenty of birds, and few humans. Chef-prepared meals, often including freshly caught fish, are served at a communal long table, overlooking a spring-fed swimming pool and turquoise bay.

Signature experiences

Don’t miss the boat trip to the King George Falls.

Spot turtles and manta rays, before showering under the falls themselves. Visit remote Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) Indigenous rock art sites, some 20,000-30,000 years old. Catch a barramundi for dinner, or catch and release a giant trevally.

Getting there and costs

Charter flights from Darwin or Kununurra are booked for guests (additional cost). Accommodation, tours and meals are $2700 per couple per night, excluding alcohol. Minimum three-night stay. farawaybay.com.au WESTERN AUSTRALIA

31

RETURN VOYAGES After a much lamented absence, cruise ships are once again sailing the waters of the Kimberley

STORY BY

LOUISE GOLDSBURY

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The type of tender feature might be crucial to your choice of ship, depending on your mobility and penchant for comfort. Tenders range from inflatable Zodiacs and “tinny” runabouts to tour boats with seats, shade, toilets and easy access ramps.

Some of the high-end yachts carry helicopters while others have helipads and use land-based companies to provide scenic flights over the vast and varied landscapes.

“You’re not necessarily missing anything if the ship you choose does not have a full-time helicopter,”

says Castles. “But ships that travel with their own helicopter enable access to exclusive experiences, such as a private picnic beside a stunning waterfall.”

When comparing fares, pay attention to the inclusions, cruise duration, sleeping arrangements and ship facilities.

“Some of the mid-size vessels, such as Coral Expeditions, Ponant or APT, will include beer and wine with lunch and dinner, which can save you hundreds of dollars by not having to buy those drinks on board. Likewise, some operators include Aboriginal Native Title Access Fees in their cruise fares, whereas others add it to the published fare at the time of booking,” says Castles.

Generally, this year offers better value than last year, when only local operators had government approval to sail in Western Australia; however, 2023 and 2024 may be worth the wait for a wider array of premium options.

Richard Davey, cruise travel designer at Savenio, says: “Kimberley cruises have traditionally left a little change from $10,000, but that became a distant memory during Australia’s ban on international ships, with very few sailings on offer.

The return of Ponant has seen sub-$10,000 Kimberley cruises this June. Silversea is also soon to return, and the next few seasons will see Scenic Eclipse, Seabourn Venture and Aurora Expeditions join the fleets in the region.”

If fishing is a dealbreaker, or you want to dine on THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; PABLO BLANCO; NICK RAINS

I

magine flying by vintage seaplane to reach a three-masted yacht, its white sails billowing in the breeze, immersed in a faraway gorge of red rock and turquoise rivers. Or dare to consider sleeping in a swag on the top deck of a boat, surrounded by millions of stars above and below, reflected in the tranquil water.

This year and next, more small ships are returning to the Kimberley, bringing new ways to explore this ancient land afloat. Most vessels accommodate fewer than 100 people, and some take only a dozen, to help preserve the preciousness of this remote wilderness.

“What many people don’t realise about the Kimberley is that there’s no bad view,” says Sam Patton, of specialist agency Cruise Traveller. “Your small ship will be anchored off-shore, so there are always beautiful vistas. Small ships also enable you to leave the lightest of footprints on this special, soul-lifting place.”

Most cruises are eight to 18 days long, with similar-looking itineraries and activities, but the choice of cruise line can be crucial to your enjoyment. For example, not every company offers the opportunity to swim, some ships have shared bathrooms, while others have butlers. Local operators tend to spend more time in the heart of the Kimberley, between Broome and Wyndham, while larger ships might start or end in Darwin.

Whether it’s a luxury escape or a fishing trip, every cruise covers the region’s fabulous phenomenon such as Montgomery Reef, which appears to rise from the ocean at low tide, and the famous Horizontal Falls. Spotting wildlife – crocodiles, sharks, turtles, dolphins, dugongs and seabirds – is guaranteed. Australia’s oldest rock art can be viewed at Bigge Island, Jar Island or Raft Point, including the distinctive Gwion Gwion (formerly Bradshaw) paintings. At the end of the wet season (March/April), perch on the bow of the boat to be sprayed by King Cascade, and marvel at the twin King Georges Falls, which tumble 100m off sandstone cliffs.

“The way you experience these sites is similar,” says Andrew Castles, general manager of Expedition Cruise Specialists. “Typically, guests will be ferried to shore aboard tenders. Smaller vessels are able to access the tidal rivers aboard the main ship, whereas midsize ships call on the use of their tenders more frequently.”

The type of tender feature might be crucial to your choice of ship, depending on your mobility and penchant for comfort

Clockwise from above: Zodiac cruise at Mongomery Reef; Le Ponant; Le Laperouse at Raft Point; the Kimberley Pearl

the catch of the day, opt for a ship carrying fewer than 40 passengers. Ships with bigger capacity logistically cannot offer fishing on this scale.

“It’s also worth asking about the qualities of a vessel’s expedition team or trip leaders,” says Castles.

“There’s not a lot of signage up in the region to explain what you’re seeing, so you’re relying on the knowledge imparted by the experts employed by the cruise line, which can take your understanding of the Kimberley and your enjoyment to a new level.”

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

Premium - Local The cream of the Kimberley is the locally owned, Australian-crewed True North, Great Escape, Ocean Dream and Kimberley Quest II. Accommodating between 12 and 36 travellers, these four yachts might not boast balconies on every cabin or opulent décor, but the passionate staff have solid knowledge of the area, and the chefs will turn your freshly caught seafood into a gourmet feast. Exclusivity comes at a high cost, at around $20,000 to $35,000 per person twin-share for a 13-night cruise. True North does seven-night snapshots from $16,595 per person.

“These incredibly popular small ships generally require you to book at least a year in advance,” says Castles.

Premium – International For a more cruise-like experience with salubrious suites, international staff and alcohol included, the luxury choice is Silversea or French company Ponant.

Shaking up the scene is Le Ponant, a striking, threemasted sailing ship coming to the Kimberley from April 2023 in partnership with Paspaley.

Guests will be transferred to the 32-passenger yacht on the Paspaley family’s Grumman Mallard flying boats and granted private access to their pearl operations in Kuri Bay. Pre- or post-cruise stays can also be arranged at El Questro or Berkeley River Lodge.

This season, Ponant is operating Le Laperouse and Le Soleal for 184 to 264 guests. Fares start at $10,380 per person for a September departure.

Set apart by its butler service, Silversea’s 144-passenger Silver Explorer is back this year. Only a handful of suites are available, from $18,200 per person.

The starting fare for 2023 is $12,800 per person, and the first cruise departs from Cairns on May 13.

Lindblad’s 102-passenger

National Geographic Orion will run a few sailings in July 2023.

“She’s a nimble ship,” says Patton, “and filled with National Geographic staff whose enthusiasm for our natural world is another reason that she is so popular.”

Mid-level APT’s 99-passenger Caledonian Sky is a unique hybrid of locally owned and foreign-flagged. A notable difference is the lack of swimming opportunities, but if you’re happy to avoid the water, these cruises are priced from $10,995 per person twin-share, including beer and wine with meals. This year’s season is already sold out.

To spend more time hiking and swimming, two WA-based operators offer a “laid-back, barefoot experience, with a cold beer more likely to be served in a stubby cooler than a tall, chilled glass,” says Castles. Carrying 30 to 36 passengers, Eco Abrolhos’s 13-night cruises (BroomeWyndham) start at $12,490 per person, and Reef Prince’s 10-night Kimberley cruises (Broome-Darwin) start at $11,900 per person.

Coral Expeditions straddles the low, medium and high price points due to the wide range of accommodations on its larger ships (maximum capacity 99 passengers). The style of cruising is more traditional in some ways, but the skilled crew is Australian.

For touring along tidal rivers, Coral Expeditions uses Xplorer tenders with a toilet and a roof for sun protection, enabling them to take guests almost anywhere that the smallest yachts can access.

Budget “You can find some great pricing on ships such as Coral Expeditions’ new Coral Geographer or Coral Adventurer by looking at room grades such as Coral Deck staterooms,” says Castles. “It’s also worth keeping an eye out for off-peak dates, where you can save 10 per cent or more

off normal prices.” For a “rustic experience”, One Tide Charters involves beach camping or sleeping in a swag on deck, priced from $7190 per person. With cabins but shared bathrooms, Discovery One starts at $10,490 per person, and Odyssey Expeditions goes as low as $3200 per person for a three-night snapshot.

Three other top-value vessels, with fewer than 12 passengers, include Diversity II; Kimberley Pearl, a refurbished Paspaley pearling boat; and Unreel Adventures’ King Tide, with bunk-style sleeping quarters.

Further-flung fishing and diving Smaller ships from the fleets of Ponant, True North, Coral Expeditions, Reef Prince, Great Escape, Lady M and LindbladNational Geographic sail to other remote havens on the west coast, such as the Rowley Shoals and Abrolhos Islands.

Among the top activities in these coral lagoons and tidal canyons are snorkel drifts and diving in the outer reef, catching giant dog-toothed tuna and sailfish, or sunset drinks on a white-sand cay 300km off the WA coast.

Coral Expeditions has voyages from Darwin to Broome that combine the Kimberley coast, Rowley Shoals and Ashmore Reef, while some itineraries loop south to Ningaloo Reef and the Montebello Islands.

National Geographic Expeditions has a 17-night itinerary from Broome to Bali, which takes in the Kimberley, Bungle Bungles, Rowley Shoals and Indonesia’s Komodo National Park. In the Abrolhos, crayfishing vessel Eco Abrolhos runs four-night getaways.

As Castles recommends: “I would suggest focusing on the best dedicated Kimberley trip for a first-time visit; and you can always return at a later date to do the Rowley Shoals, Montebellos or Abrolhos on a shorter trip.”

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STORY BY

HELEN TRINCA

TRAINS-CONTINENTAL

A

publisher of Australian literature could make a killing on the Indian Pacific rail route. On the Nullarbor, the yearning for a Henry Lawson short story or a verse or more from Banjo Patterson is intense.

There are hours and hours of scrubby landscape to think about the scale of the continent, the emptiness that is somehow filled with imaginings about life, meaning, the universe and those who carved out the track in the first place.

Yes, our poets and novelists, our essayists and historians could help us make sense of the land that defines this journey, one of the longest in the world, that remains on the bucket list of so many Australians.

The Indian Pacific service celebrates 52 years of operation this year and, after major Covid-19 hiccups, is now back running 52 return trips each year across the continent. That’s 4352km one way, covering a varied landscape from the Nullarbor to the Adelaide Hills and the Blue Mountains.

On a recent trip westwards, my one regret is not packing a book – old or new - about our wide brown land and the limestone and saltbush of the plain.

The internet can only take you so far on the Indian Pacific sadly, where reception is intermittent or non-existent for vast parts of the trip.

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Happily, the trek over two days and nights from Adelaide (the complete trip from Sydney takes three nights and four days) offers plenty of opportunity for conversations with other guests with their own wonderful stories to tell.

Over gourmet-level breakfasts, lunches and dinners there is time to discover why others have chosen this leisurely entry to Perth: for some it’s about ticking the Indian Pacific off the list; for others a train journey, any train journey, is magical; others have never seen the outback; some have made the trek by the (sometimes tourist-laden) Eyre Highway but have lusted after the strange emptiness of the rail route, where there are virtually no settlements.

Everyone agrees it’s about the journey. Flying into Western Australia may be cheaper, faster and far more practical than taking the train, but there’s little sense of the vastness of the state.

The train, which clips along at an average speed of 80km/h, with a top speed of around 115km/h, offers a very different perspective, taking you from the inland where there’s only the occasional eagle to remind you of life, to the rich mining areas surrounding Kalgoorlie and the Wheatbelt areas before heading to the city.

There are only two stops: the first is at the almost deserted town of Cook (established 1917, population now down to four) where we alight for 45 minutes to feel the Nullarbor beneath out feet, allow the drivers to swap over and for various refuelling and replenishing operations to take place.

There’s an old jail, a bush hospital and a filled-in swimming pool, but the big attraction is the chance to glance back at the beast of a silver train that has just snaked its way across the land. The Nullarbor boasts 478km of absolutely straight track – the longest such stretch in the world. It’s a great statistic but it means you can’t peer out of a window and see the front or the back of the train.

Cook is still in South Australia – about 100km north of the Eyre Highway – and it’s another couple of hours before we cross the border. This is truly a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment: the train does not stop or even slow down as we pass into Western Australia, with a lone sign marking the transition.

(Memo to management: think about building in a short stop here, in the middle of nowhere, back of beyond, etc. The sheer scale of the landscape would make this border crossing a memorable and romantic moment, especially for international travellers.)

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA; ARSINEH HOUSPIAN

There may be cheaper, faster ways to reach Western Australia, but there are none so dramatic – or so romantic

Many travellers have lusted after the strange emptiness of the rail route, where there are virtually no settlements Clockwise from main: dinner beside the Indian Pacific; sunrise over the Nullarbor; the train begins its journey west; views of the train at Rawlinna; night sky from the train; a Platinum Service cabin

It’s getting on to dusk and our dinner awaits at Rawlinna, a siding on the nation’s biggest operating sheep station, about 350km west of the WA border.

There’s barbecue, a country singer and fires in drums and a sense again of how insignificant we are in this seemingly infinite blackness. The dinner tables are laid out alongside the train and we sit within a circle of light: step too far away and you fear being swallowed by the continent.

Back on board, we are off again on our final night, asleep at 3am as we pass Kalgoorlie and waking to find ourselves heading for Southern Cross and the vast Wheatbelt area of the State.

Too soon, we are back in “civilisation” passing Merredin and other wheat towns, sidings and silos and hectares of cultivated land. Then it’s a quick run alongside the lovely Avon River, the vineyards of the Swan Valley and the outer suburbs of the capital to our arrival at the terminal at East Perth.

We’ve been in our own “bubble” on the Indian Pacific, navigating our way across big time changes and thousands of kilometres of outback in the comfort of Gold and Platinum air-conditioned carriages and lounges and dining cars.

It’s almost unreal, and there’s certainly nothing quite like it in the world.

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

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STORY BY

NICK RYAN

THE ROW LESS TRAVELLED

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA;

For wine enthusiasts with curiosity and energy, there are treasures to be found off the beaten track

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THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

S

ometimes an idea tumbles through time, collecting the dings and scratches that give it the patina of cliché, and losing a bit of its original shape.

That’s why we talk about “a jewel in the crown”, when we all know that crowns, and those who wear them, aren’t particularly well known for subtlety and restraint.

So when we talk about Margaret River as the jewel in the crown of West Australian wine, we tell only part of the story.

Margaret River is rightly celebrated, a treasure in every sense, but any discussion of West Australian wine needs to acknowledge that its jewels are scattered widely and in abundance.

It’s time to take the road less travelled and discover a few more of Western Australia’s vinous gems.

Here are a few good places to start.

Swan Valley

Corymbia Wines vineyards; the rich soil of the Swan Valley

JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

The Swan Valley, just 30 minutes from downtown Perth, is the most easily accessible of all WA’s wine regions. It blends a reverence for tradition with the shock of the new, making Australia’s second oldest wine region one of the buzziest, and busiest, places on the Australian wine scene.

Its origins are English – Thomas Waters built the first cellar at Olive Farm in 1830 and Dr John Ferguson purchased a land grant from three Indian Army officers, the most senior of them, Colonel Richmond Houghton, lending his name to the property that would become the Swan Valley’s most famous.

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The Swan Valley blends a reverence for tradition with the shock of the new, making Australia’s second oldest wine region one of the buzziest places on the Australian wine scene

Clockwise from top left: Pemberton’s Picardy winery; Picardy founder Bill Pannell; Frankland Estate vines in winter

But its lifeblood came from the Balkans and several waves of immigration in the first half of the 20th century saw a thriving wine-growing community develop in the sun-drenched Swan Valley.

The Kosovich family have a century of Swan Valley winemaking behind them. They are shaped by its traditions and determined to uphold them. In addition to their classically styled table wines – the chenin blanc is a standout – they produce brilliant fortified wines that are part delicious drink, part portal to the past.

Rob Mann is another whose every move is sculpted by the Swan’s past. He’s also doing more than anyone to drive its future.

He’s a sixth-generation Swan Valley winemaker and his grandfather Jack, after a long and distinguished career at Houghton’s, is universally recognised as a towering figure in the story of Australian wine.

After high-profile winemaking gigs around the globe, Mann has come home and with wife Genevieve established the Corymbia label, producing wines that shatter any notion that elegance, detail and finesse are qualities foreign to warmer regions.

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Garth Cliff walked away from a celebrated corporate winemaking career to pursue the wilder side of wine with his partner Kristen McGann.

Their Vino Volta rewrites the rule book, without ever tearing it up, punching out new-wave expressions of classic varieties like grenache and chenin blanc.

This is the new Swan Valley and the future looks very exciting indeed.

Frankland River

The casual visitor to the region would spend so much on fuel there would be little left for wine, but anyone seeking out the words Frankland River on a label will be rewarded with some of the most exciting wines currently made anywhere on the planet.

The Swinney family have been farming in Frankland for a century and the decision made some 20 years ago to pursue viticulture and release wines under their eponymous label has proved a fortuitous one.

Critics around the world have been raving about the grenache and syrah coming off the obsessively managed bush vines that have re-framed the West Australian wine story.

Another story of farmers turned winemakers is told at Frankland Estate. A pioneer in the region, Frankland Estate is recognised as one of the world’s finest producers of riesling, both in the classically dry style, and the funkier, more textured style showcased by their cult ‘Alter Weg’ bottling.

For a region so distant from the bright lights, there’s no shortage of limelight at all.

Pemberton

Small and succinct yet big on promise, Pemberton is one of the great hidden secrets of West Australian wine.

With pockets of vines on gravelly soils, towering stands of Karri forest surrounding them, cooling breezes flowing in from the coast and a climate conducive to long, gentle ripening, Pemberton is ideally placed to etch detail and personality into varieties like chardonnay and pinot noir.

The Pannell family recognised its potential early, and have done more than most to harness it through their supremely elegant and beguilingly beautiful wines under the Picardy label.

These are but three of Western Australia’s winemaking gems. Those who come west in search of treasure are guaranteed to find more.

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

ROAD TRIP#3 REEF RESPITE Whale sharks and dolphins, record-breaking bays and subterranean lake systems STORY BY

NATASHA DRAGUN

Turquoise Bay, Exmouth

Day 1 & 2: Exmouth

It’s that bewitching time of day, when the bruised colours of the sky dapple across the water like nature’s disco ball. It doesn’t matter how many West Australian sunsets you see, the current one is always the most dazzling. From Exmouth, the outlook is particularly pretty.

Exmouth is the gateway to the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, and if you didn’t know better, you’d swear someone had removed the glasses from your nose and polished them for the first time. The skies are wider, the air fresher, the wilderness, well, wilder. Oh, and the marine life bigger, as I discover when I come mask-to-whisker with an immense whale shark snorkelling over Ningaloo Reef.

Nothing quite prepares you for the moment you first glimpse the world’s biggest fish in its natural habitat – it’s not the chill of the Indian Ocean giving me goosebumps.

I’m not sure how my road trip could get any better. But it turns out the 400km route south along the Coral Coast delivers a parade of natural highs.

Day 3: Exmouth to Coral Bay

From Exmouth’s perch at the tip of WA’s North West Cape peninsula, my journey takes me through the ruggedly beautiful Cape Range National Park, a union of horizon-bending limestone escarpments and yawning canyons, only interrupted by unpeopled coves – Turquoise Bay deserves its JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

name. Visit in winter for a carpet of wildflowers, including the brilliant Sturt Desert Pea. Like floral lipstick. Also arrayed are canary-coloured wattles, mulla mullas, native fuchsias, fanflowers… The only reminders to look up are the emus and kangaroos that call this part of the state home.

Coral Bay sits at the base of the peninsula. I step out of my hotel, wander to the sand, pull on flippers and within minutes, I’m gliding about with turtles and manta rays – and 500 other species of fish. It’s a bit of a dream, a patchwork of vivid blues that also drive humpback whales wild during migration. My companions swap the salt of the sea for a glassbottomed boat, and pooter over coral bommies the size of a car.

Day 4: Coral Bay to Carnarvon

My onward journey southward skirts Lake MacLeod, Australia’s westernmost lake, replenished by a karst system flushing the tides of the Indian Ocean through a series of subterranean tunnels, up into the lake via shafts, sinkholes and vents. If that wasn’t enough of an achievement, it’s also home to one of the world’s largest mangrove systems. It’s quite the spectacle, particularly if you chopper over it (operators offer a 2.5-hour experience from Carnarvon).

My next stop also offers a sky-high perspective of the planet. The Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum is an unassuming attraction that tells a big

story: the Casshorn antenna here relayed Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon on July 21, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission.

Day 5: Carnarvon to Shark Bay

Something about the Coral Coast fosters obscurities.

Like the “living fossils” at Hamelin Pool, home to the most abundant colony of stromatolites in the world. These astounding creatures look like rocky stepping stones. But they’re actually alive, and excite geologists the world over for the fact they demonstrate what life was like 3.5 billion years ago.

“Humbling” doesn’t quite do them justice.

While my GPS has been set south for most of my trip, today I’m headed briefly northward into Australia’s largest bay. Some 1000km of coves and inlets carve the Shark Bay coast, with petite peninsulas and islets ringed by water the colour of an Ice Mint. Anomalies nearly outnumber sandy spots: case in point, Shell Beach, formed from billions of bone-white coquina shells.

It’s a hard act to follow, but Monkey Mia performs.

Here, gin-clear waters and impossibly white coves and are wedged between rusty-red dunes. It’s the natural playground for wild resident dolphins, which arrive each morning to interact with humans.

They come in a pod, splash about in the shallows, cause a cacophonous sunrise soundtrack, then dance away to catch some waves. That’s the way wildlife does it in WA. WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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THE EBB AND FLOW OF PEARLING

With a recently sealed road connecting Broome and the Dampier Peninsula, it’s never been easier to visit Australia’s oldest working pearl farm STORY BY

CAROLYN BEASLEY

T

he boat noses closer to the 2m-high terrace known as Waterfall Reef and as the tide pours off the living structure, I could swear it’s rising from the ocean. It’s all a flurry of whitewater now, but in a couple of hours, when the tide turns, there’ll be no sign the reef was here at all.

At up to 12m in height, the Kimberley has the largest tropical tides in the world. We zoom past the islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago, through standing waves and giant whirlpools. At Escape Pass, the skipper lets the boat idle, and for a thrilling, heart-racing moment, we twist and drift with the flow.

I’d joined this Ocean Safari from Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, 220km north of Broome. We’d started on land in an amphibious vehicle known as “Sealegs”, trundling over tidal mudflats, before boarding the gutsy 500hp speedboat. The same tides that make this tour so remarkable are critical for Cygnet Bay’s other business: farming Australian South Sea Pearls.

“Pearl oysters feed by filtering the nutrients out of the water, pumping up to 150 litres per hour,” says managing director James Brown. “If you have 1000 pearl shells you need a lot of water.”

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm is the oldest commercially operating pearl farm in Australia. The company was founded by James’ grandfather, Dean Brown in 1946, and his uncle, Lyndon Brown, was the first nonJapanese person to culture pearls. Lyndon’s first technicians were three Indigenous men from the Bardi and Jawi tribes, and the pearl farm continues

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close friendships with the community today.

Bardi man Terry Hunter is a fourth-generation employee here, and leads a tour of the pearl farm. He explains the breeding of oysters, the stimulation of pearl production, and the grow-out phase in the sea.

As we watch, Terry prises open an oyster, harvesting a lustrous orb that will sell for $1120.

Terry also operates his own Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours here, taking guests on walks through fascinating aspects of Bardi life. Similarly, Jawi woman Roseanna Angus operates cultural tours to the former mission of Sunday Island, while elder In the know From Broome, hire a car for the 220km drive to Cygnet Bay, or book a day trip or charter flight through various operators Accomodation Accommodation at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm includes powered sites ($50/night), Pearler’s Shacks (from $275/night), Safari Tents (from $250/night) and the Masters Pearler’s Private Retreat ($950/night) cygnetbaypearlfarm.com.au

Bruce Wiggan demonstrates the carving of pearl shells into traditional ornaments called Riji.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm has endured not only Covid-19, but also the collapse of the pearling industry in 2008. It was this collapse that inspired James to diversify into tourism. Cygnet Bay now offers a variety of accommodation like cabins, a luxury house and my favourite, the stylish eco-tents.

My cosy glamp nestles in bird-filled bushland, with a king-sized bed, ensuite and visits from a cute green tree frog.

Things here are evolving again, and in 2021, the road from Broome was finally sealed. James explains that previously the road could flood any time, and was often in appalling condition.

“It was just so corrugated that it destroyed vehicles, boat trailers and camper trailers,” James says. “It’s not a lot of fun when you’re watching your axles falling off.”

The two-wheel drive road means more travellers can visit, and provides wet-season access. New for the 2022 season are 15 air-conditioned eco-tents plus 28 new caravan sites. James plans to create new wetseason tours to showcase the Kimberley coast, believing the more people experience this place, the more they will advocate for its protection.

As a marine scientist himself, James has an eye on sustainability, and his action in this area contributed to him being named Australian Farmer of the Year in 2021.

While pearling itself is a naturally sustainable THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

‘There’s probably less known about the Kimberley marine environment than the moon,’ says James Brown, managing director of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

Clockwise from opposite: Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm; Bruce Wiggan, Bardi Jawi artist in residence; a handful of pearls; Terry Hunter; pool at the farm; opening a pearl oyster JUNE 23, 2022 | THE AUSTRALIAN

farming process, James has taken a further step, establishing the Kimberley Marine Research Station onsite, which collaborates with marine science organisations throughout Australia. James says the lack of research facilities in the Kimberley was hampering scientific progress. “There’s probably less known about the Kimberley marine environment than the moon,” James says. “This is something I could offer – access to the Kimberley coast.”

For those purchasing a souvenir pearl, they can expect even more than environmental sustainability.

Customers here can see where their pearls were grown, and that they were not colour-enhanced through soaking in chemicals.

In a world first, James has partnered with Everledger, launching the Provenance Proof blockchain ledger. Customers receive a digital vault containing information about the production of their pearl, where it was grown and when it was harvested.

In the future, invisible smart technology may be attached to pearls, aiding with guaranteeing an ethically produced product, just as it has in the diamond industry.

Back out in the ocean, I’m exploring Shell Island, a sandy speck in vast turquoise. I take a sunset dip in the shallows, and as the tide roars in, I dig my fingers into the sand to keep from flying away.

Chugging home across a rippling pink ocean, I glance back to see the sand has completely disappeared. The tides that grow the pearls have taken this island. Fair trade, I’d say.

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ROAD TRIP #4 SURF, SIP, SAVOUR, REPEAT… World-class waves, whale-watching and wine tasting, a journey through the southwest has it all STORY BY

NATASHA DRAGUN

Surfers Point, Margaret River

Kids screech past me and whoop as they somersault into the sea, leaving a trail of wet footprints along the pier. People like me sit with feet dangling over the water, steaming package of newspaper-wrapped fish and chips from nearby Gropers in hand. There’s plenty of room for us all on Busselton’s 1.8km wooden jetty, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s even space for a train, which – come December – will chug out into Geographe Bay to a new whale-shaped observation centre, where you’ll be able to dine with fishes over a series of underwater sculptures.

But today, I’m headed to the family-run Eagle Bay Brewing Co, set on an Indian Ocean-fronting vineyard – the kind of place you could easily lose yourself for a day. And I intend just that, eating woodfired pizzas (try the lager-marinated chicken with pickled red onion and caramelised peanuts) and sipping a creamy cacao stout. The estate’s gardener, Nina, is making the most of the sun. She has a big job here, maintaining an orchard and veggie gardens that chefs regularly raid to create farm-to-fork meals.

From here to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse lie postcard-ready stretches of sand, Meelup and Castle Rock among them. But it’s whale season (August to December), and I know my best chance of spotting these gentle giants is from Bunker Bay. I arrive in time to secure a sand-side table at Bunkers Beach Café, where the drinks list is dedicated to West Australian wines and the menu is a roll-call of 42

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local produce: Shark Bay scallops, Kimberley barramundi, Wedge Island octopus.

Day 2: Bunker Bay to Margaret River

Studies validate the health benefits of starting the day with a dip in the ocean. It boosts energy levels and reduces stress, apparently. I clear my head at Yallingup Beach, a sheltered crescent of sand lapped by toothpaste-white waves. It couldn’t be prettier.

And I have it to myself.

The next cove south is Smiths Beach, where you can segue from the sand into Lamont’s for breakfast.

Think toasted bagels with smoked salmon and wattleseed mascarpone, or blue corn tacos with organic eggs and burnt-butter aioli.

I backtrack slightly to Ngilgi Cave, tucked beneath Cape Naturaliste’s limestone ridge. A visit here is a trip down the rabbit hole; a fairytale world of glowing stalagmites, winking calcite and coloured shawls beneath intricate helictites hung overhead like nature’s chandeliers.

Caving is thirsty work. Thankfully, cellar doors galore surround – high quality ones at that. The region accounts for 3 per cent of Australia’s wine production, yet an eye-popping 20 per cent of its premium output. So you can sip top drops amid rose gardens at Voyager Estate, or ensconced in Vasse Felix’s lounge, or throughout the epic fivecourse degustation at Hay Shed Hill’s on-site restaurant, Rustico. Then comes western rock lobster, roasted Timber Hill pork belly and a surprising Pernod bisque dotted with Abrolhos

Island scallops. Margaret River in a mouthful.

Dessert is served, but my own sweet ending comes from the Margaret River Chocolate Co., a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland boasting truffles, pastelles and bars in flavours like redgum-honey, salted caramel and toffee-peanut.

Day 3: Margaret River

It’s Saturday, and Margaret River Farmers’ Market calls. This is not a place for the indecisive, but the hungry are well-attended. I fill my basket with Cambray cheeses, Karridale olives, still-warm sourdough from Margaret River Bakery, and a cheeky gin flavoured with native botanicals.

I would add fresh fruit and vegetables, but I know the kitchen team at Voyager Estate have me covered. My lunch reservation at its sun-kissed restaurant is for the Terroir Menu, which begins by pairing a 2021 Coastal Chardonnay with scallops, oyster cream and fig leaves. Four courses later, a 2018 Project Cane Cut Semillon accompanies a dessert uniting pumpkin, mandarin and mango. My waiter offers cheese to end my meal – yes please.

After a day of indulging, I need to post a nonfood-related Instagram photo. Ten minutes west, I have that opportunity at Surfers Point. I have neither the board nor the courage to tackle the enormous swells here. But I snap a great photo, then head south to Gnarabup Beach, where smoother conditions suit my stand-up paddleboard rental. Cue that Indian Ocean sunset I’m getting used to…

THE AUSTRALIAN | JUNE 23, 2022

TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Day 1: Busselton to Bunker Bay

SEE WESTERN AUSTRALIA THROUGH THE EYES OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING CULTURES. Western Australia’s traditional custodians invite you to discover their deep connection to the land, their legendary stories, rich heritage and some of the oldest rock art in the world.

Stay at an Aboriginal owned Camping with Custodians campground and meet the local people that run them. Gain a deeper appreciation of this ancient culture and spend your time experiencing campfire yarns, guided walks, fishing, art, culture and more.

Kununurra

Cape Leveque Djarindjin

Broome

Doon Doon

Derby

Imintji

Fitzroy Crossing

Violet Valley

Mimbi Caves

Port Hedland Karratha Onslow Exmouth

Peedamulla

Newman

DJARINDJIN DAMPIER PENINSULA

VIOLET VALLEY KIMBERLEY

MIMBI CAVES FITZROY CROSSING

To find out more visit campingwithcustodians.com @campingwithcustodians

IMINTJI GIBB RIVER ROAD

PEEDAMULLA ONSLOW - PILBARA

DOON DOON EAST KIMBERLEY

SWIM WITH GENTLE GIANTS Step right off the beach to discover Ningaloo Reef, the world’s most exhilarating marine adventure. Swim with gentle whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales, or spend your days snorkelling through colourful coral.

In Western Australia there’s so much more to explore.

Reconnect with family and friends, and share an adventure together. Whether it’s meeting friendly quokkas on Rottnest Island / Wadjemup, sipping your way through Australia’s most premium wine country in the Margaret River Region, or exploring the otherworldly landscapes of the Kimberley – it’s time to wander out yonder in WA.

P L A N YO U R T R I P AT WA N D E R O U T YO N D E R . C O M . A U

N I N G A LO O R E E F