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| 13 Day 4WD Kimberley, Broome to Darwin (or Broome to Darwin) |
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Departs Darwin: Sundays from 29 April 2007 Inclusions:
Exclusions:
Minimum 2, maximum 6 passengers Day 1 (L,D) You will be collected from your hotel at 7am this morning to begin your 13 day 4WD safari through the Kimberley region. We head north to Derby, stopping at the boab prison tree on the way, before having a look around the town and the wharf area. Onto the Gibb River Road and our stop for the night - Windjana Gorge, where we'll have a picnic lunch. The afternoon is spent exploring Tunnel Creek, a 750m long limestone tunnel , carved into the rock over thousands of years. View stalactites and stalacmites and hear the story of aboriginal leader Jandamarra, who used the tunnel as a hideout in the late 1800's. Back to Windjana Gorge for a walk into the gorge before sunset and dinner. Windjana Gorge is part of an ancient Devonian reef system where the Lennard River has cut through the Napier range. Freshwater crocodiles can often be seen lazing around on the river banks. Overnight Windjana Gorge campground. Day 2 ( B,L,D) After breakfast, we’ll make our way through the Napier and King Leopold ranges to Bell Gorge, believed to be the most picturesque in the Kimberley. The afternoon is spent swimming and exploring Adcock and Manning gorges. The three walls of Adcock Gorge exceed thirty metres in some places and a small waterfall cascades down over rock benches into a small pool beside what is believed to be an Aboriginal burial ground. We'll watch the sunset before dinner at Manning Gorge. Overnight Manning Gorge. Day 3 (B,L,D) After breakfast, we'll visit Galvans Gorge, a small picturesque gorge, surrounded by boab trees. After a swim, we move on to Barnett River gorge. A hike into the gorge is rewarded by a swim and the opportunity for birdwatching. Then onto Drysdale River Station for a hot lunch. After lunch, we'll head to Miners Pool for a swim and some time to relax. The riverbank is also home to an array of bird life. Overnight Miners Pool. Day 4 (B,L,D) This morning starts with a cooked breakfast, before we drive up to Kalumburu aboriginal community, stopping on the banks of the Carson River for lunch. Kalumburu is the most northern settlement in western Australia and is situated on the King Edward River. The area has been home for many thousands of years to aboriginal people and this corner of the continent was one of the main entry points into Australia of the first ancient inhabitants. A mission was established in the community in 1932, after the original settlement was moved from Pago, 30 km away and the mission today plays a vital role in the community. Once we've set up camp, the rest of the afternoon is free to do some fishing, bushwalking or simply enjoy the scenery and solitude. Overnight camp Kalumburu. Day 5 (B,L,D) Today we have a very interesting day, spent exploring Kalumburu with a local aboriginal guide. We visit the Old Pago ruins and some WWII wrecks, which are close by. Our guide will take us to several rock art sites, teach us about the aboriginal way of life, culture, bush skills and bush tuckers. We also visit the museum for an informative talk and you may have the opportunity to buy original aboriginal art direct from the community and artists. Overnight camp Kalumburu. This morning we say goodbye to Kalumburu and head down to King Edward River. After lunch on the river bank, we'll view 2 unique art sites, of Bradshaw and Wandjana figures. Early evening is spent swimming and relaxing before watching the sunset. Overnight King Edward River. Day 7 (B,L,D) Today is spent swimming and exploring in the Mitchell Falls area. On our 3km walk into the falls, we'll visit Little and Big Mertens and delve into some bushtuckers and medicines. The rest of the day is spent swimming and relaxing at Mitchell Falls, a three-tiered waterfall cascading over the plateau's edge and into the Mitchell River. We'll take a short helicopter ride back to the car park enjoying the amazing views on the way and then make our way back to camp. Overnight King Edward River. Day 8 (B,L,D) This morning we head south, stopping on the banks of the Gibb River to view an art site. Then we make our way onto the Gibb River road, stopping at Paddymelon Springs for lunch. After lunch, we carry on to the 'cuples', which are man made rock indentations. Continuing on towards El Questro Wilderness Park, we stop to view the mighty Pentecost River and Cockburn Ranges. Overnight El Questro campground. Day 9 (B,L,D) An early start this morning to beat the crowds to Zebedee Springs for a relaxing dip in the thermal pools, set amongst palm trees. Then we'll return to camp to enjoy a cooked breakfast, before exploring the park, including several lookouts. There is time after lunch for a refreshing swim before the afternoon cruise through Chamberlain Gorge, viewing the scenery and rock art sites. Overnight El Questro Campground. Day 10 (B,L,D) This morning we head to Wyndham and drive up the bastion to have lunch while we take in the sensational views of the 5 rivers lookout and the Cambridge Gulf. We stop at Parry's Lagoon, a haven for birdlife, before we head south to Turkey Creek and then into the Bungle Bungles. Purnululu National park is famous for the ancient range of unusual beehive-shaped domes, gorges and chasms over 350 million years old. The section of road into the Bungles from the highway is quite challenging and will give you a real sense of off-road adventure! Overnight Bungle Bungles campground. Day 11 (B,L,D) There's time this morning for optional helicopter flights over the Bungle Bungles Range (own expense) and then we'll walk into Cathedral Gorge. On our way back we take the 'Domes trail walk'. The afternoon is spent in Echidna Chasm and at various lookouts. Echidna Chasm is a narrow gorge of conglomerate rock, passing endemnic livistonia palms. Optional longer hikes available. Overnight Bungle Bungles campground. Day 12 (B,L,D) After breakfast, we leave the Bungles and head to Kununurra. We take a look around at the Warringari Art Centre and Kelly's Knob lookout before lunch and then onto Lake Argyle. Lake Argyle is Australia's largest man-made lake, covering 1000sq km. Mid-afternoon, we’ll pass through the border into the Northern Territory and make our way to Keep River National Park. We arrive in time for sunset and a walk through the rock formations before dinner. Overnight camp at Keep River National Park. Day 13 (B,L) Today we travel through Timber Creek and Gregory National Park, where we have lunch on the banks of the Victoria River, while enjoying the scenery. Continuing east we stop at the township of Katherine and, after a short break, head north towards Darwin. We arrive in Darwin approximately 6.30pm and you will be dropped off at your accommodation. B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner Itinerary is subject to road, weather and cultural conditions. Note: This tour can also be started or finished in Kununurra. Tours depart Kununurra on Day 3 of the 13 day Darwin to Broome and end in Kununurra on the afternoon on day 10 on Broome to Kununurra departures. |
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